Strawberry Jalape O Cheese Ball A Favorite Holiday Appetizer

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. READ NEXT: 25+ Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers