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The finished cranberry and goat cheese ball wrapped in chopped apricots, cranberries, pecans, pistachios, pepitas, and thyme presented on a wood platter.

Party Perfect Cranberry Cheese Ball with Goat Cheese

Cassie Waltman
With a coating of fruits, nuts, seeds, and herbs, this cranberry cheese ball with goat cheese is a festive appetizer for your next gathering.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 237 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cranberry Cheese Ball

  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 4 oz. goat cheese
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cheese Ball Coating

  • 2 tablespoon dried cranberries
  • 4 dried apricots
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoon pecan halves (about 1 oz.)
  • 3 tablespoon pistachios (about 1 oz.)
  • 3 tablespoon pepitas (about 1 oz. )

Instructions
 

  • Add the cream cheese, goat cheese, garlic powder, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add in the cranberries. Pulse the processor until the cranberries are chopped into smaller pieces (but not pureed).
  • Place two 18"-long sheets of plastic wrap on your work surface so that they form a cross in the middle, overlapping in the center. Pile the goat cheese mixture in the center and gather up the sides so that you can twist the plastic wrap around the cheese into a ball shape.
  • Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to secure and place the cheese ball in the refrigerator for one hour to firm up.
  • While the cheese is chilling, toast the pecans and pistachios in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are aromatic. Remove them to a cutting board. Toast the pepitas in the same way.
  • Chop the pecans and pistachios into small pieces and leave the pepitas whole. Move the nuts and seeds to a dinner plate.
  • Chop the apricots and the cranberries into small pieces and move to the dinner plate along with the nuts and seeds.
  • If you are using thyme, strip the leaves and add them to the dinner plate. If you are using rosemary, strip the leaves and dice them finely before adding to the dinner plate.
  • Toss all of the coating together to mix it and then spread it evenly over the dinner plate. Remove the cheese from the plastic wrap and carefully turn it on the plate to coat it evenly with the seeds, nuts, and fruit.
  • Move the cheese ball to a sheet of plastic wrap and twist to secure, patting the coating into the cheese to get it to adhere well. Shape the cheese ball into the desired shape. Chill for one hour or more before serving.
  • Remove the cheese ball to a serving tray and serve with crackers or crostini.

Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts caculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 7gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 142mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 698IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
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