Christmas Cheese Ball
Need a cheese ball recipe for Christmas? I’ve got you covered. This Christmas cheese ball is the PERFECT festive appetizer for your next holiday party! Worcestershire sauce and ranch dressing make it so this cheese ball is full of savory flavors, and the toasted pecans around the outside make it look polished and add a delightful crunch to this delicious appetizer.
Looking for more Christmas appetizer recipes? Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip is festive and fun, and Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms are tasty and look great when served. For holiday appetizers that require little time and effort but bring maximum flavor, try my Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs and Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip!
Why This Recipe Works
- Best Christmas cheese ball. This is the best cheese ball recipe because it is absolutely packed with delicious savory flavor, and it looks great, perfect for parties during the holiday season.
- Easy holiday appetizer. When it comes down to it, this easy appetizer recipe requires very little effort on your part. It’s mostly just mixing simple ingredients together, then molding them into a ball. With how crazy busy the holidays can be, an easy holiday cheese ball recipe is just what we need.
Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese forms the base of this holiday cheese ball recipe. It’s a great canvas for additional flavors and can be formed into any shape we want, although for this recipe I’ve chosen the traditional cheese ball shape.
- Worcestershire sauce: I love Worcestershire sauce. It’s savory, tangy, and even has a subtle sweetness to it that adds so much to the flavor of this cheese ball.
- Ranch dressing mix: Another ingredient that packs tons of savory flavor in a small package, ranch dressing mix is key to making the best Christmas cheese ball. Make sure to use the dressing mix, NOT the dip mix.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: I think the sharpness of cheddar cheese is the best pairing with the rich savory flavor of ranch dressing mix and Worcestershire sauce, plus it will add some texture variety to the cheese ball.
- Green onions: I love the color and the flavor that green onions add to this cheese ball.
- Pecans: Finely chopped pecans add flavor and a lovely crunch to this cheese ball. I love toasted pecans, so naturally, I’ve toasted mine here.
How to Make a Christmas Cheese Ball
- Prep ingredients. Grate or shred enough sharp cheddar cheese to make 2 cups, slice 2 green onions, toast 2 cups worth of finely chopped pecans, and soften cream cheese. If you didn’t remember to get it out earlier, you can microwave it in short bursts—just be careful because cream cheese does like to explode a bit!
- Mix Worcestershire sauce and cream cheese. Add 16 oz of softened cream cheese and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to a large bowl. Beat these ingredients until the cream cheese is smooth and the Worcestershire sauce is fully incorporated. This took me 1-2 minutes with my electric hand mixer on medium speed.
- Add cheese, green onion, and ranch dressing mix. To the cream cheese, add 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 2 finely sliced green onions, and 1 oz of ranch dressing mix. Mix to combine either using an electric mixer or a rubber spatula.
- Shape cheese ball. Using clean hands, form the cream cheese mixture into one large ball, or two small balls.
- Cover cheese ball. Roll the cheese ball or cheese balls in 2 cups of finely chopped, toasted pecans until the outside of the cheese ball is fully coated. Cover cheese balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
- Enjoy with crackers. 30 minutes before you plan to serve your Christmas cheese ball, remove it from the fridge and place it on a serving plate. Allow it to come to room temperature. Serve this tasty appetizer with your favorite crackers, celery sticks, and whatever else you like!
Recipe Tips
Have fun with this recipe! I saw a video where someone turned their cheese ball into Rudolph by using black olives for eyes, a cherry tomato for a nose, and pretzels for antlers. Other people have formed their cheese balls into Christmas trees or Santa hats using chopped green pepper or red bell pepper pieces. I love the simplicity of a classic cheese ball (and let’s be real, I do not have time to make anything else) but I love seeing people be creative with it, too! You could also use this recipe to make several mini cheese balls.
In addition to shaping and decorating a cheese ball any way you like, there are tons of flavor options, too! Add diced chopped bacon, or use a different kind of cheese, or maybe even a different kind of dressing mix? And for the outside, you could use walnuts, slivered almonds, whatever kind of nut you think would be good. The sky is the limit!
I do recommend using freshly grated cheese over pre-shredded cheese because I think it blends easier, and for this sort of thing I think it tastes better, too. I would also recommend using regular cream cheese, not low-fat cream cheese, because it is more solid and will hold its shape better.
Not sure how to eat a cheese ball? Spread it on crackers, vegetables, a baguette…anything you like.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Make Ahead: Cheese balls can be made a long time in advance! You can make and store this Christmas cheese ball for up to a month in the fridge. Just make sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.
Storing: Store leftover cheese balls tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge. Cheese balls can be stored for up to a month.
Freezing: This cheese ball recipe cannot be frozen.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Cheese balls can be stored for up to a month, so they can be made well in advance of any holiday parties.
This is an incredible story. Apparently, the first cheese ball on record is from the 1800s, when Elder John Leland of Cheshire, Massachusetts, crafted an enormous cheese ball that weighed 1,235 pounds. Known as “The Mammoth Cheese,” Leland then transported the ball by wagon and rolled it across the White House lawn to present to then President Thomas Jefferson to show appreciation for religious liberty. It’s unclear what happened next, although one legend suggests the enormous cheese ball was on display for 2 years and served at different functions before being tossed in the Potomac River. Not sure how sanitary that was, but, it’s a fun story! After that, cheese balls had a resurgence during World War II as an inexpensive and versatile party dish.
Original Worcestershire sauce contains barley malt vinegar, which contains gluten. You can find certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, or use something like coconut aminos in its place (soy sauce is also not gluten-free so does not work as a substitute).
No. Upon thawing, the dairy in the cheese ball would separate and be, frankly, gross
More Appetizer Recipes
- Cucumber Cream Cheese Bites
- Sausage Cream Cheese Dip
- Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini
- Layered Taco Dip
- Pepperoni Dip
Christmas Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese - softened
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
- 1 oz Ranch seasoning - DRESSING mix (not dip mix)
- 2 green onions - finely sliced
- 2 cups pecans - toasted and finely chopped
For serving
- crackers of your choice
Instructions
- Add the softened cream cheese and Worcestershire sauce to a large bowl. Using hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed. Add the cheddar cheese, ranch dressing mix, and green onions to the bowl and mix to combine.
- Using clean hands, form the mixture into 1 large ball, or two small round balls.
- Roll the cheese ball(s) in the chopped pecans to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
- To serve, pull the cheese ball out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to eating it (gives it time to soften a touch!) Eat with cracker variety of your choosing.
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