Appetizers and Snacks Dips and Spreads Recipes Cheese Dips and Spreads Recipes Cheese Ball Recipes Cranberry Cheese Ball Be the first to rate & review! 1 Photo This cranberry cheese ball with orange zest, sharp white Cheddar cheese, and garlic is simply delicious. The red and green color combination from cranberries and chives make it look extra festive and it's the perfect holiday appetizer. By Juliana Hale Juliana Hale Juliana Hale is a culinary specialist with over 20 years of experience in recipe testing and development. She works closely with Allrecipes, Better Homes & Gardens, Forks Over Knives, Midwest Living, and Traditional Home both in the test kitchens and with her stories. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on November 9, 2024 Tested by Sarah Brekke Tested by Sarah Brekke Sarah Brekke is a culinary professional with over 10 years of experience food media. With a background in both culinary and food sciences, she uses her skills to develop, test, and modify recipes to make them as tasty and practical as possible. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo Prep Time: 15 mins Cool Time: 4 hrs Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins Servings: 16 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 16 servings 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail 1/2 cup dried cranberries, snipped, divided 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 1 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup butter 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, divided 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1/2 teaspoon packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped crackers, crostini, and/or vegetable dippers for serving Directions Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bring cranberry juice just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup dried cranberries. Cover; set aside. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and butter in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Drain cranberries, reserving 1 tablespoon juice. Add plumped cranberries and reserved juice to the bowl with the cheese mixture. Add 1 tablespoon chives, orange zest, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Beat with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place cheese mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to shape the mixture into a ball (it won’t be a perfect shape at this point). Wrap in the plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 24 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Now you can make a better ball shape by rolling the wrapped mixture on your work surface. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries, remaining 1 tablespoon chives, and the pecans on a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Roll cheese ball in the mixture to coat. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Let stand 15 minutes before serving with crackers, crostini, or vegetable dippers. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Make Ahead Instead of refrigerating, place ball in a freezer container and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Roll in coating before serving. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 134 Calories 11g Fat 6g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 16 Calories 134 % Daily Value * Total Fat 11g 15% Saturated Fat 6g 31% Cholesterol 29mg 10% Sodium 113mg 5% Total Carbohydrate 6g 2% Dietary Fiber 0g 2% Total Sugars 5g Protein 3g 6% Vitamin C 2mg 2% Calcium 67mg 5% Iron 0mg 1% Potassium 37mg 1% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.