This pumpkin-shaped cheese ball is perfect for celebrating Halloween, autumn or even just if you like a good-looking appetizer. The interior is cream cheese with tons of ingredients that make it extra creamy. On the outside, I coated it with a mix of seeds.
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Pumpkin-shaped cheese ball
I love how this pumpkin-shaped cheese ball looks and it’s also really easy to make. After mixing all the ingredients, you need to refrigerate the ingredients. This is because we need it to harden before coating it with seeds. The cheese with the seeds on the outside is then wrapped in cling film and we give it the texture using pieces of thread. You need to tie 3 of them in different directions, pulling to make a dent before tieing it. Once ready, we refrigerate it until it’s time to serve.
Other cheese appetizers
I love to make appetizers using cream cheese, like this pumpkin-shaped cheese ball. It’s very versatile and you can add the flavours you prefer. The most famous cheese here on the blog is definitely my cheese log with cranberries, pistachios, bacon and honey. It’s particularly popular during Christmas. From that one spawned other versions, like my cheese log with almonds and pomegranate and another one with olives and bacon. They are really simple to make, you can have them ready long before your guests arrive and everyone likes them. That’s why now I really wanted to make this pumpkin-shaped cheese ball and give you this fun option.
For the pumpkin-shaped cheese not to harden like a block but rather have it smooth and spreadable, I used a bit of mayonnaise in the mix. It adds flavour and also a really nice flavour. On the exterior of the ball, I used a mix of sesame and poppy seeds. It looks very rustic and beautiful. You can also just use one kind of seed if you prefer. For a more fun/kid-friendly look, you can swap the seeds for grated cheddar.
Ingredients
For the cheese
- 220 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 30 g parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 30 g grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
For the outside
- 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1.5 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds or more sesame
- 1 cinnamon stick and a leaf to garnish
Instructions
For the cheese
- Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Taste it and adjust the level of salt.
- Refrigerate the mix for at least 1 hour or until it's firm again.
- On a bit of cling film, spread out the seeds. Place the cheese at the centre and roll it around to coat it.
- Wrap the cheese with the plastic and tie it with 3 pieces of string, pulling so you make a dent before tying it.
- Refrigerate for another hour or until it's time to serve.
- Serve it and garnish with a cinnamon stick and a leaf.
