Cheese Ball Recipe

4.47 from 239 votes

Easy Cheese Ball Recipe made with cream cheese, green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese. This classic appetizer is always a hit for the holidays!

cheese ball surrounded by crackers
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This Cheese Ball Recipe is a Classic!

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

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!

No matter your skill level, you can make this recipe and impress your family and friends!

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. 

holding a cracker dipped in cheese ball

You can find the full ingredients and instructions at the bottom of this post, but here is what you’ll need to make this recipe.

Ingredients & Notes

  • Cream Cheese
  • Sour Cream
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese: freshly grated
  • Green Onions
  • Chopped Pecans
  • Garlic Powder
  • Salt & Pepper
ingredients to make a cheese ball

How to make a Cheese Ball

Step 1: First, allow your cream cheese to soften for a few minutes. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this may take around 30 minutes or so.

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.

Joy’s Tip

I always recommend that you take the extra few minutes to grate your cheese fresh. It really makes all the difference in flavor!

shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl

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.

shredded cheddar added to the cheese ball ingredients

Make It Ahead

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.

Recipe Tip

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 ball batter from sticking too much.

cheese ball on a plate of pecan pieces

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.

cheese ball rolled in pecans

Step 7: 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.

cheese ball with a bite taken out of the front

What crackers to serve with cheese ball

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
  • Club Crackers
cheese ball platter with crackers

Storing

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!

cheese ball with a chunk missing to show the inside
holding a cracker dipped in cheese ball

Try this classic appetizer for the holidays!

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cheese ball surrounded by crackers
4.47 from 239 votes

Cheese Ball Recipe

This easy cheese ball recipe is a classic favorite appetizer!
Prep: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients 

  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup fresh green onions, minced or finely diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup pecan pieces**

Instructions 

  • Beat together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper until combined
  • Grate the cheddar cheese block fresh
  • Beat the sharp cheddar cheese into the cream cheese mixture
  • Cover and chill the cheese ball mixture for around an hour, until it begins to firm
  • Use a spatula and greased hands (I used olive oil spray on my hands) to form the cheese ball shape, then roll it in the pecans until it is coated on all sides
  • Serve with your favorite crackers and enjoy!

Video

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

Calories: 219kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 221mg, Potassium: 92mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 587IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 141mg, Iron: 0.3mg
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sour cream and cream cheese ball with a bite taken out of the top

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