This easy cheese ball takes 15 minutes and is full of fresh flavor. The combo of sharp cheddar, herbs and smoked almonds is perfection. It never fails to be the hit of a party.
Somewhere during my 2nd trimester of pregnancy I fell in love with cheese balls. I was at a friend’s house one day and she made one from a gourmet mix for a snack. We. Ate. The. Entire. Thing.
She had never made one from scratch and I could not imagine buying a mix so I hit the kitchen determined to make the perfect cheese ball. It took a few tries but I did and this is it. You will never need another cheese ball recipe!
I took this cheese ball to multiple parties throughout the fall and it was always a runaway hit. I suggest doubling or quadrupling the recipe if you plan to serve a big group!
Tools In This Post: I don’t own a nut chopper – just one more thing to take up space. Instead I just pulse the nuts in my food processor for a few minutes. This Cuisinart has been my work horse over a decade now and it is running most days. I consider that well worth the counter space!
If you did need another cheese ball recipe this Bacon and Smoked Gouda one would be it! Seriously, yum!
Garden Herb Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp. green onion finely minced
- 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper ground to a medium course grind (using more finely ground pepper makes it more spicy)
- 1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
- 1/2 cup smoked almonds or favorite nuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium high speed, whip everything except the cheddar cheese and nuts until mixed.
- Add the cheddar and beat on low until just mixed.
- Put mixture in the center of a large square of plastic wrap. Bring the edges of the plastic wrap up around the mixture and form a ball.
- Remove the plastic wrap and roll the ball in chopped nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Your Rating Matters
When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. - Mirlandra
Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
I read each and every comment and I try to respond to questions asap, so ask away! If you’ve made a recipe, I would love to hear about it! Please come back and share your experience and give the recipe a 5-star rating so other people will know how much you loved it!
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
My mouth wont’ stop watering, this sounds amazing! 🙂
Mirlandra says
I love a good cheese ball! Stay tuned for my Asian version, coming soon 🙂
teresa says
seems like it is a very hard cheeseball. is there a way to soften it?
Mirlandra says
If you want a softer one try adding a little milk. I would start with a teaspoon or two and add by teaspoons until you have the result you want.
Lisa Meaux says
I made this as an afternoon treat, my family devoured it! This will be a treasured recipe thank you so much!!
Mirlandra says
You are most welcome, Lisa! This is one of my favorite simple go to recipes this time of year. You just can’t beat the flavor and it takes no time at all to make something that people rave about! In fact, I’m making several of these and my Asian cheese ball to take to the family Christmas gathering in CA. If you like Asian food flavors give it a try – you can find it under Appetizers in the recipe section 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Courtney Richmond says
This cheese ball is so good! I made it without the Worcestershire sauce, and it is amazing still! Next time I make it I am going to try adding salad shrimp to it. Thank you for the recipe!
Mirlandra says
Oh thank you for telling me so! A good cheese ball is so worth it! The salad shrimp sounds wonderful – please do let me know what you think! I was just telling my husband about the idea and he was excited to try it too. His idea was to try mixing them in frozen so they hold their shape and are easy to mix in and then letting them thaw in the ball. But if your shrimp have too much water it could be more of an adventure than you bargained for. Good luck!
PAMELA says
What kind of cracker or bread do you use for this
Mirlandra says
I like French Bread or Ritz crackers. But really it is good with many crackers and breads – just what you like. Enjoy!
CD says
I am a kitchen newbie. I don’t have a stand mixer only a .processor and hand mixer. Will these work or maybe mix by hand?
Mirlandra says
Absolutely! I’m a big believer that EVERYBODY can cook! And it is very practical to make do with what you have on hand whenever you can. I would just make sure that your cream cheese is VERY soft. As long as you have that sorted you shouldn’t have any issues getting everything combined. Yum! Happy Cooking 🙂
Diana says
I have been making this cheeseball for years now and it’s always requested at Thanksgiving and especially Christmas. I can guarantee it’s a 5-star recipe. So easy too!
Mirlandra says
Thank you, Diana! It is a holiday favorite of mine and I’m so glad you have enjoyed it as part of your traditions 🙂