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Home » Appetizers » Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball

Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball

Created: December 18, 2018 Updated: March 21, 2023 by Lyuba Brooke 6 Comments

5.9K shares
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Cheese Ball is a classic holiday appetizer that’s very easy to prepare and tastes amazing. This cheese ball has a rich ranch flavor and lots of delicious sharp cheddar cheese.

Cheese Ball with wheat thins

Cheese Ball

Cheese ball makes a wonderful appetizer for holidays and parties. Why is it beloved by so many people? Because everyone loves cheese, of course.

I am definitely a fan of all things cheesy. Cheese makes a wonderful snack and compliments just about every dish. The sharper and the more flavorful the cheese, the better the whole dish becomes.

Best ingredients truly do make the best tasting dishes. That’s why it’s so important to choose the best tasting cheese for your cheese ball. I highly recommend more flavorful, sharp cheddar cheese.

Choose one that’s been aged longer too. The flavor will she sharper, more intense, and it will have a delightful little touch of sweetness.

I’m absolutely over the moon with Westminster Sharp Cheddar Cheese. It’s aged 12 months and has wonderful, sharp flavors.

Shredded Westminster Sharp Cheddar Cheese on a cutting board with a cheese shredder

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Cheddar Cheese Ball in a glass bowl with shredded cheese on a cutting board

How to make this cheese ball:

One of the reasons cheese ball appetizer is so popular is because it’s super simple to make.

It basically breaks down to three steps: mix ingredients, refrigerate, and coat in topping.

Start by beating cream cheese, sour cream and ranch seasoning mix together until all smooth.

Stir in cheddar cheese, parsley, and chives until incorporated throughout.

Wrap the cheese mixture in saran wrap and shape it into the ball. Place in a deep soup bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready, roll the cheese ball in crushed almonds and parsley mixture.

Tip: coat the cheese ball right before serving to keep the nuts crunchy.

Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball with a piece missing on a cutting board with wheat thins

How to make mini cheese balls:

This cheese ball is super easy to make into individual cheese ball bites.

Prepare the recipe as stated and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (You don’t have to shape it into a ball but do cover it air-tight.)

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out even amounts of the cheese mixture and roll the into small cheese balls. Roll each ball in crushed almonds and parsley mixture.

Insert pretzel sticks into each mini cheese ball.

Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball with wheat crackers on a cutting board

Some other cheese appetizers to try:

Mushroom Cheese Puff Bites

Spicy Chicken Ranch Dip

Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball with some of it on a wheat thin on a cutting board

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Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball

This cheese ball has a rich ranch flavor and lots of delicious sharp cheddar cheese.
5 from 1 vote
Print SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Chill time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 446kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 16 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 oz Ranch seasoning mix (1 packet)
  • 3 tbsp minced chives
  • 2 tbsp minced parsley
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Westminster sharp cheddar cheese

Topping:

  • 1 1/4 cups lightly salted almonds
  • 2 tbsp minced parsley
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and Ranch seasoning mix in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until completely smooth.
  • Add minced chives, minced parsley, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix everything very well, until all is evenly incorporated. 
  • Cover a deep soup bowl with a large piece of saran wrap and transfer the cheese mixture into it. Bring all edges of saran wrap together and twist. Make sure the ball is tightly wrapped and shape it into an even ball. 
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before coating it. (The cheese ball can be refrigerated overnight if needed.)
  • To easily crush whole almonds, place them into a zip-lock bag and use a meat tenderizer to crush almonds. Get some stress out but don't crush them too much or you will end up with nothing but crumbs.
  • Combine crushed almonds and parsley together and spread them out on a large cutting board.
  • Unwrap cheese ball and roll it in the crushed almond mixture. 
  • Serve with your favorite crackers.

Video

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1270IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

Ranch Cheddar Cheese Ball collage with cheese ball on a cutting board

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

5.9K shares

Filed Under: Appetizers, Gluten Free, New Year's

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Brandon says

    December 17, 2019 at 10:53 pm

    Looks like you used fresh parsley. Is that right?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 18, 2019 at 10:46 am

      Hi, Brandon! Yes, that is correct! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Stacy says

    August 30, 2019 at 10:09 am

    Can this recipe be frozen a week ahead of time? Maybe rolled the day of serving it?

    Reply
    • Leeann says

      December 12, 2019 at 12:45 pm

      5 stars
      I don’t know about freezing, but I made two Sunday afternoon and kept them in the fridge until Friday morning to top and they were perfect. It holds together very well and the flavors meld great. My only substitution was I rolled them in crushed pretzels instead of nuts, but that was just my preference. The recipe is great, a huge crowd pleaser! Thank you!

      Reply
      • LyubaB says

        December 13, 2019 at 9:37 am

        Thanks, glad you liked it!

        Reply

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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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