This easy dessert cheese ball is packed with Granny Smith apples, caramel bits, and coated in festive, fall colored M&Ms. It takes only a few minutes to put together and after spending some time in the refrigerator, it’s ready to coat and devour.
I am so happy that it’s finally fall! It’s my favorite time of the year.
Being in FL, I don’t see the true fall though. One of my favorite things about fall is the colors and everything here is green…all the time! There is an occasional yellow tree but most of them are green. The cooler weather and the colors don’t really show up until the end of October either. Can’t tell you how many times we chose our Halloween costumes based on how light they are, otherwise we would burn up.
Ok, enough whining! Since fall months are actually here, I am psyched to start sharing fall recipes! I’ve got pumpkin recipes lined up, and apple caramel recipes, and cranberry recipes. Come cooler weather, I will whip out my soups and stews. I love soups, so you see many soup recipes here.
I did find one way to bring some fall colors into my life. CANDY!
M&Ms finally came out with their fall candy and I am thrilled! Just look at those fall colors!
This weekend, I whipped up a couple of apple recipes to celebrate changing of the seasons. This Apple Caramel Cheese Ball turned out so tasty! It’s lightly sweetened and packed with apple bits and caramel bits. Best part is that it can be served as a snack with some apples or at your football gatherings. For many of you, football season started and this is definitely a great snack to serve during the game.
M&;M Apple Caramel Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tbsp vanilla Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup finely diced Granny Smith apples pat dry with paper towel after cutting
- 1/2 cup caramel bits
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar (more if you wish)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- About a cup of fall M&Ms for rolling the cheese ball
Instructions
- Make sure to peel and core the apple before dicing. Dice apples and pat them with paper towel to absorb some excess juice.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, yogurt, apples, caramels, sugar and vanilla. Mix until all evenly combined.
- Form a cheese ball with your hands (remember to always wash your hands.)
- Wrap the cheese ball in saran wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour.
(An easy way to wrap a cheese ball is to lace saran wrap into a round bowl, place cheese ball on the saran wrap in the bowl, and bring sides of saran wrap together. This will help form a ball as well.) - Spread M&M candy in a wide, shallow bowl.
- Roll the cheese ball in the M&M candy before serving. (The longer you will let the cheese ball sit with candy on it, the more colors will bleed. That's why I recommend that you roll it in candy right before serving.)
- Serve with apples, pretzels or any cracker crisps that are lightly or non-salted.
Notes
Nutrition
lotuspixie says
This dip is amazing. I’ve made it a couple times, and, honestly, I’ve found the coating (whether m and ms or nuts) to be superfluous and to actually take away from the awesome apple-y caramel-y goodness of the dip, so I just serve it in a bowl. Thank you for posting this recipe!
lyuba says
Thank you!! You know, I’ve found that some like it with and some like it without the candy on top 🙂 I do like it plain very much.
Erin says
Lyuba – What an incredible recipe and FABULOUS photos! So simple to make but elegant and fun at the same time! Thank you for making M&M’s and Mott’s Apple Juice look so scrumptious. Can’t wait to read about your other delicious creations 🙂 Congratulations on a beautiful post. #client
I think I will be making this for CB’s Halloween party this week, I am sure it will be a hit! Have you ever tried any other type of cheese for your cheese balls? Thanks!
lyuba says
Thank you for such a sweet comment, Erin!