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This Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball is a festive holiday appetizer. Sweet strawberry jam and spicy jalapeño give it the perfect blend of sweetness and heat.
Featured with this Recipe
- The Perfect Holiday Appetizer
- Ingredients in Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball
- Tips for Making a Sweet and Spicy Cheese Ball
- How to Tone Down or Turn Up the Heat
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cheese Balls
- More Holiday Appetizer Recipes
- How to Make Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball
- Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball Recipe
The Perfect Holiday Appetizer
This Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball recipe is always a hit during the holidays or on game day. It is perfect as an amazing Holiday appetizer or a delicious snack. Beautiful colors and flavors blend together for the right amount of sweet and spicy, the perfect spread for crackers, veggies, pretzels, and just about anything! This one takes center stage every Christmas Eve and it always gets gobbled up quickly. I really like making cheese balls during the holidays. It’s something a little nicer and fancier than just the average crackers and dip. Also, you can get creative with the presentation using different colors and styles of plates or platters. Or, add it as an appetizer for Thanksgiving or on New Year’s Eve. Honestly, it’s truly the perfect party food!
Ingredients in Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball
- Cream cheese
- White cheddar cheese
- Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit Spread
- Fresh jalapeño
- Parsley
- Chopped pecans
Tips for Making a Sweet and Spicy Cheese Ball
- A cheese ball is traditionally a thicker cream cheese mixture. Also, you can use a variety of nuts, fruits, spices, herbs, and cheeses.
- I like serving cheese balls with different kinds of crackers, breads, pita chips, and vegetables. However, firm, crisp, fresh vegetables like celery, carrots, and cucumbers work great with cheese balls. Also, they are a healthy substitute for those on low-carb or gluten-free diets.
- The new Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit Spread is the key ingredient to this Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball. Smucker’s have really done a fabulous job balancing the sweet and spice in this spread. First, you taste the flavor of sweet, fresh strawberry, and then the mild heat of the jalapeño comes through. It is delicious on its own or with some cream cheese on a cracker.
- I’ve found that I needed to strain some liquid from the Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit Spread in order to create the right consistency for a cheese ball. Just empty the jar of fruit spread into a mesh strainer and stir it a few times. However, make sure you do this over a bowl because you will want to save the portion that is strained. I strained about 2 tablespoons. What comes out of the strainer is the consistency of a thin jelly. I put this back in the jar it came in and will use it as a spread with cream cheese or on some toasted French bread.
How to Tone Down or Turn Up the Heat
You will see that I also added a chopped jalapeño to the recipe. The Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit Spread has, in my opinion, the perfect blend of sweetness and heat. However, when added to the cream cheese, the spiciness of the jalapeño is lessened. This is because the fat molecule in milk, cheese, or other dairy products binds to the spicy, hot molecule and reduces the spiciness you taste. This is why, when you eat something that burns your mouth, you want to drink milk, not water. Because the water spreads and intensifies the heat, the milk reduces it. If you really need to cool your mouth down fast after biting into something intensely spicy, the best thing to do is place a little cooking oil (olive, canola, coconut) on a napkin and wipe it around the inside of your mouth. It takes the burnout fast. I know… I’ve tried it and it works! So, for more spice, dice up extra jalapeño.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cheese Balls
A cheese ball is typically a mix of cream cheese, fresh grated cheese, and other spices or ingredients. Then, you form everything into a ball and roll in your favorite nuts and serve with crackers.
If wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, it should stay good for 2 weeks.
Yes, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can freeze for 1 to 2 months.
To stay safe from bacteria, a cheese ball should be left out at room temperature no more than 4 hours.
At least one hour, but a little longer will help it set up better. I typically let it refrigerate overnight before serving.
READ NEXT: 25+ Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers
More Holiday Appetizer Recipes
- Cranberry Almond Bacon Cheese Ball
- Pineapple Cheese Ball
- Strawberry Jalapeno Beef Polska Kielbasa Bites
- Spinach Artichoke Dip in a Bread Bowl
How to Make Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball
Strawberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups white cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 jar Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit Spread
- 1 jalapeño finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 cup pecan chips
Instructions
- Mix the softened cream cheese and white cheddar cheese together using a mixer or by hand.
- Pour the jar of Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit Spread into a mesh strainer that has been placed over a bowl. Stir a few times until about 2 tablespoons of fine jelly are strained into the bowl. Place the contents of the bowl back in the Smucker’s jar and save for later use.
- Blend the remaining Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit Spread with the cheese mixture. When well blended, add jalapeño and parsley.
- Place two sections of plastic wrap on the counter. Divide the cheese mixture between the two sections. Wrap the mixture into a ball. Make sure it is completely covered with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, unwrap the cheese ball and roll it in the pecan chips until it is completely covered. Serve on a plate or platter with a variety of crackers, celery sticks, carrot sticks, and sliced cucumbers.
Notes
- Chill for at least one hour, but longer is better. I usually like to refrigerate the cheese ball overnight.
- To Freeze: wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can freeze for 1 to 2 months.
- To Store: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. To stay safe from bacteria, a cheese ball should be left out at room temperature no more than 4 hours.
Hello, This recipe looks great. Wondering if I could sub canned green chilies for jalapeno?
Yes, that would work fine.
The way the recipe reads was confusing to me. I’m not sure how much of the spread needs to be in the cheese ball. If you can answer that you will deserve the five stars I gave it.
The jars are 9 ounces and you use the whole jar!
This was such a great flavor combo! I never would have thought to do it on my own. Deeeelicious!
I had never heard of this recipe and obviously it intrigued me, so I prepared it. I didn’t use the cheddar cheese that you recommended just because it wasn’t available in that moment in Italy, but I opted for spreadable goat cheese along with the cream cheese … wow, what a great combination of flavors once I finished preparing it. Thanks!
I never met a cheeseball I didn’t like, and this one is no different! The combination of the sweet and spicy flavors are absolutely perfect!
I wasn’t able to find the fruit spread listed above, I kind of winged it with strawberry preserves, honey and a little jalapeño juice from a can of chopped jalapeños. I used about a Tablespoon of the chopped jalapeño.. Everyone raved about how good it was.
Way to wing it! I’m glad it turned out so well. You pretty much added the ingredients that are in the Smucker’s Strawberry Jalapeño Fruit & Honey Fruit Spread. I hope they are still making it, because it is delicious!