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Homemade Dill Pickle Cheese Ball photo

Dill Pickle Cheese Ball

A savory dill pickle cheese ball made with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, dill pickles, relish and ranch seasoning; chilled and rolled in shredded Colby Jack and fresh dill. Serve with crackers or other dippers.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Appetizer

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • two 8-ounce packages cream cheese softened to room temp (use full fat cream cheese and not anything labeled as lite, fat free, or spreadable)
  • 2 tablespoonssour cream
  • 1 cupshredded cheddar cheese or a similar cheese or shredded cheese blend
  • 1 cupdill pickles diced or chopped small
  • 1/4 cupdill pickle relish
  • 3 tablespoonsfresh dill finely minced; divided
  • 1 tablespoondill flavored ranch seasoning mix or original ranch seasoning mix*
  • 1 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cupshredded Colby Jack cheese

Equipment

  • 1Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Hand Mixer

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Ensure both 8-ounce cream cheese packages (total 16 oz) are softened to room temperature (use full-fat cream cheese). Place them in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons sour cream. Beat with a handheld electric mixer or mix with a sturdy wooden spoon or rubber spatula until very smooth and no lumps remain.
  2. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup diced dill pickles, 1/4 cup dill pickle relish, 2 tablespoons of the minced fresh dill (reserve the remaining 1 tablespoon for coating), 1 tablespoon dill-flavored (or original) ranch seasoning mix, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  3. Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a clean work surface. Scrape the cheese mixture onto the center of the plastic wrap. Gather the plastic wrap up around the mixture, twist the wrap to tighten, and use your hands (on the outside of the plastic) to shape the mixture into a smooth ball. If needed, use the spatula to press and smooth the surface before tightening the wrap.
  4. Place the wrapped cheese ball on a plate or small tray and refrigerate, wrapped, for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) to firm and meld the flavors. Do not skip chilling.
  5. Before serving, in a large shallow bowl combine 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese and the reserved 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill. Unwrap the chilled cheese ball and roll it in the Colby Jack–dill mixture until evenly coated.
  6. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with crackers, pita chips, toasted bread, or other dippers of your choice.
  7. Store any leftovers airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended.

Notes

Notes
*If you can’t find the
dill flavored option
of classic ranch seasoning, don’t worry.
Regular ranch seasoning mix
is just fine. This will tone down the overall dill flavor of the cheese ball a bit, but there are still three other ingredients with dill in them so don’t worry.
Make sure you are selecting dry, powdered seasoning mix and not actual ranch dressing.
If you live in an area where you can’t find any type of dry powdered ranch seasoning, you can make a mixture of it with garlic and onion powders, and salt. I suggest do an online search for how to make it yourself. You are only using a tablespoon anyway.