Description
A festive cranberry pecan goat cheese ball with fresh herbs—sweet, tangy, and crunchy. Quick to prep, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for holiday cheese boards or easy entertaining.
Ingredients
16 oz goat cheese (2 logs), room temperature
(OPTIONAL) 8 oz cream cheese, softened (use 1:1 with goat cheese for milder flavor)
1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
(OPTIONAL) 1–2 tsp honey, for drizzling
Crackers, crostini, or sliced veggies, for serving
Instructions
1. On a plate, combine the finely chopped pecans and cranberries; set aside for coating.
2. In a bowl, mix goat cheese (and cream cheese if using) with thyme, rosemary, pepper, and salt until smooth.
3. Transfer the mixture to plastic wrap; use the wrap to shape it into a tight ball.
4. Chill the cheese ball for 15 minutes to firm up.
5. Unwrap and roll the chilled ball in the cranberry–pecan mixture until fully coated.
6. Plate, garnish with a rosemary sprig if desired, and serve with crackers or veggies. Refrigerate, wrapped, until ready to serve.
Notes
Make-Ahead: Wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days; best texture within 48 hours.
Storage: Keep wrapped and chilled for up to 5 days.
Variations: Use walnuts, pistachios, or almonds; swap cranberries for chopped dates or dried cherries; add chives, green onions, or red pepper flakes.
Mini Cheese Balls: Roll into 12–15 mini 1-inch balls; serve with toothpicks or rosemary sprigs.
Keto-Friendly Serving: Offer cucumber rounds, celery sticks, and bell pepper strips instead of crackers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 tbsp (about 2 oz)
- Calories: 258
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 375 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg