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.
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.
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.
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 Crackers
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!
Some other sweet appetizer treats:
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Orange Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe
Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball
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
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There is no white chocolate in the actual recipe . . . ??? How much do we add? Thanks!
Sorry about that – I used 2 oz. of white chocolate chopped. I updated the recipe.
Sorry about that – 2 oz. The recipe has been updated.