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Cranberry Walnut Holiday Cheese Ball
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!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 30 servings
Calories 81 kcal
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
- 1/2-3/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (chopped)
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon plus extra to taste
- 3-4 TBSP honey
- 1/3 cup baking walnuts (finely crushed)
- 2-4 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese with cranberry sauce, cinnamon, and honey.
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Using a hand mixer or a fork and some elbow grease, mix well.
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Swipe a taste with a cracker or celery stick and add any extra to taste.
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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.
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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.
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Place your ball on a sheet of parchment paper or cutting board.
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Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon if you're as cinna-crazy as we are!
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Next combine your chopped/crushed walnuts, cranberries, and parsley and press firmly into the cheeseball to coat. Pile it on!
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Surround with your favorite extras from the list above and dig in!
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Leftovers taste deeeeeelicious spread on pretty much everything in sight the following day and will keep for up to 4 days.
Recipe Notes
The links above are for my delish crock-pot cranberry sauce. Need it fast? This speedy stove-top cranberry sauce is ready in just 10 minutes!
Serve this heavenly spread at room temperature with sliced green apple, whole grain crackers, fruit and nut crackers, pretzels, and crunchy celery sticks. Or just go crazy and spread it on everything in sight!
Nutrition Facts below are estimated for the cheese ball using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Cranberry Walnut Holiday Cheese Ball
Amount Per Serving
Calories 81
Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 50mg2%
Potassium 29mg1%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 227IU5%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.