This easy cheese ball is the perfect appetizer for parties, just having a few friends over, or for holiday gatherings! It’s an easy choice, with very little active prep time.
If you have a party or gathering coming up soon, this is an easy appetizer you have to try! This easy cheese ball with dill is great for so many different occasions because it’s a perfectly shareable snack. Wherever you find people, this cheese ball needs to be there. It’s sure to be a hit!
Moment of transparency here- I would be lying if I said that I’ve only made this recipe for parties. Who says a cheese ball has to be exclusively for parties, anyway? When I make it at home, this recipe is one of those simple pleasures that makes a somewhat boring day a little more joyful.
Am I the only one who gets happier when I know there is something special to eat during my day? I recommend trying it. You’ll see what I mean.
This cheese ball recipe with cream cheese is also super simple to make. With only 6 ingredients, this is one of the easiest appetizer recipes. The preparation time is very short. Just keep in mind that the cheese ball will need to chill in the fridge for, at the very least, 4 hours. Ideally, it should chill for eight hours-overnight, but I know waiting is hard 😃.
This post is all about how to make an easy cheese ball.
Ingredients for this Easy Cheese Ball
- Cream cheese- This is obviously the most necessary ingredient. There isn’t much of a cheese ball without cream cheese 😂. Since cream cheese is such a major ingredient here, its quality definitely affects the quality of the final product. I’m all for using store-brand products, but maybe you wouldn’t want to do that with this recipe. It’s all up to you, though. It depends what you’re going for.
- Cheddar cheese- Ah, yes. America’s obsession with cheddar cheese is beautiful. It’s not without reason, though. I adore cheddar cheese. For this recipe, you have to mix shredded cheddar cheese into cream cheese. I recommend using a sharp cheddar for more flavor.
- Fresh dill- It’s hard to express in words how obsessed I am with this herb. The smell of fresh dill makes me unbelievably happy. I would use it in an air freshener or candle 100% 😂. Anyway, moving away from my dill obsession, if, for some insane reason, you don’t like dill, you can definitely substitute it for another fresh herb. I think finely chopped rosemary or basil would work too.
- Worcestershire sauce- This is pretty much an essential ingredient for cheese balls. Worcestershire sauce gives a depth of flavor and a bit of a tang to the mellow cream cheese. (Also note that it might be called Worcester sauce in your country.)
- Garlic- A lot of cheese ball recipes call for garlic powder, but I actually prefer to use fresh, minced garlic. If you’re not as big of a garlic fan though, you can replace the fresh garlic for 1 tsp. of garlic powder.
- Walnuts- I love to use toasted walnuts or toasted pecans as the outside covering on this cheese ball. For this recipe, I used toasted walnuts, but you can definitely use pecans too. Also, toasting the nuts is a great touch, so don’t skip it!
How to Make This Easy Cheese Ball
Step 1
Start by toasting the crushed walnuts. Keep an eye on them while they’re in the oven. I’ve burned many a batch of nuts in my day. You deserve better, so do yourself a favor and learn from my mistakes. Once the nuts have turned golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool.
Step 2
Put the room temperature cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Stir it around until it’s somewhat smooth. Next, mix in the shredded cheddar cheese. Make sure you don’t miss any clumps on the bottom of the bowl. After the cheeses are mixed, add fresh chopped dill, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and salt. Everything should be evenly combined.
Step 3
The next step is to form the cheese mixture into a ball. Don’t worry, this isn’t as messy as it sounds. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap (large enough to fit around the cheese ball) onto a flat surface, and spoon the cheese mixture onto the center of the plastic wrap. It should resemble a very rough ball.
Next, cover the cheese with the plastic wrap on all sides so that none of the cheese can escape. Pick up the cheese and shape it into more of a ball shape. It doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect. It will look better after the walnuts are added later.
Step 4
Put the cheese ball into the fridge to cool. It’s ideal to leave it in the fridge for up to 8 hours or overnight so that it won’t be so sticky to handle when adding the walnuts. However, if you’re really pressed for time, you can leave it in the fridge for 4 hours, followed by 15-20 minutes in the freezer.
Step 5
After it has chilled, take it out of the fridge. Put the chopped, toasted walnuts into a medium-sized bowl. Unwrap the cheese ball and put it into the bowl with the walnuts. It shouldn’t be sticky if it’s chilled well. Roll it around until it’s completely covered in walnuts.
The cheese ball can be served immediately or can continue to stay in the refrigerator until your event- up to 5 days. If you decide to make it more than a day ahead of time, I recommend waiting to add the nuts until right before serving. Otherwise, the nuts begin to lose their crunchiness.
Questions about This Easy Cheese Ball
What is a cheese ball made of?
The main ingredient in cheese balls is cream cheese. A cheese ball with cream cheese has a mellow base and can be flavored in many different ways. Also, cheese balls can be savory or sweet, so the ingredients depend on the flavor profile you’re going for.
Cheese balls can have different types of cheeses to add more flavor to the basic cream cheese. This one uses cheddar cheese, but other types of cheese work great inside as well. Also, a fairly common ingredient in savory cheese balls is Worcestershire sauce, which gives them a noticeable tang.
As far as sweet cheese balls, they can have chocolate, caramel, or fruit flavors. This is definitely a diverse appetizer!
Can you make a cheese ball the day before?
Definitely! I actually recommend making the cheese ball the day before because there is quite a long wait time necessary to make sure it hardens. Since it ideally takes 8 hours to chill, making this the night before would be perfect!
How do you harden a cheese ball?
It can be a little tricky to know how to make a cheese ball. It’s easy once you learn the method, though. If your cheese ball is too soft or sticky, it means that it hasn’t been chilled long enough. I know it’s hard to be patient, but waiting it out makes everything much easier.
If somehow your cheese ball is still to soft after being refrigerated for 8 hours, maybe you used a very high moisture cream cheese. If your cream cheese was very soft or liquidy to begin with, this could be the issue. Otherwise, I’d check your fridge to make sure it’s not broken 😉.
What do you eat with a cheese ball?
This is where things get really fun. Mixing and matching sides is one of my favorite things. Of course, it depends on the flavor profile of your specific cheese ball, but for this cheese ball recipe I recommend serving it with crackers, pretzels, salami, dried fruit, or more nuts.
Can you freeze cheese balls made with cream cheese?
As much as I wish this was possible, it’s not a great idea to freeze a cheese ball made with cream cheese. Cream cheese gets a weird texture if it’s frozen, so it definitely won’t be the same as before. However, cheese balls do quite well in the fridge, so if you need to make it ahead of time, try making it a few days early and storing it in the fridge. Don’t forget to wait to add the nuts until right before serving so they don’t get soft!
If you’re looking for other delicious appetizers, you might like these.
Or if you’re looking for a dinner recipe, try these.
Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
Easy Cheese Ball with Dill
Ingredients
- 20 oz. Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 1½ cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
- ¼ cup Fresh Dill (chopped finely)
- 2-3 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce (to taste)
- 1 clove Garlic (minced- or if you don't love garlic as much, substitute for 1 tsp. of garlic powder)
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- 1½ cups Walnuts (chopped)
Instructions
- Start by toasting the 1½ cups of crushed walnuts. Keep an eye on them while they're in the oven. Once the nuts have turned golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool.
- Put the 20 oz. of room temperature cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Stir it around until it's somewhat smooth. Next, mix in the 1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese. After the cheeses are mixed, add the ¼ cup of fresh chopped dill, 2-3 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce (to taste), 1 large clove of minced garlic, and ¼ tsp. of salt. Everything should be evenly combined.
- Form the cheese mixture into a ball. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap (large enough to fit around the cheese ball) onto a flat surface, and spoon the cheese mixture onto the center of the plastic wrap. It should resemble a very rough ball. Next, cover the cheese with the plastic wrap on all sides so that none of the cheese can escape. Pick it up and shape it into more of a ball shape.
- Put the cheese ball into the fridge to cool. It's ideal to leave it in the fridge for up to 8 hours or overnight so that it won't be so sticky to handle when adding the walnuts. However, if you're really pressed for time, you can leave it in the fridge for 4 hours, followed by 15-20 minutes in the freezer.
- After the cheese ball has chilled, take it out of the fridge. Put the chopped, toasted walnuts into a medium-sized bowl. Unwrap the cheese ball and put it into the bowl with the walnuts. It shouldn't be very sticky if it's chilled well. Roll the cheese ball around until it's completely covered in walnuts.
- The cheese ball can be served immediately or can continue to stay in the refrigerator until your event- up to 5 days. If you decide to make it more than a day ahead of time, I recommend waiting to add the nuts until right before serving. Otherwise, the nuts begin to lose their crunchiness.
- Enjoy!
I hope you, your family, and friends enjoy this delicious easy cheese ball!