Snag some leftover cranberry sauce and swirl it into this super luxe cranberry walnut holiday cheese ball! Kick it up a notch with sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzle of honey, and a whole lot of flavor!
Yup! I went there.
I had zero intention of diving into wintry holiday fare when we’ve barely begun to experience Fall weather here in Florida buuuuut… I couldn’t help myself!
Technically I have a really good excuse. I was cleaning out the freezer, doing some major re-organizing, when I found last Winter’s cranberry bounty. The second I laid eyes on those gorgeous berries I had to have them, there was no putting that bag back into the frozen abyss, no way!
I made my go-to cranberry sauce and after tucking a jar away for later, I swirled the remainder into this super luxe cranberry walnut cheese ball. I’ve done this many a times with goat cheese and decided this festive combo would be positively stellar with cream cheese too.
It was AMAZING!
The glory of a cheese ball is you can literally do anything to them!
Pecans would be a tasty addition to the walnuts (LOVE the walnut-pecan combo) and even a little fresh rosemary could be let in on the fun if you’re a fan.
Cranberry Walnut Holiday Cheese Ball
There’s something about pairing sweet and tart with creamy and nutty and cinnamon-y goodness (humor me and pretend that makes sense) that works so perfectly well. I could spread this on everything from crackers to pretzels to my morning bagel.
Quick! Someone toss me a bagel!
The leftovers even make the most amazing sandwich spread in all the land — really!
Spread it on a buttery bakery croissant then pile it mile-high with crisp romaine lettuce, fresh cucumber, and turkey. Now take the biggest bite ever and… SWOON!
Cranberry Walnut Holiday Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
- 1/2-3/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce
- ½ cup dried cranberries (chopped)
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon plus extra to taste
- 3-4 TBSP honey
- ⅓ cup baking walnuts (finely crushed)
- 2-4 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese with cranberry sauce, cinnamon, and honey.
- Using a hand mixer or a fork and some elbow grease, mix well.
- Swipe a taste with a cracker or celery stick and add any extra to taste.
- When it comes to the walnuts, you have two delicious options. You can keep them on the outside only, as a crunchy, nutty coating with a smooth creamy center or amp up the flavor + texture by mixing extra walnuts into the cranberry cream cheese mixture before shaping your ball. In my opinion, the more walnuts the better! Add anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed walnuts to the inside of your cheese ball.
- Use a silicone spatula to scoop out the cheese mixture and shape into a ball with your hands. If mixture is too soft, place on a large sheet of plastic wrap and squeeze into a ball, then pop it in the fridge to chill until it holds shape.
- Place your ball on a sheet of parchment paper or cutting board.
- Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon if you’re as cinna-crazy as we are!
- Next combine your chopped/crushed walnuts, cranberries, and parsley and press firmly into the cheeseball to coat. Pile it on!
- Surround with your favorite extras from the list above and dig in!
- Leftovers taste deeeeeelicious spread on pretty much everything in sight the following day and will keep for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Let your tastebuds be your guide and have fun with it!
Questions & Reviews
Jenn
Last week i canned my own cranberry sauce and tried this cheeseball tonight. Oh my! I hope i can stay out of it until my party TOMORROW! It is beautiful and delicious.And fast!! I left out the cinnamon and honey and added finely shredded cheddar.
Not about the recipe – but that newsletter sign up sheet is very obnoxious as often as it comes up.
Can you figure out a way to fix that?
I completely understand, Robert! I’ll see if there’s an in-program fix or a swap I can make. Thanks for reaching out! xo
You mention cranberry sauce in this cheese ball – is it your own recipe or do you use the canned one?
Hey Carol! My link wasn’t working so I fixed it – You can find my recipe here: Crock-Pot Cranberry Sauce 🙂
Can you use another cranberry sauce when there is not time to make yours in the crockpot?
Of course Drew! I’ll add this one to the post as well, good call! Here is my stove-top cranberry sauce recipe: Speedy Stove-Top Cranberry Sauce
Haha, isn’t cleaning out the fridge (or kitchen, in general) the start of so many stories? Or food inspirations, or new recipes? Looks really delicious, cranberry goes so well with soft cheese!
Magic happens anytime I clean the fridge, freezer, or pantry! Cleaning the dishes? So the opposite, lol! I cannot wait until my little chickpea is old enough to help me with that chore! 😉 Thanks Vivian!