Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball
This Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball is an easy and festive holiday appetizer. That leaves you more time for being the holiday cheermeister!
This Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
As soon as fresh cranberries show up in the grocery store, I always grab a couple bags. We love cooking and baking with cranberries around here – this Cranberry Banana Bread is an all-time favorite! Cranberries are festive and fun, and they’re perfect for holiday recipes like this Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball.
This cheese ball uses dried cranberries rather than fresh ones, but the flavor is still there! Add in the crunch from the toasted walnuts, the creamy texture from the cream cheese and the flavor from the sharp cheddar cheese, and you’ve got a delicious appetizer recipe.
Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball
Aside from the texture and flavor, the best part about this Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball is the fact that it is super easy to make. It’s the holiday season – there are presents to wrap, errands to run and letters to write to Santa. I get it. That’s why it’s great to have easy appetizer recipes like this one on hand. With just a little bit of prep work, you can have this cheese ball ready to go. That way you can get back to being the holiday cheermeister!
Cheese balls are a popular appetizer for holiday parties, and they’re incredibly easy to make. Whenever I make cheese balls at home, I always start with a block (8 oz.) of softened cream cheese combined with a 1 cup (4 oz.) of shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Those proportions are the perfect base for all sorts of delicious cheese ball variations.
This version with the walnuts, cranberries and parsley not only tastes great, but it’s also festive for the holidays, too!
As we approach the holiday season, I always stock up on various types of Cabot cheese. Neighbors stop by for an impromptu glass of wine? Sliced cheese and crackers is an easy and delicious snack to serve. A particularly cold day outside? A good grilled cheese sandwich makes the best lunch ever!
If you’ve had Cabot cheese, then you certainly understand why we love it so much here in our house! Cabot is a co-op creamery based on Vermont, and they regularly win all sorts of awards (both national and international) for their cheese. (And it’s not just cheese – Bon Appétit named Cabot’s Unsalted Butter as the best butter for baking!)
Circling back to this Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball, it’s an impressive and colorful addition to any cheese board! And the fact that it can almost entirely be made in advance is a huge win during the busy holiday season, too. If you’re looking for a fantastic appetizer for holiday parties, grab some Cabot cheese and put this cheese ball on the list! Cheers!
Storing Leftover Cheese Balls
Leftover cheese balls can be stored very easily! Just wrap the leftover portion tightly in plastic wrap and then store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. This cheese ball can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just wrap the leftover portion tightly in plastic wrap and foil before placing it in a freezer safe ziptop bag. Let the cheeseball thaw in the fridge for ~24 hours before serving.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season filled with all sorts of delicious appetizers – starting with this cheese ball! Cheers!
Did you make this Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) and Cabot (@CabotCreamery) on Instagram – we’d love to see your version!
Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped
- ¾ cup dried cranberries chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- {for serving} crackers pita chips, pretzels, etc.
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add walnuts. Toast nuts, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and smell toasted. (Tip: Watch the walnuts closely as they can burn quickly!)
- Place toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and parsley in a medium bowl; stir until well combined. Set bowl aside. (Tip: A hand mixer makes this step easier!)
- Using a large bowl, add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder and half of the walnut-cranberry mixture; stir until well combined.
- Cover bowl with piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. (Tip: Cover remaining walnut-cranberry mixture with plastic wrap, too.)
- Using wax paper, shape the cheese mixture into a ball. Roll cheese ball in the remaining walnut-cranberry mixture.
- Serve with crackers, pita chips, pretzels, etc.
Looking for more holiday appetizer recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan cream cheese i never had cranberry walnut cheese ball before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hey Ramya! Yes, feel free to make any substitutions to this recipe. I would recommend making sure the vegan cheese isn’t too crumbly, though. You want the ball to hold together! Cheers!
Love how simple it is to put this cheese ball together! I’m digging that holiday festive mood!
This cheese ball really is super easy to make, Michelle! And it’s delicious, too! 🙂
We love a good cheese ball, especially around the holidays. (Sometimes it’s even better than any cookies!) And cranberries and walnuts are some of my favourite additions to it. So easy and delicious!
Well then this cheese ball is calling your name, Ben! Cheese balls are such a great option for holiday appetizer parties with a good glass of wine. Cheers!
happily, dried cranberries are something we can get here in australia 🙂 your cheesy ball looks very tempting David! and very festive.
Ah good! I was wondering if dried cranberries made their way down there. This cheese ball is quite tasty…and it’s perfect for holiday entertaining with friends. Cheers, Sherry!
David your cheesecake looks perfect for the festive season. I am definitely going to add this to my Christmas food repertoire. Ì will have to substitute for the Cabot cheese but this looks perfect, and I love how leftovers can be frozen. Great work David.
Wouldn’t it be great if Cabot was available down there in Australia?? This is a really tasty (and really easy!) recipe. It’s great for holiday parties. Speaking of parties, I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season! Cheers!
This would be awesome for any holiday dinner or party. Thanks, David! You are, as always, the king of these kinds of party foods.
I do love parties…which means I love party food! 🙂 Come on down, Jeff!
That’s me! A cheermeiser! Love that name. I’ve never liked he term “cheese ball,” but they were pretty awful way back when. Yours is much more sophisticated and very pretty.
Yeah, I totally hear ya on the term ‘cheese ball,’ Mimi. I thought about trying to name this one something different, but folks know the name cheese ball…so cheese ball it is. But I promise this homemade version is SO much better than the stuff of the past. Haha!
I can’t resist a tasty cheese ball and this one is so festive, David! The kind of app that disappears fast at holiday parties!
I do love holiday appetizer parties, and I have to say that these cheese ball is perfect for such events! Cheers, Marissa!
The combination of crunchy walnuts, tangy cranberries, creamy cheese, and fresh parsley is absolutely irresistible. This cheese ball is not only delicious, but it looks festive and fun too, making it the perfect addition to any holiday party.
I love a good cheese ball, and I have to say that this one was not only festive, but delicious, too! Thanks, Raymund!
I can’t find fresh cranberries where I am. Can I used dried craisin cranberries instead?
I haven’t tried dried cranberries myself, Amanda…but I suspect they would work just fine for this recipe! I hope you enjoy it. 😀