• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Snacks
    • Dessert
    • Condiments
    • Reviews
  • About Midwexican
    • Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me!

Midwexican

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Midwexican
  • Work With Me!
×

Home » Appetizers

Published: Dec 15, 2020 · Modified: Oct 11, 2021 by Tino Marie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn

Dried cranberries, orange zest, and roasted pecans and walnuts make this one festive holiday cheese ball that can be paired with sweet or savory leaning accompaniments. 

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I love a good cheese ball. Mostly because it’s one of my favorite ways to eat cream cheese. If I was as beloved as Oprah and people cared about my favorite things, cream cheese would definitely be on this fictional list. Especially this Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts.

Cranberry Orange Goat Cheese Ball

I’ve made dozens of cheese balls, admittedly mostly involving bacon. In the spirit of the upcoming season, I decided to tap into some holiday flavors - cranberry and orange. The tart, citrusy flavors make this Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts feel light, despite all the cheese involved - which includes cream cheese and tangy goat cheese.

The goat cheese adds a lovely tang that plays up the fruity attributes. And roasted walnuts and pecans add a brilliant texture and a lovely presentation to the finished product. 

Cranberry Nut Goat Cheese Ball

How do you make a Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts?

You will need the following ingredients to make this fabulously fall-inspired Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts.

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese
  • 1 4 ounce package goat cheese
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ teaspoon orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon  orange juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ½ cup roasted walnut pieces
  • ½ cup roasted pecan pieces
Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball

INSTRUCTIONS 

  1. Let the cream cheese and goat cheese come to room temperature.
  2. Add the cream cheese and goat cheese to a bowl and cream with a hand mixer.
  3. Chop up the dried cranberries into smaller pieces.
  4. Add the chopped dried cranberries, pinch of salt, orange zest, and orange juice to the bowl. Mix to combine with the hand mixer.
  5. Add the walnut and pecan pieces to a food processor and pulse until you get small pebble-sized pieces.
  6. Add half of the nuts to the bowl and combine with a hand mixer.
  7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The cheese ball will be easier to form when chilled.
  8. Put the chilled cheese ball mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into a ball.
  9. Spread the remaining crushed nuts onto a cutting board.
  10. Remove the plastic wrap from the cheese ball. Roll the cheese ball over the nuts until completely coated.
  11. Put the cheese ball onto a plate and serve with crackers. Enjoy!

Cheese Ball Serving Size

This recipe makes a cheese ball that’s ideal for the small holiday get-together. It uses one 8-ounce package of cream cheese and one 4-ounce package of goat cheese. I’d plan on doubling that for a larger gathering, but this is perfect for four people. My husband and I demolished ⅔ of this Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts in one sitting, #noshame.

Cranberry Nut Goat Cheese Ball and Crackers

What do I serve alongside my Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts?

Since the flavors in this cheese ball recipe aren't decidedly savory or sweet, you can get creative with your cheese ball accompaniments. Obviously, they pair well with your average neutral cracker (like Club), but I was pleasantly surprised with how good they were with Garlic Butter Ritz. I'm betting a Rosemary-flavored cracker (like a Triscuit) would also be bomb. And I'd also give this a go on a graham cracker. Why not, right?

Walnut Cranberry Goat Cheese

Substitutions

The beauty of a cheese ball recipe is that you can easily make substitutions! Here are a few you can easily make to this Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Goat Cheese.

  • Instead of dried cranberries, you could also use dried blueberries, cherries, chokecherries, or lingonberries.
  • Instead of a mix of roasted walnuts and pecans, feel free to use one or the other. You could also use cashews or almonds.
  • I like using roasted nuts but you could easily use raw nuts, or a complimentary-flavored nuts that's been honey roasted.
Walnut Cranberry Orange Cheese

Cheese Ball Storage

Wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap, then place it in a lidded container and refrigerate it until needed. You can easily make this a day ahead of time but eat within 3 days.

If you like this, you may also enjoy:

  • Coconut Rice Krispie Treats
  • Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Mayo
  • Chorizo Breakfast Tacos with Apple Radish Slaw
  • Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Orange Goat Cheese Ball

Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts

Dried cranberries, orange zest, and nuts make this one festive holiday cheese ball that can be paired with sweet or savory leaning accompaniments. 
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
3 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs 15 mins
Course Appetizer
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese
  • 1 4 ounce package goat cheese
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ teaspoon orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon orange juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ½ cup roasted walnut pieces
  • ½ cup roasted pecan pieces

Instructions
 

  • Let the cream cheese and goat cheese come to room temperature.
  • Add the cream cheese and goat cheese to a bowl and cream with a hand mixer.
  • Chop up the dried cranberries into smaller pieces.
  • Add the chopped dried cranberries, pinch of salt, orange zest, and orange juice to the bowl. Mix to combine with the hand mixer.
  • Add the walnut and pecan pieces to a food processor and pulse until you get small pebble-sized pieces.
  • Add half of the nuts to the bowl and combine with a hand mixer.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The cheese ball will be easier to form when chilled.
  • Put the chilled cheese ball mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into a ball.
  • Spread the remaining crushed nuts onto a cutting board.
  • Remove the plastic wrap from the cheese ball. Roll the cheese ball over the nuts until completely coated.
  • Put the cheese ball onto a plate and serve with crackers. Enjoy!
Keyword cheese ball, cheese ball recipe, cheese ball with cranberries and nuts
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

More Appetizers

  • Cheesy Refried Bean Dip
  • Cream Cheese Christmas Pinwheels
  • Taco Balls
  • Tajin Cucumber Salsa

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow me!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

Learn more about me →

Lighter Fare

  • Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl
  • Instant Pot Pozole
  • Imitation Crab Ceviche
  • Tuna Tostadas
  • Turkey Lentil Soup
  • White Chicken Porchetta Chili
  • Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
  • Instant Pot Pinto Bean Soup

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Work With Me!

    • Let's Collaborate!

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Midwexican

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT