This Pumpkin-Shaped Cheeseball is made with creamy, delicious, ranch-style filling covered in cheese! It's the best! Perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving.
PUMPKIN-SHAPED CHEESEBALL
PUMPKIN SHAPE - NOT PUMPKIN FLAVORED
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
A HUGE HIT AT EVERY PARTY
You don't even have to form it into a pumpkin shape. The taste alone will make it a hit at your next gathering. It's not just cute - it is delicious! What I love most is being able to make it ahead of time. You can get it all prepped and ready to go, wrap it in plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge. Also, it's super important to use freshly grated cheese! It is stickier than the pre-shredded kind and that helps when forming the cheeseball.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
cream cheese
vegetable cream cheese
Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch mix
green onions
red pepper
freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN-SHAPED CHEESEBALL:
Finely chop the red pepper and green onion. You want small pieces, not big chunks. Be sure to save the stem of the red pepper. It's going to be our pumpkin stem! I just wrap the stem up in a slightly dampened paper towel and wrap that up in some Plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until I'm ready for it.
Using an electric or stand mixer, combine both cream cheeses.
Nest, stir in 2 tablespoons of Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch mix. Note: This was not spicy in this cheeseball at all. It just gave it a small kick of flavor. You can always use the Hidden Valley Original Ranch flavor for this!
I love the orange-ish color the Spicy Ranch Mix and red pepper adds to the mixture.
Finally, stir in one cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap. Sprinkle about a ¼ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese onto the plastic wrap.
Then top with cheeseball mixture.
Take the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle it onto the tops and sides of the cheese ball.
Now, time to wrap it up with rubber bands. You can also use kitchen string for this. You will need 4 large rubber bands. This is why it's important to have a tightly wrapped cheeseball with two layers. We don't want any cheeseball mix squeezing out while we're putting on the rubber bands. (Ask me how I know.) With these rubber bands, I had to double wrap each one to get those long indentations we're looking for to make the pumpkin shape. You can also use kitchen twine for this if that makes it easier for you.
Place cheeseball into the fridge for a minimum of two hours (overnight is best.) Not only do the flavors get better as it sits, but as the mixture cools, it will help it to form that pumpkin shape. When ready, cut off the rubber bands and carefully remove the cling wrap. Then add on the red pepper stem to the top. Just gently push it in there. Serve with your favorite buttery crackers.
Got leftovers? No problem. Just pop your leftover cheeseball into a tall and large Glad entree container and you'll have it ready to snack on for later!
PUMPKIN-SHAPED CHEESEBALL
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz block cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1 8 oz tub vegetable cream cheese
- 2 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch mix
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1 red pepper finely diced (save the stem)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided use
Instructions
- Using an electric or stand mixer, combine both cream cheeses.
- Then stir in 2 tablespoons of Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch mix, green onion, red pepper and one cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Spread out a large sheet of Glad ClingWrap.
- Sprinkle about a ¼ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese onto the plastic wrap.
- Then top with cheese ball mixture.
- Take the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle it onto the tops and sides of the cheese ball and wrap it up well with cling wrap.
- Two layers of cling wrap work best. It needs to be well-wrapped and wrapped tightly. Now, time to wrap it up with four large and wide rubber bands.
- We don't want any cheese ball mix squeezing out while we're putting on the rubber bands. I had to double wrap each rubber band to get those long indentations we're looking for to make the pumpkin shape.
- Place cheese ball into the fridge for a minimum of two hours (overnight is best.) Not only do the flavors get better as it sits, but as the mixture cools, it will help it to form that pumpkin shape.
- When ready, cut off the rubber bands and carefully remove the cling wrap.
- Then add on the red pepper stem to the top. Just gently push it in there.
- Serve with your favorite buttery crackers.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published: November 2015
Updated & republished: October 2019
Rubberbands - who thinks to do this. So glad they did. It will be on my Thanksgiving table. Thank you!
Awesome! It is so very creative and will be on our Thanksgiving table also.
How easy peasy is this!?!?!? I love that you used rubber bands to make the pumpkin shape. Brilliant and adorable!
Y'all are so sweet - thank you! I hope you love it as much as we all did!!
YUM YUM Thanks Brandie looks d-lish.
Thank you!!
This also makes an awesome Christmas appetizer! Just use plain cream cheese (reduced fat works great), a packet of regular ranch dressing mix (so no orangish look), red pepper and green onions (no cheddar cheese needed here). Then spread it on green tortillas, roll up, chill, and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Looks Christmassy and tastes great!
Great suggestion!
I JUST put this into the fridge for our thanksgiving appetizer tomorrow. Thanks for the great recipe and instructions!
I had to come back and tell you how much I enjoyed the cheese ball. YUM!!!! I ate more of it instead of pumpkin pie at dessert time. Thank you so much. I'm going to print this one on paper and put it in my recipe box.
Love this idea! Will definitely add this to my Thanksgiving recipe collection! Thank you!
Thanks Sharon, hope you enjoy it this upcoming holiday season!
What an ingenious idea. Love it & can't wait to make it & bring somewhere. People will flip! Thanks!
Yummy Can't wait to make this again
Made this for a Garden Club meeting today. BIG hit!!! Such a great conversation piece & yummy to beat. Your instructions were "spot on" and made it so easy! THX!!!! And yes everyone wanted the recipe; sent them your way.
Just made this for a pumpkin themed baby shower. I only had thin rubber bands but they seem to look like they will help make the shape after all. Thanks for the recipe.
I will try once more, sorry if you get it 3 times - I'm new to this! I love this idea. It is adorable and very creative - perfect for our annual Thanksgiving family get together. We have a family full of artists who are going to love your ingenuity and creativity. I can't wait to make it, so I will definitely try it ahead of time. I love cheese balls, and I'll get to have the first one all to myself! !
Yours looks lovely! I would have never thought to wrap rubber bands like that to make the indention! My sister has made this cheese ball several times and I'm always amazed that it taste good...sorry sometimes prepackaged stuff doesn't IMO. But I love yours because I'm all about FALL anything! Thanks!
I made this over the weekend, it was so good. I couldn't find the Spicy Ranch, so I used their Fiesta Ranch instead. Everyone raved about it. I served it with Ritz Cracker Chips and also Pretzels. Will definitely make this again.
[…] Pumpkin-Shaped Cheese Ball Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipe | The Country Cook […]
So cute -- love how easy it is to make the pumpkin shape with rubber bands. Thank you for the recipe. Will whip it up this coming week for a special gathering next Sunday.
Thanks Phyllis, it is super easy and so cute for a party! You will have to come back and let us know how well it turned out for you.
Hello, the pumpkin cheese ball was a huge success at Thanksgiving dinner. They devoured it! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'm in Canada and we don't seem to have spicy Hidden Valley Ranch dip, so I used another basic ranch dip and added 1/8th tsp of cayene. I am seriously impressed at how good this turned out!
[…] Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball at The Country Cook […]
A friend brought this to our Bible study this morning - big hit! She always makes such creative things. I'm going out now to get the ingredients to make it for a get-together tomorrow night!!
Hi Sue! I'm in Virginia too! 🙂 I think this is one of my favorite cheeseball recipes ever. It's cute but it actually tastes good. Ha! Thank you for taking the time to leave a sweet note on here!
We are having a fall themed bridal shower for my daughter with pumpkin chili, soups and salads. This will be perfectly perfect on the buffet!! Thank you for sharing your creative genius.
Love that! Hoping everyone loves it! You will have to come back and let me know how it goes.
I am making this for our annual United Methodist Conference tomorrow. I can't wait to see if it's a hit with most people. I'll come back to let you know. I am also going to take it to my family Thanksgiving this year....so I'll be able to report on it twice! Thanks for posting this recipe. You are so creative.
Thank you!! Just made this for a dinner party for tomorrow night and I can't wait to share it with friends 🙂
Hope everyone loves it 🙂
Awesome recipe! I just made it for our Cooking Club's Witches Night Out themed party. It looks fabulous and I can't wait to eat it. Thanks.
Thanks Diane! Hope everyone enjoyed it 🙂