Cranberry Pecan Cheese Balls

These festive cranberry pecan cheese balls are the perfect bite-sized appetizer for any gathering party, especially during the holiday season. They’re quick and easy to make, and naturally gluten-free!

If you’re looking for a quick bite-sized appetizer idea everyone loves, look no further. Easy to make within minutes, these cheese bites are prepared with a simple mixture of fresh goat cheese, cranberries and pecans.

Creamy and somewhat crunchy on the outside, with sweet and savory flavors, these cheese bites make a wonderful addition to your holiday party. Serve them with a pretzel stick used as a skewer, or as is, with some seeded crackers.

What goes into cranberry pecan cheese balls?

I recommend you start with the ingredients below, and then feel free to customize your cheese balls by adding fresh herbs and seasonings of choice!

• Cream cheese
• Fresh goat cheese
• Dried cranberries
• Pecans, chopped

How to make cranberry pecan cheese balls?

Here are the main steps to keep in mind when making cranberry pecan cheese balls (head over to the recipe card for detailed instructions):

• Beat the softened cream cheese and goat cheese with cranberries, salt and pepper.
• Then scoop out small portions of the cheese mixture and carefully shape into balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let set in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Coat with chopped pecans, add a pretzel stick to each ball for easy pickup, and serve!

Possible variations for these cranberry pecan cheese balls

• Play around with cheese. You can do 100% cream cheese, or like I did a mix of cream cheese and goat cheese, or maybe cream cheese and blue cheese!
• Add some fresh herbs. Use chopped chives, basil, fresh mint, or other herbs for additional freshness to your cheese balls. If doing so, ensure you serve them within a few hours to ensure the herbs remain fresh.
• Replace pecans with other nuts. Think walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or even a mixture of several nuts.
• Replace the nuts with seeds. You can coat these cheese balls with black and/or white sesame, with an everything bagel seasoning, or some pumpkin seeds.

What to serve with these cranberry pecan cheese bites?

The easiest is to serve these cheese balls as is, and maybe with some multiseed crackers. You can also use a simple skewer, or make them 100% edible by inserting a pretzel stick in the center. If doing so, add the pretzel just before serving to prevent from being soggy.

Storing and make-ahead instructions

You can easily prepare the small cheese balls in advance from A to Z and store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap up to 2 days in advance. If you want to keep them longer, skip the nuts (they will loose their crunchy bite with time), and roll the balls into the chopped pecans just before serving. You can store leftovers for about 2 days in an airtight container placed in the refrigerator.

More festive appetizer ideas:

• Goat Cheese Pyramid Appetizer
• Green Pea Ricotta Dip with Mint
• Christmas Tree Appetizer
• Tarte Soleil Appetizer
• Cranberry Brie Tart with Pecans
• Smoked Salmon Avocado Cheesecake Verrines

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