Looking for the perfect appetizer to impress your guests this fall? This Pumpkin-Shaped Cheeseball is not only adorable but also packed with flavor! Creamy, cheesy, and rolled in savory crumbs, it's a fun twist on the classic cheeseball, shaped like a cute pumpkin that’s perfect for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving, or any fall gathering.
Whether you’re entertaining friends or just want something festive, this easy-to-make recipe is sure to be a hit
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store the cheeseball
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- Pumpkin cheeseball
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- This is all kinds of cute whether you use it as a Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween or as the pumpkin centerpiece for Thanksgiving.
- Since this pumpkin-shaped cheeseball is spicy it's not great for kids but it's perfect for all kinds of Fall parties and get-togethers. It would be a fantastic centerpiece for a Halloween-themed charcuterie board.
- Make sure you're using a regular brick of cream cheese and not fat-free, low-fat, or whipped!
Y'all, this pumpkin-shaped cheese ball is the cutest fall party appetizer ever!
I used spicy cheese puffs for the outside but you could use plain ones if you don't like hot.
You can't go wrong with the flavors of spicy ranch seasoning, green onion, bell pepper, and sharp Cheddar cheese in a cream cheese spread.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Use crushed chips like nacho flavored Doritos or Fritos for the crumbs
- Add a tablespoon of finely chopped garlic to the cream cheese mixture
- Add ¼ cup chopped cilantro or basil to the cream cheese mixture
- Use onion soup mix in place of the spicy Ranch
- Add finely chopped celery
- Add finely chopped poblano pepper
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Chop the vegetables.
Mix cream cheese and other cheese ball ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Beat on medium speed until smooth. Form into a ball the shape of a pumpkin. Don't worry about the sections, yet.
Put the cheese puffs in a blender or food processor and turn into fine crumbs.
How to shape the pumpkin cheeseball
Wrap firmly in the plastic wrap and add rubber bands to make the pumpkin shape.
Chill overnight then carefully remove rubber bands by gently cutting them off with scissors.
You may need to press more crumbs into the cheese ball "pumpkin".
Add a green pepper stem and serve with crackers and crudités.
To serve
Place pumpkin in the center of a platter or tray and surround it with tortilla chips, Ritz crackers, crudités, slices of toasted baguette, pretzels, plenty of fresh vegetables, and other dip-ins.
Here are over 100 more ideas for what to serve with a cheeseboard.
Let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
If you like spicy (and we all know I do) use a Pepper Jack type cheese for about half of the Cheddar.
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
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🥫 Leftover love: how to store the cheeseball
Wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap (or put it in an airtight container) and store it in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
To freeze
Wrap it in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let come to room temperature before serving.
Whether you refrigerate it or freeze it you'll probably need to reapply the cheese puff crumbs before serving.
Marye's Tip o' the day
The crumb coating will start to disappear when it's in the refrigerator. Keep enough cheese puffs on hand to add more crumbs to the outside before serving.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Make sure everything is at room temperature before mixing.
- For best results use regular cream cheese not whipped, low fat, or fat-free.
- Nacho chips, tortilla chips, and Cheez-it crumbs all work for the crumb coating on this pumpkin cheese ball. Just make sure whatever you use has an orange cast or it won't look like a pumpkin. You want a nice orange color.
- For best results finely chop any vegetables you are going to put in the cream cheese mixture.
- Cut the green pepper top in sort of a wedge shape to make the pumpkin stem. It will fit into the "pumpkin" better that way.
- You can also make the pumpkin stem on top of the cheese ball with an upside-down broccoli floret if you prefer not to use bell peppers.
- You'll need to wrap the rubber bands tightly around the cheese ball to make the pumpkin shape.
- If you don't want to use rubber bands you can use kitchen twine as well. Make sure you tie it firmly around the wrapped cheese ball to make the sections like a real pumpkin.
- Cut the rubber bands off rather than pulling them off. You'll protect the shape of the pumpkin that way.
- I used black olives to make the eyes and mouth but you could use other condiments - sliced pimento-stuffed green olives, for example
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Usually, some sort of cheese and seasoning whipped into a base of cream cheese that's shaped into a ball and rolled in crumbs or nuts.
It depends on the flavor of the cheese ball. Crackers, tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices, and crudites are delicious with a savory cheese ball. Apple slices, pear slices, graham crackers, and sugar cookies are good with a more sweet cheese ball.
If it's tightly covered and refrigerated it will last for 2 weeks.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Cheeseballs freeze really well before the coating is put on. Make several at a time and freeze them to be coated with crumbs later. They'll stay fresh for at least 3 months - usually more.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
Here are more of my favorite Halloween recipes!
Next time try this creamy pumpkin cream cheese dip with nilla wafers or cute Halloween Rice Krispie Treats. They're perfect for those of you with a sweet tooth!
Oh and you have to try these Nutter Butter ghosts! They're a great project to do with the kids.
For another savory Halloween treat try these Mummy Jalapeno Poppers.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
Leftover cheeseball?
- Use it as a filling for omelets.
- Melt over tortilla chips.
- Stir into hot broccoli or cauliflower.
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
I love this adorable pumpkin-shaped appetizer for Halloween parties, fall get-togethers, and it even makes a great Thanksgiving snack!
A fall cheeseball is such a cute idea for this time of year! If you're doing a party check out this Halloween meatloaf from my friend Deb at Bowl Me Over!
It's the best cheese ball for fall because you don't have to make it a jack-o-lantern with the black olives but can leave it plain. That way it works all season long!
It makes a pretty centerpiece when it's surrounded by crackers and tortilla chips. And seriously... who can resist that cute pumpkin look?
Serve it with this yummy fall sangria.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup Cheddar, shredded
- 2 tablespoons spicy ranch dressing seasoning
- ⅓ cup bell pepper, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup green onions, sliced
- 1-½ cups cheese puffs, I used spicy cheese puffs but Cheetos or any of the other ones will work
- 1 cup cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
Step one
- Let two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese come to room temperature.
- Grind the cheese puffs to a powder in the blender.
- Set aside.
Step two
- Add the room temperature cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix on medium speed, stopping to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes until the cream cheese is smooth.
- Add the spicy Ranch seasoning, the shredded cheese, the bell pepper, and the green onion and beat until well mixed and the ingredients are distributed through out the cream cheese mixture.
Step three
- Place a double layer of plastic wrap on the counter.
- Add a layer of the ground up Cheetos.
- Spoon the cheese mixture into the middle of the Cheetos and use the plastic wrap to help shape it into a ball.
- Add more of the Cheeto crumbs and continue to shape the mixture into a ball.
- Continue adding crumbs and shaping with the plastic wrap until the cheese is covered with the Cheeto crumbs and is in a ball shape.
- Bring the plastic wrap up tightly around the cheese ball and press it together to seal.
- Add another layer of plastic wrap tightly around the cheese ball.
- Use doubled rubber bands to create the indentations that make the "pumpkin" shape.
- Chill overnight.
Step four
- Before serving cut the rubber bands off carefully.
- Use the bell pepper stem as the stem end of the pumpkin.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro.
- Use ripe black olives cut into triangles and attached with toothpicks to make eyes and mouth if you'd like it to look like a Jack-o'-lantern.
- Serve with chips, crackers, and/or crudites.
Notes
- The crumb coating will start to disappear when it's in the refrigerator. Keep enough cheese puffs on hand to add more crumbs to the outside before serving.
- Make sure everything is at room temperature before mixing.
- For best results use regular cream cheese not whipped, low fat, or fat-free.
- Cut the green pepper top in sort of a wedge shape to make the pumpkin stem. It will fit into the "pumpkin" better that way.
- If you don't want to use rubber bands you can use kitchen twine as well.
- Cut the rubber bands off rather than pulling them off.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published August 4, 2021. Last updated October 18, 2024 for editorial improvements.
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Pumpkin cheeseball
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Julie Cain says
Could you add chopped ham to the ingredients that make up the cheese ball?
Marye says
I never have but I don't see why could couldn't.