This delicious and easy Cheese Ball Pinecone is not only festive for your holiday gathering, but it has tons of hidden nutrients. It’s packed with protein while being low carb and even has probiotics, so feel free to dig in! Also, pro tip, you may want to make two. It won’t last long.
Cheese Ball Pinecone
This fun and festive recipe comes together with just a handful of ingredients that you can feel good about serving and eating.
Make it Your Own
This recipe is super easy to customize to meet your taste and dietary preferences. It would be delicious with crumbled bacon if you aren’t serving any vegetarians and also would be delicious with everything but the bagel seasoning. Really, feel free to add anything you love to this recipe to make it all your own!
This recipe was created in partnership with Lifeway Kefir
I make this recipe using Lifeway Kefir Farmer Cheese. I use Farmer Cheese because it is a great way to sneak in extra nutrients to a delicious appetizer. It’s high in protein, has 12 Live and Active probiotic cultures and is actually 99% lactose free. That being said, you can easily use dairy free cream cheese in this recipe to make it very low lactose for anyone that may need it to be. How great is that?
Wondering what Farmer Cheese tastes like? It’s very mild in flavor, reminding me of a mix of ricotta and sour cream. It’s also fluffy, light and easy to spread. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a must, in my opinion!
Dietary Notes
This Cheese Ball Pinecone is made with simple ingredients and fit seamlessly into the following dietary needs:
- gluten free
- grain free
- low carb
- refined sugar free
- vegetarian
Hungry for more?
If you’re looking for another way to use up your Farmer Cheese, you HAVE to try my Rosemary Cheese Dip. It is so unexpected and delicious, especially when paired with my Extra Crispy Potatoes.
- Rosemary Cheese Dip (gluten free, grain free, low carb, low lactose, refined sugar free, vegetarian)
- Extra Crispy Potatoes (gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegetarian)
If you’re looking for more appetizer ideas this season, check out:
- Paleo Sweet Potato Tots (gluten free, grain free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30, refined sugar free, vegetarian)
- Homemade Hummus (gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegetarian, vegan)
- Charcuterie Board Shopping List & Tips (customize to be: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, paleo, refined sugar free, vegetarian, vegan)
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Cheese Ball Pinecone
Ingredients
Cheese Ball
- 1 12 oz block cream cheese
- 1 cup Farmer Cheese (I use Lifeway brand, can sub sour cream or more cream cheese)
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups whole almonds (more or less, to cover)
Garnishes (Optional)
- fresh rosemary
- cranberries, sugared or regular
Instructions
- Combine all cheese ball ingredients in a bowl aside from the whole almonds. Mix until completely combined.
- Shape the cheese ball into a pinecone shape and set on a serving dish/tray/plate.
- Starting from the point of the "pinecone", place the whole almonds on the outside of the cheese ball in overlapping rows until the cheese ball is covered.
- Garnish with rosemary and cranberries (optional) and serve with crackers, bread, veggies, etc.!
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