Not Your Grandma’s Cheese Ball Recipes

Updated November 11, 2020

You read that right: These are not your grandma’s recipes—while the idea of the cheese ball might be old-fashioned, the recipes we’ve gathered here are fresh and unique. Our twists—including our savory Everything Bagel Cheese Ball and our sweet Carrot Cake Cheese ball—prove that there is truly a cheese ball for any occasion.

Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Jalapeño Cheese Ball

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Serve this Mexican-spiced jalapeño cheese ball with tortilla chips or use it as a spread for your next burrito.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

Pumpkin Spice Cheese Ball

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

All the fall spice flavor you crave but folded into creamy cheese and coated with cranberries. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.

3 of 10

Saffron-Raisin Cheese Ball

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Saffron gives this cheese ball a bright yellow hue. Serve with a drizzle of honey and lots of crisp crudités.

Advertisement

4 of 10

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2015

 

5 of 10

Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This is not your grandma's cheese ball. It has all the flavor of an everything bagel without all the carbs and with just 3 ingredients! Want to emphasize the bagel taste? Serve it with bagel chips and some raw veggies for dipping to keep things healthy. Source: EatingWell.com, November 2018

 

6 of 10

Carrot Cake Cheese Ball

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This sweet carrot-shaped cheese ball recipe is a clever take on an Easter dessert favorite: carrot cake. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or apple slices for dipping fun that both kids and adults will love.

 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

Nutty Pimiento Cheese Balls

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen. These brothers are following in their mom's footsteps with their own TV shows, books and website. Our favorite part of what they're up to: healthy makeovers of some of Paula's recipes! Recipe adapted from The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up, by Jamie & Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark (Ballantine Books, 2011). Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2011

 

8 of 10

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Blanketed in chopped nuts and zesty chives, this cheese ball is festive enough for even the most discerning party guests. Serve with sturdy crackers or toasted baguette slices for easy spreading. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2019

 

9 of 10

Goat Cheese Kisses

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Each of these bite-size savory treats has a bit of dried fruit tucked inside for a slightly sweet surprise. They make wonderful holiday gifts as well as elegant little hors d'oeuvres. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Fall 2003

 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

Chewy Manioc Cheese Puffs

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

These Parmesan-flavored puffs have an elastic consistency somewhat like mochi, the Japanese dough made from pounded glutinous rice. It's hard to stop eating them, especially when they're warm. Source: EatingWell Magazine, February/March 2006

 

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next