This “ultimate” Christmas Cheese Ball recipe features bacon, dried cranberries, blue cheese, Cheddar cheese, green onions, and pecans. It showcases the traditional Christmas colors all wrapped up in one incredibly delicious cheese ball that’s guaranteed to be a hit at your next get-together! Savory, sweet, salty and PACKED with FLAVOR, it’s simply irresistible!
The cheese ball needs to make a comeback. But not as a repetition of history. No, the cheese balls of yesteryear deservedly earned a bad rap.  You know the ones:  A mass of sticky artificial orange industrial goo (ie, Velveeta) squished into a ball, rolled in some nuts and served with crackers.  By the time this round object masquerading as cheese had been sitting at room temperature for 37 minutes it became so unappetizing in appearance that the party guests began drifting further and further away from the table. Yes, that’s the one. That cheese ball needs to make a permanent exit.
Fortunately in recent years cream cheese has taken the place of the unidentifiable orange stuff.  Its tangy, neutral flavor is the perfect base for any number of fun flavor combinations.
I think I’ve only ever made a grand total of four cheese balls in my life. Â But this Christmas Cheese Ball recipe that I developed several years ago led me to an irrevocable decision: Cheese balls need to make a regular appearance in my home. Â They’re just too good not to.
What is in the ULTIMATE Christmas Cheese Ball?
This Christmas Cheese Ball features the Christmas colors of red, white and green in the form of smoky bacon, sweet dried cranberries, cream cheese and green onions and those flavors are given an additional massive flavor boost with the inclusion of Cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and pecans. PACKED with flavor, it is a real feast for the palate!
At the time I developed this recipe our daughter was only 3 years old and she loved it then and still loves it today. Now, 7 years later, she still requests this. It’s become a favorite in our home.
Super easy to make, you can shape this into a cheese ball or into a log or any design you heart desires.  Either way, it’s going to be a hit! For best results just be sure to let the cheese ball sit in the fridge for at least a few hours so the flavor have time to meld.
Christmas Cheese Ball Recipe
Let’s get started!
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Stir or knead together until thoroughly combined.
Shape into a ball (or log if preferred) and wrap in plastic wrap. Â Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days.
Toss the outer layer ingredients to combine and spread them out on a plate. Â Roll the ball in them to even coat the outer layer.
Serve immediately or wrap it again in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until ready to use.
Serve with crackers and enjoy!
For more delicious spreads and dips be sure to try our:
- Black Olive Tapenade
- Neiman Marcus Dip
- Pimento Cheese
- Indian Red Lentil Dip
- Black Olive Tapenade
- Smoked Salmon Spread
- Queso Fundido
- Chicken Liver PateÂ
- French Onion Dip Mix
- Obatzda
- Hummus
- Baba Ganoush
- Peach Bacon Jam
Christmas Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon , cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions , sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
- For the outer layer:
- 2 green onions , sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon
- crackers of choice for serving
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir or knead together until thoroughly combined. Form the mass into a ball or log (whichever shape desired) and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 2 days.
- Toss the outer layer ingredients together to combine and spread them out on a plate. Roll the cheese ball in them to evenly coat the surface. Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use. Serve with crackers.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 22, 2015
Marie says
I LOVE this cheese ball! I have made it several times for parties and everyone loves it. I do add chopped jalapeno peppers that have been seeded and membranes removed. This gives it just a bit of a bite!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Marie, I’m so happy it’s become a regular and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Peggy Moore says
How many 1 inch size cheese bites(balls) would this make?
GERI K says
I don’t see anywhere at the end of the post how much you need to keep aside for the outer layer. Can you just say how much please?
Stephanie Rogers says
I made this cheese ball and it was a huge hit!!!! Everyone loved it!!! The blue cheese is what makes it stand out I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Stephanie, thanks so much!
Carron Ingham says
I’ve made this Cheese Ball twice now and it is so yummy! I served it at a family party yesterday and it was a BIG hit, My granddaughter’s eyes light up when I told her to wrap up the leftover and take it home!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Carron, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!
Shannon says
this Cheese ball looks great, thanks for the recipe. Ingredients are on my shopping list! Happy New Years Kimberly !
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Shannon, Happy New Year! :)
Wanda says
I DO NOT want to be in the grocery store on Christmas Eve Day. Can I substitute Feta for the blue cheese?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I can’t blame you, Wanda! Yes, you can use feta, it just won’t have as strong, or the same, flavor.
B White says
What are the outer layer ingredients— or how much do you set aside for rolling on the outside?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi B, if you scroll to the bottom of the post you’ll find the recipe box and in the list of ingredients it says “for the outer layer” and will tell you what you need and how much.
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
I have to confess that I’ve never made or had a cheeseball. And they weren’t a staple of the parties of my childhood. But this one is super tempting with those festive colors and tasty flavors!
Erin says
Seriously that looks like a CHristmas ornament!! Love it. I think I need to make a cheese ball! And we LOVE Food Should Taste Good crackers, too!!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Wowie! I just love this cheese ball — one of the prettiest I’ve seen. Great ingredients, too. I need to bring more cheese balls into my life, too! Thank you!
Laura says
I love how Christmas-y this looks! And it sounds delicious. We always had cheddar beer cheeseballs–also delicious but a different animal completely. I want to try this one. And don’t you love when the kids love something you made like that?
Lisa @ Low Carb Yum says
This looks so good, I’d skip the crackers! Beautiful appetizer for serving at parties this time of year.
Anna @annaDishes says
What a great use of cranberries! I love a good cheese ball! Will definitely make this soon!
Adina says
This looks so pretty,like a big jewel! I bet it tastes amazing. I found a recipe for some great looking crackers as well this morning (Cafe Sucre Farine), I think the two recipes would fit together perfectly.