Classic Cheese Ball Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

By: Author Joy Shull

Posted on Last updated:

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This classic cheese ball recipe is made with cream cheese, green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese. A must have appetizer for the holidays!

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This is the best cheese ball recipe!

This is my go to recipe for an easy and tasty cheese ball that only uses simple ingredients and comes together in just a few minutes.A classic favorite that is always a hit for the holidays!

A cheese ball is a delicious addition to any holiday party, and a tradition that I grew up with, like many others did.

This delicious appetizer is so flavorful and has that perfect contrast of crunch in the pecans. Fresh green onions, cream cheese, and a few simple spices add just the right amount of flavor for every bite.

It is so good we made a Pimento Cheese Ball and Pumpkin Cheese Ball version too!

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Ingredients Needed

  • cream cheese
  • sour cream
  • sharp cheddar cheese: grated fresh
  • green onions
  • chopped pecans
  • garlic powder
  • salt
  • pepper
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How to make a Cheese Ball

Step 1: First, allow your cream cheese to soften for a few minutes. You will need two blocks of cream cheese.

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Step 2: Once softened, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, fresh chopped green onions, salt, and pepper until combined with a hand mixer.

Step 3: Grate 8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese and beat that in.I always recommend that you take the extra few minutes to grate your cheese fresh. It really makes all the difference in flavor.

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Step 4: Cover and chill the filling mixture in the fridge for around an hour or so to firm it up. This will help make it easier to form the cheese ball.

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If you want to make this ahead, you can leave the batter overnight in the fridge, then just finish rolling and shaping it right before serving.

Step 5: Once you are ready to make the cheese ball, use greased hands and a spatula to form the mixture into a ball shape.

I first shaped the ball roughly with a spatula then sprayed my hands with olive oil spray to finish shaping it and that worked perfectly.Oiling your hands will help keep the cheese from sticking too much to you.

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Step 6: Next, roll the cheese ball in the pecan pieces until it is coated on all sides. You need about a cup of chopped up pecans.

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Step 7: Just place the chopped pecans in a bowl and roll the cheese ball until it is totally covered in chopped nuts on all sides. Your cheese ball is now ready to serve!

Tips for Success

  • Grate the cheese yourself: Don’t skip grating the cheese yourself! The extra flavor and texture are just right for this recipe.I used sharp cheddar cheese, but medium cheddar would work just as well.
  • Buy pecan pieces: To save time, buy your pecans in pieces so you don’t have to spend time chopping them up.
  • Use a butter knife to serve this cheese ball
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve: do not leave this out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

What crackers to serve with this Cheese Ball Recipe

Personally, ritz crackers are my favorite cracker to serve with a cheese ball, but pretty much any cracker is going to be delicious!

  • triscuits
  • pita chips
  • wheat thins
  • pretzel chips
  • other crackers
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How to store a Cheese Ball

Leftover cheese ball can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. I doubt they will last that long though. In our house any leftovers are quickly devoured!

More Appetizers You’ll Love

  • Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
  • Creamy Spinach Dip
  • Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
  • Homemade Veggie Dip
  • Pimento Cheese Spread
  • Sour Cream Potato Chip Dip
  • Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
  • Crock Pot Bean Dip
  • Crock Pot Queso Dip

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

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Be sure to pin this recipe for later and followBuild Your Bite on Pinterestfor all the latest delicious recipes!

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Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a star rating below!

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Yield: 1 cheese ball

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This classic cheese ball recipe is always a favorite appetizer for the holidays!

Ingredients

  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ cup fresh green onions, minced or finely diced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup pecan pieces**

Instructions

  1. Beat together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper until combined
  2. Grate the cheddar cheese block fresh
  3. Beat in the sharp cheddar cheese
  4. Cover and chill the cheese ball mixture for around an hour, until it begins to firm
  5. Use a spatula and greased hands to form the cheese ball shape, then roll it in the pecans until it is coated on all sides
  6. Serve with your favorite crackers and enjoy!

Notes

Start with one cup of pecan pieces for rolling, and add more if necessary.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 5 days

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 130Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 140mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

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Classic Cheese Ball Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken a cheese ball? ›

Your cheese ball is too runny: Once you have added all the extras, and it's all mixed in well, if the texture is more salad dressing-like than something you might spread on a bagel, you can tighten it up easily by adding unsalted butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing before you add more.

Who made the original cheese ball? ›

"According to legend," writes Michelle Buffardi, author of Great Balls of Cheese, "the first cheese ball in recorded history was made in 1801 by Elisha Brown, Jr. on his farm and presented to President Thomas Jefferson" at the White House.

Why is my cheese ball too soft? ›

Remove cheese ball from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so the cheese has time to soften and become more spreadable. Why is my cheese ball too soft? A cheese ball can be too soft if reduced fat or nonfat cream cheese is used. Stick to regular, full fat block-style cream cheese.

How long is a homemade cheese ball good for? ›

Storing: A cheese ball should be stored in the refrigerator and will stay fresh for several days or up to 2 weeks depending on the freshness of your ingredients. To estimate how long your cheese ball will stay fresh, first notice the expiration date on the ingredients you are using.

What does adding cornstarch to cheese do? ›

For a cheese dip or sauce, the addition of cornstarch serves a similar function: Starch molecules absorb water and expand, not only thickening the liquid phase of the sauce, but also physically preventing the proteins from binding into long, tangled strands and the fats from separating out and pooling.

What does cornstarch do to cheese? ›

First, the starch absorbs water, thereby thickening the queso and providing body (making it less like dressing and more like dip). But maybe more importantly, it also physically prevents the fat and the proteins from grouping together to form those respective groups of grease (fat) and stringy clumps (proteins).

What are the ingredients in current cheese balls? ›

Corn Grits, Rice Grits, Edible Vegetable Oil (Palmolein Oil), Cheddar Cheese Powder, Iodized Salt, Sugar, Maltodextrin (Ins 1400), Flavour Enhancer (Ins 621), Food Color (Ins 110) And Natural Cheese Flavour. Manufacturer Name: Yashoda Foods Pvt Ltd. Tilottama 15, Rupandehi, Nepal.

What is a fun fact about the cheeseball? ›

Here are some fun facts about cheese balls:
  • A cheese spread in the shape of a ball, usually served around Christmas in the United States.
  • Bocconcini, an Italian cheese in the shape of a ball.
  • Cheese puffs, a processed snack made from puffed corn and cheese, sometimes ball-shaped.
  • A synonym for “cheesy.”
Apr 17, 2019

Why are cheese balls so good? ›

A cheese ball is classic party food that always hits guests. They are easy to make and can be customized to your taste with different cheeses and toppings. Cheese balls are also relatively healthy, as they are made with natural ingredients and do not contain any preservatives or artificial flavors.

Why is my cheese ball so hard? ›

Why is my cheese ball so hard? You want your cheese ball to be firm enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to allow for easy spreading. To achieve this consistency, the key is making sure your cream cheese is softened before preparing.

Why is my cheeseball crumbly? ›

One of the most common reasons for a dry, crumbly texture in cheese though is over acidification. This means that through one or more steps the acid in your cheese has been allowed to over develop, reducing the amount of protein in the cheese, causing it to become more brittle.

What are the best crackers for cheeseballs? ›

Whole wheat crackers

The robustness of the crackers can stand up to the firmness and flavors of the cheese. They include some of the most well-loved American crackers like Wheat Thins and Triscuits.

Can I freeze a homemade cheese ball? ›

Cheese balls freeze quite well. Again, it's best to wrap the cheese ball in one layer of plastic wrap, then one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to four weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Can a cheese ball be left out overnight? ›

For the best taste and quality, cheese should not be left out for longer than two hours at room temperature. Hard cheeses can be left out longer without becoming unsafe, but the quality and taste may change.

What can you use to thicken cheese? ›

You can thicken cheese sauce further by adding more flour or even using a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch or flour with a cup of water. The cold water will create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the cheese sauce over medium heat, and let the sauce boil and thicken.

How do you fix watery queso? ›

Making a slurry with cornstarch and cold milk is how you will thicken your queso. A traditional slurry is a 1:1 liquid to cornstarch ratio, but for our queso purposes I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of milk.

Why is my melted cheese watery? ›

The basic building blocks of cheese are milk protein (casein), water, fat, and salt. When heated, the protein molecules break apart and become fluid. Melting, a phase change from a solid to a liquid isn't really happening, the cheese becomes fluid, much like what happens to plastic when it's heated.

Why is my cheese spread watery? ›

The liquid is just a bit of extra moisture or liquid whey. During the aging process, cheese releases water vapor. This allows the cheese to reach the next stage of maturity. You might even notice a little moisture after you've brought your cheese home and it has been in the fridge a while – it's still maturing!

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