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Mini Turkey Cheese Balls

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These tasty Mini Turkey Cheese Balls are made with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, pieces of sweet dried cranberries, rolled in pecans and decorated to look like a turkey! Make these for a Thanksgiving day appetizer or a fun fall gathering!

mini turkey cheese balls on a white platter rolled in pecans, carrot nose and almond feathersclose up view of mini turkey cheese balls on a white tray

How to Make Mini Cheese Balls

mini festive turkey cheese ball on a white plate with crackers around it

These mini cheese balls are so easy to make! I found the easiest way to make these is to mix up all the ingredients, and then roll it out into a log form. Then slice 6 even pieces and roll those into little balls.

Roll each ball into the chopped pecans. You will want to place the almonds and carrot in the cheese ball while the cheese is still soft. I used baby carrots for these cute little turkeys, because I like the rounded look on the end of the carrot. To make the carrots easier to push into the cheese ball, I took a peeler and shaved the carrot until it was a point shape on the end. After you have them all put together, place in the fridge until you are ready to serve. If you like softer cheese, you can set them out 30 minutes before you want to serve them.

Can Mini Cheese Balls Be Made Ahead of Time?

This cheeseball recipe is the perfect appetizer to make ahead of time. They hold up incredibly well in the refrigerator, and actually taste better when the flavors combine together for longer.

If you want the nuts to be really crunchy, then hold off rolling the cheese balls in the pecans and adding the almonds until closer to when you want to serve them. You can form the balls ahead of time, and pull them out 30 minutes before you want to add the nuts to let the cheese soften just enough that the nuts easily stick to it.

The great thing about these mini cheese balls is that they are small enough for your kids to easily handle them. You can give them the assignment to roll them in the pecans and add the almonds and carrot nose. It is actually a really fun food activity for them!

I hope you enjoy these darling Mini Turkey Cheese Balls appetizer for your kids!

I would love your feedback!  If you make this recipe, will you leave a comment and star rating below? Your feedback is super helpful for SHK parents and other readers who are thinking about making theseThank you so much!

mini turkey cheeseballs on a white platter
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3.9 from 11 votes

Mini Turkey Cheese Balls

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 mini cheese balls

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 6 each baby carrots
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and dried cranberries.
  • Form mixture into a roll and cut into 6 even slices. Form each slice into a round ball.
  • Roll each ball in chopped pecans.
  • Lightly press sliced almonds into each ball to form 'turkey feathers'
  • With a vegetable peeler, shave the bottom half of each carrot into a point. Press into the front of each ball to form the 'turkey nose'.
  • Serve with crackers, celery sticks, and/or carrot sticks and enjoy!
Keyword : mini cheese balls

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Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

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