Part retro, part cult classic, it’s hard to go wrong with a cheese ball. This festive pumpkin rendition may not contain any actual pumpkin, but it’s full of fresh herbs, minced jalapeño, and of course, plenty of cheese. It’s got all the bold, salty, creamy flavors you’d expect in a good cheese ball, but it’s also totally adjustable to your personal taste.
As long as you’ve got the pumpkin-forming technique down (and it really just takes a little plastic wrap and some rubber bands), you can mix-and-match cheese ball flavors to your heart’s content. We’ll break down some options below.
The Cheese
We’d recommend keeping that cream cheese and goat cheese base for structure, but any of your favorite hard cheeses will do in place of cheddar. We like something on the sharp or salty side to contrast the other cheeses, like Gruyère, gouda, or Asiago.
The Herbs
Though you’ll need at least one scallion if you want to make the pumpkin’s curlicue tendrils, any fresh or dried herbs can be substituted. Just be sure to finely chop the fresh herbs to avoid a lumpy cheese ball.
The Spice Factor
Fresh jalapeño isn’t the only way to add a little kick to this appetizer. Chipotles in adobo, ground cayenne or chili powder, or a tablespoon or so of your favorite hot sauce are all great options.
The Coating
Pretty much any orange crunchy snack will do the job! Just make sure you can crush them up completely—the smaller the pieces, the more readily they stick onto the outside of the cheese ball.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!