Cream cheese, ranch, and pecans! There’s no better snack than the Ranch Cheeseballs. They’re crunchy, savory, and very easy to make. The Ranch Cheeseball will forever be my favorite cheeseball recipe!
The World’s Best Party Food
Ranch and Cream Cheese make an Excellent Combo!
If you love ranch and cheese, this appetizer is just for you! Every ranch-lovers knows that everything is better with ranch especially when you add it to your favorite appetizer!
What makes the Ranch Cheeseballs a real winner is that they can be made in under 10 minutes. Yes, you only need 1o minutes to put this appetizer together!
As a busy mom who is always looking for ways to please her kids, I love making easy snacks that are very filling and keep my children full for the afternoon. Luckily, these cheeseballs are so good and you can enjoy them as a light meal on their own.
The taste is so good and the crunch of the pecans is to die for. Don’t get me started on the coating! The wonderful combination of pecans and add-ins make the balls so smooth yet so crunchy!
The Ultimate Comfort Food
Cream cheese is used in many comfort meals. It’s no secret that the zesty cream cheese mixture is packed with delicious ingredients making the Ranch Cheeseballs the closest thing to comfort food, right in the palm of your hand!
Crispy outsides and creamy insides make delicious party-time snacks! This recipe is one of the best vegetarian recipes that can be served as an appetizer to your guests.
The Ranch Cheeseballs can be eaten directly, or you can pump up the flavor by dipping them with tomato sauce, cheddar, and hot sauce!
Once you make a homemade cheese ball, you’ll never purchase store-bought again. Make it into big or small ball bites and enjoy all the cheesy goodness. I still can’t get over how good and soft the cheeseballs turned out.
The Ranch Cheeseball is a Family Favorite
The Ranch Cheeseball has become the most requested afternoon snack by my kids. I’ve noticed that kids love its texture and enjoy the gooey insides of the cheeseballs. They love ranch and add it to absolutely everything.
I’m not surprised that the Ranch Cheeseballs turned out pretty addictive and a family favorite. I made this for my family for my daughter’s birthday party and boy was it hit! My husband and kids just loved it and asked me for more.
I can’t deny them any requests, so I made it again during my son’s birthday party. Our guests enjoyed every bite and bombarded me with questions about the recipe.
I can’t wait to share my recipe with them! The best thing about the Ranch Cheeseballs is that they make amazing leftovers. I’m currently having leftover Ranch Cheeseballs with crackers as an afternoon snack! All of this goodness gets eaten up the day of making it, there are rarely ever any leftovers!
Tips to Make the Best Ranch Cheeseball!
Let the cream cheese soften overnight, you don’t want it to solidify.
If you happen to have a block of cheddar cheese(that is if you choose to follow one of the many variations to this dish), do shred your cheddar instead of getting some packaged cheddar from your local grocery store.
Use plastic wrap to help you shape the balls!
Let’s Switch it Up!
I love adding bacon bits whenever I can. If I’m feeling it, I sometime add spicy bacon to fire up the recipe. The crunch of the bacon matches that of the pecans, and this alone makes the Ranch Cheeseballs the ultimate appetizer ever!
Sour Cream could be a great addition to this recipe, especially if you’re craving a deeper flavor. The sour cream also acts as a binder that helps keep all the ingredients together as you form them into a ball.
I like to add ranch dressing to my sour cream as a substitute to the ranch seasoning. This is definitely a great alternative if you adore ranch. Personally, I could drink ranch out of a jar lol, so I do make this change once in a while.
SAY CHEESE
This version has the best balance of all the complementary ingredients. Just wonderful! I sometimes substitute cream cheese with sharp cheddar cheese for the best results.
I also make sure to add some garlic powder to make it more flavorful! Go easy on the garlic powder, you don’t want your cheeseballs to turn out very garlicy.
Or Go Nut-Free
If you don’t really fancy pecans, switch it up and add almonds instead or any other nut for that matter. Also, feel free to omit the nuts entirely if you’re allergic or just not into nuts! For added texture, introduce some green onions to the coating mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course. You can freeze your cheeseballs for later!
The cheeseballs are so versatile. You can literally add any seasoning to your liking. If you’re not fond of ranch, feel free to add Cayenne pepper for extra flavor!
Yes, you can make your Ranch Cheeseballs up to one week in advance.
What You’ll Need to Make the Ranch Cheeseball :
Cream cheese
Chopped pecans
It‘s Very Quick and Simple!
This Appetizer is a Hit!
So How Can I Pull This Off?
Sprinkle each block of cream cheese with the dry ranch powder on each side.
Put each block of cream cheese together and shape into a ball.
Sprinkle the pecans all around the cheeseballs.
Play Around with the Shapes
The Ranch Cheeseballs are so fun to make and can be made into different shapes. It’s easy: stir, shape, then roll, and play around with the shapes. If I have time on my hands, I make the cheeseballs into snowmen and little turkeys. My kids and I really enjoy the process!
Enjoy your Ranch Cheeseballs with crackers, pita chips, celery and carrots!
Other Recipes You Must Try:
Ants on a Log: The Greatest Snack
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Ranch Cheeseball
Ingredients
- 2 bocks 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 pack Hidden Valley Dips mix (The Original Ranch)
- 1 bag 2 oz. chopped pecans
Instructions
- Sprinkle each block of cream cheese with the dry ranch powder on each side.
- Put each block of cream cheese together and shape into a ball.
- Sprinkle the pecans all around the cheeseballs.
I don’t know why, but I’ve never thought to use ranch dressing mix in my cheese ball! That’s going to change this year. Thanks for the idea!
Love how easy and simple this recipe is!
This looks so simple and delicious and it’s right on time for the holidays!
Have quite a few gatherings coming up and this is the perfect addition to a party spread!
A perfect complement to a cheese board! Great tip!
This is perfect for holiday entertaining!
Love how simple this recipe is and it is so perfect for entertaining!
This is definitely perfect for any celebration! Such a great appetizer!
What a great holiday get together recipe!
What can you substitute for dry ranch dressing mix. Not a day to go out!
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Hi Kris, I haven’t tried any substitutions so I wouldn’t want to recommend anything I haven’t tried.