This Caramel Apple Cheese Ball is a delicious appetizer with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Rich cream cheese is swirled with caramel creating flavors reminiscent of caramel-coated apples.
Roll the cheeseball in chocolate and nuts and serve with sliced apples for an irresistible treat for fall and holiday get-togethers.
Table of Contents
Apple Appetizers for the Win!
Apple appetizers offer a delightful and refreshing twist to your appetizer spread. Their natural sweetness and crisp texture bring a burst of flavor to every bite. With their versatility and ability to balance both sweet and savory, apple appetizers are a great way to celebrate the season.
From savory options like Apple Bacon Cheese Phyllo Cups and Cheesy Apple Bacon Bundles where cheesy goodness meets the tartness of apples to sweet options like this caramel cheesecake appetizer, apples offer a delicious way to start your party or celebration.
Why You'll Love This Caramel Apple Cheese Ball Recipe
This appetizer will impress everyone on your guest list! It tastes like a combination of caramel apples covered in peanuts and chocolate chips and creamy cheesecake. (drool is allowed here).
It's great for fall when apples are in peak season, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas holidays. It's never too late for caramel and apples!
Just 5 simple ingredients, some apples, and a few minutes of your time and you have an appetizer (or dessert) that will get rave reviews!
Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Caramel ice cream topping or sauce
- Roasted and salted peanuts
- Dark chocolate - either a chopped bar or chips
- Apples for serving
How to Make Caramel Apple Cheeseball
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar.
- Continue beating until combined.
- Drizzle in caramel topping.
- Swirl with a knife. Wrap the cream cheese cheeseball in plastic wrap and freeze for about 30 minutes.
- Chop chocolate and nuts.
- Remove the caramel cheese ball from the freezer and roll it into a ball. Place it on top of the chopped coating.
- Roll the cheese ball in the coating to cover, patting to help it adhere to the outside.
Plate the caramel cheeseball and surround it with slices of apples, cinnamon pita chips, or shortbread cookies. It's the perfect appetizer for game time and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so it blends well with the powdered sugar. You want it to be creamy and not lumpy. And it will be easier to swirl in the caramel.
- It's important to refrigerate the cheeseball for at least 30 minutes before rolling it in the nuts and chocolate. Refrigerating will help keep its shape while rolling it around.
- Keep apple slices from turning brown by placing them in a bowl with 1 cup of cold water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Soak for 1 minute then remove the slices from the lemon water.
Recipe Variations
This sweet cream cheese ball is easy to customize. Here are some ideas:
- Add More Flavor - Use brown sugar and cinnamon cream cheese or honey pecan cream cheese and use pecans instead of peanuts.
- Chocolate Toffee Cheeseball - Substitute the peanuts with Heath Bits O' Brickle Toffee Bits. Or substitute both peanuts and chocolate chips with Heath Milk Chocolate English Toffee Bits or a chopped Skor candy bar.
- Fluff it Up - Fold in some marshmallow fluff.
- Turtle Cheeseball - Substitute the peanuts with pecans and dark chocolate with milk chocolate.
What to Serve with It
Sliced apples are not the only option for serving with this caramel cheesecake appetizer. Here are some more ideas:
- Biscotti
- Cinnamon sugar pita chips
- Donut holes
- Fresh fruit such as strawberries, pears, grapes
- Graham crackers, animal crackers, or shortbread cookies
- Pretzel rods
You can also drizzle some caramel sauce or chocolate sauce over the top of the cheeseball.
Make Ahead and How to Store
You can make the cheese ball in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in a plastic zip-top bag.
You can freeze the made-ahead cheeseball for up to 2 months. Wrap it in plastic wrap and then either a layer of aluminum foil or place the plastic-wrapped cheeseball in a plastic freezer bag. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Storing a leftover cheeseball is not recommended. If your cream cheese ball has been out of the fridge for more than two hours, it's no longer safe to eat and should be thrown out.
More Caramel Apple Recipes
- Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce
- Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes
- Caramel Apple Jello Shots
Find lots of delicious and easy appetizer recipes right here on 2CM!
LOVE QUICK & EASY RECIPES? FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, & PINTEREST FOR ALL THE LATEST RECIPE INSPIRATION! PLUS JOIN MY EMAIL LIST AND RECEIVE A FREE E-BOOK.
Caramel Apple Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 4-6 oz caramel topping or use regular caramels & make your own
- ⅓ cup salted peanuts chopped
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chopped
- 3-5 apples sliced
Instructions
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and continue to mix until well combined.
- Pour in caramel topping and swirl with knife or spatula.
- Wrap and place in freezer for about 30 minutes to make it easier to roll into ball.
- On a cutting board, chop peanuts and chocolate into small pieces and combine together.
- Remove caramel-cheese mixture from freezer, unwrap, form into a ball and roll to cover in chopped chocolate and peanuts.
- Place cheese ball on plate and arrange cut apple slices around it. Hint: Cut apples slices and place in ice water with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with new photos and helpful information. It was first posted on December 15, 2015.
Leave a Reply