I have been a little obsessed with pumpkin shaped everything this October, and when I came across this cheese ball idea, I knew I had to make it.
It makes for a great party appetizer especially in the autumn and winter months. Goes perfectly with all the pumpkin and fall themed setup.
It’s also a perfect addition to your cheese and charcuterie board. Here is a simple video I posted on Instagram demonstrating how easy it is to make a pumpkin shaped cheese ball.
This is how to make the pumpkin cheeseball.
All I do is mix up all the ingredients and shape it into a ball. Coat with additional shredded cheese (I like to use an orange coloured cheese to give it that pumpkin look). You can also coat it with cracker crumbs, powdered cheese puffs or chopped nuts. This is only to help hold the cheese ball together. Cover with cling and slightly flatten the cheese ball.
Then we go ahead and shape it into a pumpkin using rubber bands or strings.
Transfer to a refrigerator for a few hours (or days) until it is time to serve. Give the pumpkin a stem either using a celery stick, bread stick, green bell pepper stem or a long chilli stem. And it’s ready!
This pumpkin cheeseball has a base of cream cheese and I have used Colby Jack cheese to it, which can be alternated for the ones mentioned below.
What cheese is best for a cheese ball?
As a mix in, you can add sharp Cheddar, Smoked or normal Gouda cheese, pepper Jack or Monterey Jack or a mixture of these. Here, I used pre-shredded Colby Jack cheese for the ease of it. However, it is preferable to get block cheese and then shred it yourself. They give a better taste, is fresher and most probably contains minimal or no preservatives and chemicals.
Cheeseballs are typically creamy with a cream cheese base that can be alternated with quark cheese, mascarpone, ricotta or goat cheese. Make sure to use a good quality one as that is a key determination of how your cheese ball would turn out.
Avoid dry cheeses like Parmesan and Cotija cheese.
What to serve along with Cheese Balls
You can serve cheeseballs with salted crackers, pretzels, breadsticks or vegetable sticks. This pumpkin shaped cheese ball goes very well with a fall themed charcuterie board. You may also use this as a creamy spread on top of a baguette or in a pita bread or tortilla wrap.
How to store a Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Cheeseballs make for the easiest make-ahead recipe. You can make and keep it fresh in the fridge for up to a week or two, depending on the quality of your ingredients. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap along with the shredded cheese coating and rubber bands. Transfer to the fridge. Take it out and give it a cute little stem when you are ready to serve!
You may freeze it as well for upto a month, but the freshness will deteriorate.
It is best to use high quality ingredients that are not nearing its expiry date. I’d recommend consuming within a weeks’ time, if possible, for ultimate freshness.
If you loved this recipe, do also try my Juicy Italian meatballs, Broccoli-Grape Salad or my Roasted Tomato and Basil soup. Leave a rating and comment below!
RECIPE for Pumpkin Cheese Ball:
Spicy Pumpkin shaped Cheese Ball
Course: RecipesDifficulty: Easy1
cheese ball15
minutes2
hoursIngredients
1 cup (225gms) cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded Colby Jack or Sharp cheddar cheese (+ more for coating)
1 Tsp red chilli flakes (and/or other spices of your choice)
1-2 Tsp sriracha sauce
1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans
Directions
- Using an electric mixer or a whisk, soften the cream cheese and stir in shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese, red chilli flakes, sriracha sauce and the roasted pecans. Feel free to add other cheeses and spices of your choice to mix in.
- Spread out a large cling sheet on a surface. Add a layer of the additional shredded cheese on it. You can also alternate the cheese with chopped pecans, powdered cheese puffs or crushed crackers. Transfer the cream cheese mixture on the shredded cheese layer, shape it into a ball, coating it generously with the colby jack/cheddar cheese on the entire ball.
- Cover ball with the plastic wrap tightly with two layers of the cling. Now shape it into a pumpkin by tying it with 3-4 strong wide rubber bands.
- Refrigerate cheese ball for at least two hours or overnight. It will firm up as it gets chilled and the flavours will get infused, so do give it some time in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and dispose off the cling wrap. Give your pumpkin cheese ball a stem using a bell pepper top, celery stick, bread stick or a long chilli stem. Serve with your favourite crackers and enjoy!
