This Cranberry Orange Pecan Cheeseball is super creamy, slightly sweet and crunchy making it the perfect appetizer for your holiday table!

Growing up you could always find crackers and a cheeseball at our holiday get togethers. The same rings true now 15 years later on my family’s appetizer table.

I love the nostalgia of it and the memories it brings back thinking of my sister and me crowded around the table with the cheese knife.

Now more than ever, those memories are what keep us smiling as well as being as close as we can to the ones we love.

However, each year I like to bring a different recipe, whether sweet or savory, one that will blow the top off last year’s cheeseball.

This year? It’s definitely this Cranberry Orange Pecan Cheeseball.

Is there a better combination than cranberry orange?

It works so well in a variety of dishes but when combined with cream cheese and pecans and spread over a buttery cracker might be my favorite way to enjoy the classic combo!

When the holidays roll around you can find Kraft PHILADELPHIA cream cheese by the grocery bag full at my house.

It’s so versatile in so many different recipes and it’s always the secret ingredient in my fabulous mashed potatoes. Try it!

I could argue I like appetizers more than I enjoy a big meal, but I digress. Back to the BEST dessert cheese ball.

What I love about this cheeseball is how easy it is to prepare; it can feed a crowd and it’s a make ahead recipe.

Once you mix everything together, you just have to chill it until ready to serve. Then roll in more crushed pecans and cranberries and let your guests enjoy the rest!

Ingredients for pecan cheeseball:

All you’ll need to make this appetizer is 5 easy-to-grab ingredients from Walmart.

I love shopping at Walmart as I know they will have exactly what I am looking for at great, affordable prices.

• PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• Powdered sugar
• Freshly grated orange peel
• Freshly squeezed juice from orange
• Dried cranberries
• Pecans

Step by Step Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl with a hand mixer until combined, about 2 minutes. Add orange peel and orange juice and beat again until smooth.
2. 
3. Transfer to a bowl and fold in (¼ cup) cranberries and (¼ cup) pecans.
4. 
5. Form mixture into a ball and place ball in plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove ball when ready to serve.
6. Spread additional crushed pecans (¼ cup) and dried cranberries (¼ cup) on the counter; roll ball in them until covered.
7. 
8. Serve accompanied by crackers, baguette slices and/or dinner rolls
9. 

This cheeseball is super creamy, slightly sweet and crunchy from the pecans.

Don’t just save this recipe for the holidays though. It would be great for movie night, girls night in, picnics and so much more!

If you love cheese balls check out this Bacon Cheeseball

Continue to Content

Cranberry Orange Pecan Cheeseball

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This Cranberry Orange Pecan Cheeseball is super creamy, slightly sweet and crunchy making it the perfect appetizer for your holiday table!

Print

Ingredients

• • 1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• • ¼ cup powdered sugar
• • 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
• • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed juice from orange
• • ⅓ cup (2⅔ ounces) dried cranberries, chopped
• • ⅓ cup (2⅔ ounces) pecans, finely chopped
• For Coating:
• • ¼ cup (2 ounces) dried cranberries, chopped
• • ¼ cup (2 ounces) pecans, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl with a hand mixer until
   combined, about 2 minutes. Add orange peel and orange juice and beat again
   until smooth.
2. Transfer to a bowl and fold in (¼ cup) cranberries and (¼ cup) pecans.
3. Form mixture into a ball and place ball in plastic wrap, wrap tightly
   and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove ball when ready to serve. Spread additional
   crushed pecans (¼ cup) and dried cranberries (¼ cup) on the counter; roll ball
   in them until covered.
4. Serve accompanied by crackers, baguette slices and/or dinner rolls.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 32Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g

All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on strawberryblondiekitchen.com should only be used as a general guideline.

I’m always on the lookout for more incredible recipes to serve my guests!

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