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Leigh Anne Wilkes

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Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Course / Appetizers / Orange Cranberry Cheese Ball

Orange Cranberry Cheese Ball

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By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 12/14/19Updated: 3/02/23

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

You usually think of a cheese ball as a savory appetizer but this Christmas Cheeseball can be dessert!  This cranberry orange cheese ball has all the holiday flavors including chunks of white chocolate and sugary pecans.

A sweet cheese ball is perfect for any holiday meal or party. The kids are especially going to love the flavor combination of orange, cranberry and white chocolate. Be sure and check out these other sweet appetizers, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip and S’mores Dip.

cheeseball with crackers

Christmas Cheese Ball

I think the cheeseball is a misunderstood and often overlooked holiday treat.  Typically a savory treat, it is often part of a relish tray or a cheeseboard.   I love a good cheeseball!

Watch your guests delightful surprise when they bite into this cheeseball and discover that it’s sweet!  Serve it as an appetizer or as dessert.  This dessert cheeseball starts with a base of cream cheese and powdered sugar with some orange zest, orange juice, chopped craisins, white chocolate and pecans added in.

orange cranberry cheese ball

How to Make a Dessert Cheese Ball

  • Be sure your cream cheese is softened, let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour.
  • Use a hand or stand mixer to cream your softened cream cheese and sugar, you don’t want any lumps! Mix in your other ingredients, including the orange zest, orange juice, white chocolate and part of the craisinets.  Place the mixture into the fridge for a quick 20 minute chill.  This will make it easier to shape into a ball.
  • Put the chilled cheese mixture onto some plastic wrap and form it into a ball.  Chill for 1-2 hours.
  • The cheeseball can be made a day ahead. Keep it wrapped in plastic and in the refrigerator and then before serving, roll the ball into the mixture of chopped craisins and sugared pecans, pressing them into the cheeseball.
  • To learn how to sugar the pecans follow my tutorial here.

bite out of a orange cranberry cheese ball

What to Serve with a Orange Cranberry Cheese Ball

  • Crackers
  • Apple Slices – to keep your apple slices from turning brown, submerge them in a bowl of cold water with salt in it.  Just cover them with the water and then take them out and pat dry.  It’s like magic, they don’t turn brown!
  • Pretzels
  • Vanilla Wafers
  • Graham Crackerscracker with orange cranberry cheese ball

Now sit back, and watch your guests faces as they take their first bite of this delicious Christmas cheese ball.  If you prefer a savory cheese ball, be sure and check out my recipe for the BEST cheese ball ever!

cheeseball on a cracker

Some other sweet appetizer treats:

  • Apple Toffee Dip
  • Peanut Butter Dip
  • Fall Snack Board

For all of my other favorite kitchen products and tools visit my Amazon Store. 

Did you know I wrote a cookbook?  Check out the Holiday Slow Cooker Cookbook for 100 delicious recipes

Orange Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe

5 from 1 vote
cheeseball with crackers

Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
You usually think of a cheese ball as a savory appetizer but this Christmas Cheeseball can be dessert! This cranberry orange cheeseball has all the holiday flavors including chunks of white chocolate and sugary pecans.

serves: 10 people
Prep:10 minutes
Chilling Time:2 hours 20 minutes
Total:2 hours 40 minutes
Rate Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp orange juice
  • 1/2 Tbsp orange zest
  • 1/2 cup Craisins chopped
  • 1/2 cup sugared pecans chopped
  • 1/4 cup Craisins
  • 2 oz. white chocolate chopped

Instructions

  • Mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  • Mix in orange juice, zest and 1/2 cup Craisins until well blended.
  • Chill mixture in bowl for 30 minutes in refrigerator
  • Place mixture onto plastic wrap and form into a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours.
  • Mix together sugared pecans and 1/4 cup Craisins and roll cheeseball in it before serving.
  • Serve with crackers, apples or pretzels

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 71kcal (4%) Carbohydrates: 13g (4%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 2g (3%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Cholesterol: 1mg Sodium: 23mg (1%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 11g (12%) Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) Calcium: 4mg Iron: 1mg (6%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Appetizer
Cuisine:American
cheeseball with crackers
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  1. Logan R McKenna says

    Posted on 12/21 at 8:54 am

    There is no white chocolate in the actual recipe . . . ??? How much do we add? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 12/21 at 12:03 pm

      Sorry about that – I used 2 oz. of white chocolate chopped. I updated the recipe.

      Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 12/24 at 3:10 pm

      Sorry about that – 2 oz. The recipe has been updated.

      Reply

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