Description
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball Bites are a festive, bite-sized appetizer made with creamy cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, sweet dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, and fresh chives. Rolled in a colorful coating and finished with pretzel sticks, these easy appetizers are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, game day, and holiday parties.
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups dried cranberries, chopped and divided
- 2 cups pecans, chopped and divided
- ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped and divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 25 pretzel sticks
Instructions
- Add the softened cream cheese, shredded pepper jack cheese, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup chopped dried cranberries, half of the chopped chives, salt, onion powder, and black pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy and evenly combined.
- Scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time and gently roll it between your hands to form small cheese balls.
- Arrange the cheese balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until firm enough to handle without losing their shape.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and chives.
- Roll each chilled cheese ball in the cranberry-pecan mixture, gently pressing the coating onto the surface.
- Insert one pretzel stick into each cheese ball shortly before serving.
- Arrange the bites on a serving platter and keep refrigerated until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Serve chilled: These cheese ball bites taste best when cold and firm.
- Party presentation: Arrange them on a festive platter with crackers, pretzels, apple slices, and grapes.
- Make ahead: Prepare the cheese balls and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours before serving. For the best crunch, add the coating and pretzel sticks closer to serving time.
- Refrigeration: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
- Keep pretzels crunchy: Insert the pretzel sticks shortly before serving because they may soften when exposed to moisture.
- Freezing: Freezing is not ideal for this recipe because cream cheese can become grainy after thawing, and the coating may lose its texture.
- Easy serving: Use a small cookie scoop to make evenly sized bites that look attractive on a party platter.
- Food safety: Do not leave these cream-cheese appetizers at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C).