Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe
I will start this post by admitting I’m completely OBSESSED with cheese balls. (Not the storebought kind.) And whether the homemade cheese ball is savory or sweet doesn’t matter. I’m a fan, no matter what. I’m proud to give you a festive variation of the classic cheese ball recipe. My Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe is delicious, beautiful, and easy to serve at parties.
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Let’s go ahead and get the elephant out of the room. The “mini” part of this recipe is unique, I know. It not only makes this easy cheese ball recipe super cute, but it makes serving so much simpler. Many times, at parties I’ve found myself waiting in a long line to grab a bite of cheese ball and people are usually struggling with the cheese knife. This recipe eliminates both of those problems.
As people are passing, they can simply grab a mini cheese ball by the pretzel and a couple of crackers and be on their way. Talk about the perfect appetizer! Each mini cheese ball is enough for about 4 buttery crackers, which to me, is the perfect serving.
I’m also very adamant about not wasting food and being resourceful. That’s why I’ve chosen to use pretzel sticks for the cheese balls rather than toothpicks. (Or any other cocktail fork.) This serving utensil is completely edible. And might I add, cute! And it’s a great way to eliminate waste and/or dishwashing.
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Another reason why I like this variation of cheese ball is because my whole life we focused on the savory. (Check out my Favorite Savory Homemade Cheeseball) And to be honest, we usually have way more “dinner like” appetizers at my parties than desserts. (Probably because I’m not a big, sweet eater.) But the main characters in this cheese ball are the pineapple chunks and cranberries.
I find that the fresh fruit lightens up the cream cheese just enough so that you don’t feel super heavy afterwards. (Although, this could be quite dangerous because you might not realize how much you’ve eaten until it’s too late!) But can we make an effort to start this trend towards more sweet cheese balls? I think that the flavor combinations could be endless!
Here are some Sweet Cheese Ball Flavor Ideas!
Another thing that makes cheese balls great holiday appetizers is because you can shape them for the occasion. Be as creative as your little heart desires. (For example, my pumpkin-shaped savory cheeseball is simply adorable!)
The next time you are invited to a Christmas Party and must bring the perfect party appetizer for the occasion, don’t bring a boring cheeseball. Make it interesting by shaping it into fun shapes like a delightful snowman! You can achieve that white cheddar cheese ball by using white cheddar instead of yellow and adding the nuts to the inside instead of covering up the white “snow.” And a cheese ball is the best thing for people with creative ideas because it naturally has the perfect round shape.
Tips for Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe:
- Use a food processor to get your chopped pecans into small pieces. You don’t want them to be powder, but if the pieces are too large, they won’t stick properly and completely cover the mini cheese ball.
- If you want a more “whipped” texture to this delicious appetizer, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
Make this Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe!
Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe Ingredients:
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese mild
- 4 pineapple spears chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 whole green onion finely diced
- 3 teaspoons tajin
- 1 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 16 pretzel sticks
Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe Instructions:
- First, add the two blocks of cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. (I like to do this because it makes for easier mixing when the cream cheese isn’t hard and cold. If you have time to let your cream cheese sit out and come to room temperature, that works too.)
- Second, add the pineapple, shredded cheese, cranberries, Tajin, and green onions to the softened cream cheese and mix well.
- Third, take a cookie scoop to portion the cream cheese mixture and, with clean hands, form into balls.
- Next, add the crumbled pecan pieces to a plate.
- Then, take each mini cheese ball and roll them in the pecan pieces and set aside on another clean plate.
- Place 1 pretzel stick into the top of each mini cheese ball.
- Next, place in the fridge for the mini cheese balls to chill and harden a little.
- Then, remove the mini cheese balls from the fridge and arrange on a serving platter.
- Finally, serve at room temperature beside some of your other favorite appetizers!
Other Variations that are sure to be a crowd pleaser!
- Bacon Ranch Cheese ball – Bacon, green onions, cheese, and ranch seasoning.
- My Best Cheese Ball Recipe (savory) – Made with sharp cheddar cheese, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and deviled ham spread.
Storage for Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe:
- Store leftover mini cheese balls by wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What are the Macros for Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe?
Makes 16 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 cheeseball)
- Calories – 215
- Protein – 4.27 grams
- Carbs – 8.8 grams (net)
- Fat – 18.5 grams
Check out some of my other delicious appetizers!
Easy Pineapple, Strawberry, Kiwi Skewers with a Balsamic Glaze
Jimmy Dean Sausage Balls with Pepper Jack Cheese
Hot Ham and Provolone Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
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Easy Mini Pineapple Cranberry Cheese Ball Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese mild
- 4 pineapple spears chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 whole green onion finely diced
- 3 teaspoons tajin
- 1 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 16 pretzel sticks
Instructions
- First, add the two blocks of cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. (I like to do this because it makes for easier mixing when the cream cheese isn’t hard and cold. If you have time to let your cream cheese sit out and come to room temperature, that works too.)
- Second, add the pineapple, shredded cheese, cranberries, Tajin, and green onions to the softened cream cheese and mix well.
- Third, take a cookie scoop to portion the cream cheese mixture and, with clean hands, form into balls.
- Next, add the crumbled pecan pieces to a plate.
- Then, take each mini cheese ball and roll them in the pecan pieces and set aside on another clean plate.
- Place 1 pretzel stick into the top of each mini cheese ball.
- Next, place in the fridge for the mini cheese balls to chill and harden a little.
- Then, remove the mini cheese balls from the fridge and arrange on a serving platter.
- Finally, serve at room temperature beside some of your other favorite appetizers!
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