Cranberry Orange Cheese Balls

I could eat 100 of these cranberry orange cheese balls, they are so good. With white cheddar, cranberries, orange zest, thyme, toasted pecans, and maple syrup, they're a sweet, savory, and nutty appetizer. The recipe is easy, has just a handful of ingredients, and comes together in less than 30 minutes for an elegant last-minute party snack. They're perfect for holiday parties like Christmas and New Year's!

Author: Sunday Table

Category: Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: HARD

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 28 Cheese Balls

Calories: 39 kcal per serving

Ingredients

⅛ - Decaffeinated black tea
⅛ - Twix Candy
⅛ - Frozen potato wedges
⅛ - Canned chili beef soup
⅛ - Pumpkin flowers
⅛ - Italian ice
⅛ - Red sour cherries
⅛ - Canned diced tomato
⅛ - Chocolate cookie
⅛ - Reduced sugar jam preserve
⅛ - Chicken heart

Instructions

Add the cream cheese, sharp white cheddar cheese, maple syrup, orange zest, thyme, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Then, tip in half of the pecans and half of the dried cranberries. (Reserve the remaining pecans and cranberries for later). Use a rubber spatula or hand mixer to mix the ingredients together until it is smooth and combined.
Portion the cranberry orange cheese using a #40 (1 ounce, 2 Tablespoon) cookie scoop. Roll each portion of cheese between your palms to create smooth balls. Place the cheese balls on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
About 15 minutes before serving, remove the cheese balls from the fridge and let them warm up just a bit. Combine the remaining pecans, cranberries, and parsley in a shallow dish or pie plate. Gently roll each cheese ball until the outside is well-coated. If the mixture doesn't stick, use your fingers to gently press the coating on the outside of the cheese balls.
Place the prepared cheese balls on a platter. Serve with crackers, pretzels, fruit, vegetables, or other snacks. Enjoy!