This Turkey Cheese Ball is the cutest and most delicious appetizer to serve on Thanksgiving. It's creamy, flavorful, and doubles as both décor and snack for your holiday table.
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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite appetizers! This Turkey Cheese Ball is always so fun to bring to dinner!
Why This Recipe Works
- Festive & Fun - A playful turkey design makes it a perfect holiday centerpiece.
- Crowd-Pleasing Flavors - Cream cheese, cheddar, and spices blend into a creamy, savory dip.
- Easy to Customize - You can switch up cheeses, coatings, or decorations to suit your taste.
- Make-Ahead Friendly - Can be prepped in advance, saving you time on busy holiday mornings.
If you like this, make sure to check out my smoked cream cheese, cream cheese green beans, hot open-faced turkey sandwiches, and maybe these tasty pecan pie brownies!
A turkey cheese ball for Thanksgiving is a must-have every year now. It's so simple and so cute!
What This Recipe Needs
- Cream Cheese - The creamy base that holds everything together.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese - Adds sharp, cheesy flavor and texture.
- Green Onions - Bring a pop of freshness and mild sharpness.
- Chopped Pecans - Create a crunchy coating around the outside.
- Pretzels - Form the turkey "feathers" and give it that adorable" to give it an adorable, festive look.
- Candy Eyes, Candy Corn, Oreo, Meat Stick - Add fun personality to the cheese ball design.
Substitutions
- Cheddar Cheese - Swap for Colby Jack, mozzarella, or pepper jack for a different flavor.
- Ranch Seasoning - Replace with Italian seasoning or onion soup mix.
- Pecans - Use walnuts, almonds, or crushed crackers for the coating.
- Green Onions - Try chives, shallots, or even a little garlic powder.
Make sure to check out my favorite baked brie, jalapeno deviled eggs or smoked deviled eggs, and hot spinach artichoke dip to serve alongside this fun Turkey Cheese Ball!
How to Make A Turkey Cheese Ball?
- Step 1: Chop and toast Pecans, then set aside.
- Step 2: In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. It's helpful to use a stand or hand mixer.
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- Step 3: Place the cream cheese mixture on a piece of Saran Wrap, then roll it into a ball. Refrigerate until a bit firmer.
- Step 4: Once you have your cheese ball shaped and chilled, remove the plastic wrap and roll it in chopped nuts.
- Step 5: Create the neck and face of the turkey by melting the candy melts and affixing the eyes and nose to the head, then attaching the head to the neck.
- Step 6: Place pretzel rods of varying lengths into the cheeseball in a fan shape, and then place the neck with the head on top of the cheeseball.
Expert Tips
- Use room-temperature cream cheese when mixing for the smoothest texture.
- Add decorations right before serving so pretzels and candy don't get soggy.
- Toast nuts lightly before coating for deeper flavor.
- If serving at a party, place the cheese ball on a platter with a variety of crackers, veggies, and pretzels for dipping.
Cheese Ball Variations
- Smoky Delight: Use some smoked cream cheese for a delicious smoky twist.
- Ranch Cheese Ball: Add ranch dip mix to the cream cheese.
- Dried Beef: Add some dried beef to the cream cheese mixture for a different flavor!
- Worcestershire Sauce: Add 1-2 tsps to the cream cheese for a delicious flavor profile.
- Everything Bagel: Instead of Pecans roll the cream cheese ball in everything bagel seasoning
- Bacon Lovers' Twist: Add bacon to the cream cheese and to the nuts to roll it in.
- Mini Cheese Balls - Roll into smaller individual servings for portion control.
- Sweet & Savory - Mix in a touch of honey or dried cranberries for balance.
- Spicy Turkey Cheese Ball - Add diced jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne.
For more super cute edible Thanksgiving decorations, check out these Candy Corn on The Cobs! You will love them!
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Goldfish Feather Fun - Swap pretzel sticks for Goldfish crackers or other colorful snack crackers to create bright turkey "feathers."
- Veggie Face - Use sliced carrots for the beak, a piece of red bell pepper for the wattle, and cucumber rounds for eyes (instead of candy).
- Mini Gobblers - Make several small cheese balls and let kids decorate their own turkeys with snacks like grapes, celery sticks, or pretzel rods.
- No-Nut Coating - Roll the cheese ball in crushed Goldfish crackers, crushed cereal (like Chex), or even shredded cheese instead of nuts-safe for nut-free classrooms or gatherings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sturdy crackers like Ritz, Wheat Thins, or pretzel crisps pair perfectly.
Definitely - try almonds, walnuts, or even crushed pretzels instead of pecans.
If you want to make this appetizer ahead of time, you can freeze it for up to a month ahead of time. Mix up the cream cheese and shape it into a ball. Freeze the ball as is without rolling it in pecans. Before serving, allow the cheese ball to thaw for at least 24 hrs. in the refrigerator, then roll it in pecans and decorate it to look like a turkey.
Yes! Kids love the turkey design and creamy flavor - just skip nuts if there are allergies.
Store in the fridge, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
More Related Recipes
Make sure to check out all my easy side dish recipes, Thanksgiving recipes, and Christmas Recipes, and like sour cream mashed potatoes alongside this delicious smoked spatchcock turkey, filet medallions, smoked ribeye, or herb-crusted lamb!
If you like this recipe, make sure to give it a 5-star review and leave a comment down below!
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Video
Turkey Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup pecan pieces roughly chopped*
- 2 candy eyes
- 1 meat stick like a slim Jim, for the neck
- Pretzel Rods for the tail
- 1 Oreo for the head
- 1 piece candy corn for the beak
- 2-3 pieces candy melt or royal icing for adhering the eyes and beak
- Crackers for eating with the cheese ball
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Coarsely chop your pecans and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Toast the pecans in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. They should be fragrant but not burned. Once toasted, set aside. *1 cup pecan pieces
- In a large bowl (or a KitchenAid mixer bowl), combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper. Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the ingredients are fully combined.16 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ cup green onions, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the cream cheese mixture and place it in the center. Fold the plastic wrap up over the cheese mixture and form it into a ball. Place the ball, still wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the mixture begins to firm.
- While the ball is chilling, melt your candy melts. I recommend taking 2-3 candy melt wafers and microwaving them for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir and repeat until melted. Then dab a little on the back of each eye and the candy corn, and place on the Oreo. Then place a little on the meat stick and affix the Oreo to it. Set aside until hardened.2 candy eyes, 1 meat stick, 1 Oreo, 1 piece candy corn, 2-3 pieces candy melt or royal icing
- Roll the ball in chopped pecans and set it on the plate or tray you will serve it on. Add pretzel rods as feathers. I recommend breaking rods in half and layering taller and shorter ones together. Then place your meat stick with the head attached in the cheese ball as the neck. My meat stick was a little too long, so I tore off a bit at the end to make it shorter.Pretzel Rods
- Serve with crackers and enjoy!Crackers
Notes
- *If you don't have time or don't want to use toasted pecans, then you can use regular untoasted pecans!
- Leftovers: Store any leftovers in an air-tight container (like a zip-lock baggie) for 3-5 days.
- Make Ahead: You can save time by making the cheese ball the day before, but wait to roll it in the pecans and decorate it until you are ready to serve.
- Nutritional Info is an estimate and doesn't include the pretzels, meat stick, eyes, nose, face, candy melts, or crackers
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