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Festive Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball

Festive Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball That Wows Every Guest

This Festive Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball is an easy, customizable appetizer that combines creamy cheese, tart cranberries, and crunchy pecans. Perfect for holiday gatherings!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 cheese balls
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cheese Mixture
  • 8 oz Goat Cheese For a milder flavor, you can use cream cheese instead.
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese Vegan cream cheese works for dairy-free needs.
  • 2 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Lemon Zest
For the Coating
  • 1 cup Chopped Cranberries Substitute with dried cherries or chopped dried apricots if desired.
  • 1 cup Chopped Pecans Feel free to swap in walnuts or almonds based on your preference.
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley
Optional Serving Additions
  • 12 sticks Pretzel Sticks For serving this cheese ball.

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Electric Mixer
  • cookie scoop
  • serving tray

Method
 

Step-by-Step Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped cranberries, pecans, and fresh parsley. Stir until evenly mixed, creating a colorful and flavorful coating.
  2. Take a large mixing bowl and add the goat cheese, cream cheese, honey, and lemon zest. Using an electric mixer, blend these ingredients on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. With a 1-inch cookie scoop, portion out the cheese mixture into even balls. Roll gently between your palms to create smooth, round shapes. This should yield about 12 cheese balls.
  4. Roll each cheese ball in the cranberry, pecan, and parsley mixture, ensuring each is evenly coated and pressing gently to help adhere.
  5. Place the coated cheese balls on a serving tray or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  6. Insert a pretzel stick into the center of each cheese ball right before serving, and set out with assorted crackers or baguette slices.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cheese ballCalories: 120kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 150mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 200IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 0.5mg

Notes

For best results, blend the cheese mixture until completely smooth and allow adequate chilling time for the flavors to meld.

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