Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (2024)

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Cheeseballs are great... but SMOKED cheese balls are a whole other level of fantastic! Vary the seasoning or length of smoking to customize.

Originally Posted April 17, 2020. Updated 1/8/2021

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (1)

Today is National Cheeseball Day, so I figure it's about time to share our recipe for smoked cheese balls!

Cheeseballs are great... but SMOKED cheese balls are a whole other level of fantastic, after all.

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (2)

My Smoked Cheese Balls Recipes

My recipe is very basic, for a couple reasons:

1. I'm not a fan of chunky textures in a cheese ball, so I don't include dried fruits, meats, etc.

2. For this specific type of cheese ball... even if I did like chunky textures, I don't think the fruits, etc would work as well with the smoking.

I think it would just be too much going on. Also, the "wet" texture of the cheese filling soaks up the smoke nicely!

So, it's a nice, simple, but flavourful base that works well with smoke, without competing with it.

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (3)

Cheeses for Smoked Cheese Balls

In terms of the cheeses used, you'll want cheeses that grate well, not wet or crumbly ones.

Also, I wouldn't bother using smoked cheeses, as this provides plenty of smoked flavour on its own.

Personally, I like using cheeses that you don't normally see smoked - Mozzarella, Asiago, Parm, Edam, Swiss ... either alone or in combination.

Cheese balls - much like Fromage Fort - are a great way to use up odds and ends of cheese in your fridge!

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (4)

Cold Smoking

Please note: This recipe requires a smoker that's set up to do cold smoking. This can easily be accomplished by an attachment kit - many are available that can affix to any grill or smoker.

The cold smoking aspect is important, as your cheese balls will just melt if you don't have a cold smoker attachment.

I suppose this could work in a traditional smoker if you leave out the final smoking... though it will have a different texture after solidifying.

Be sure to set up your cold smoker and get it going - with a real light smoke coming out - before adding your cheese.

Too much smoke increases the risk of soot, which is not appetizing at all.

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (5)

Our cheese balls AND a chunk of cheese, ready to be smoked. Efficiency!

What To Roll Cheese Balls In

As with many of my recipes, part of this one is pretty open ended: "Stuff to roll them in".

Here are a bunch of ideas::

* Stuff to roll them in:

- Nuts: Finely chopped pecans, thinly sliced almonds, etc

- Crushed corn/potato chips, or pretzels

- Crushed cornflakes or other cereal

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (6)

A selection of Cheese Balls ready to go in for their final smoking.

- Sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, and/or flax seeds

- Crispy bacon, drained well and finely chopped

- Fresh herbs - we love basil with this, as pictured.

... Whatever you end up choosing to use, just be sure to have it very finely chopped.

Note: Many of these work well in combination with others! Try nuts AND seeds, chips and bacon, etc.

In addition to the base toppings, you can add extra flavouring or texture if you'd like - a bit of citrus zest, some coarse ground black pepper, poppy seeds, and/or a small amount of dried pepper flakes.

Basically, just have fun with it!

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (7)

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Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (8)

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (9)

Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (10)

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Smoked Cheese Balls

Cheeseballs are great... but SMOKED cheese balls are a whole other level of fantastic!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Smoking / Chilling Time4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Celebration

Servings: 16 4 x 8 oz cheese balls

Calories: 274kcal

Author: Marie Porter

Equipment

  • Smoker or Grill

  • Cold Smoker Attachment Kit

  • Parchment Paper

  • Wood Chips*

Ingredients

  • 1 Small Onion chopped
  • 5 Garlic cloves pressed
  • 2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Bricks Cream Cheese (½ lb each) softened
  • Splash Dry White Wine
  • 1 ½ lb Cheese of Choice grated
  • Salt, Pepper, Smoked Paprika To Taste
  • Stuff to roll them in*

Instructions

  • Prepare your smoker for cold smoking, based on your smoker’s instructions. Get smoke going!

  • Place onion and garlic into food processor, blitz until finely chopped. Add mustard, cream cheese, and white wine, blitz until very smooth. Add cheese, blitz once more until mixture reaches desired texture. Taste, season with salt, pepper, and/or smoked paprika, if desired.

  • Line a small baking sheet or plate (one that will fit in your smoker!) with parchment paper, spread cheese mixture over it.

  • Cold smoke cheese mixture for 10 minutes. Remove from smoker, stir, and cold smoke for another 10 minutes.

  • Remove cheese mixture from smoker, taste. If you'd like more smoke flavour, stir again and cold smoke for another 10 minutes or so... but I tend to find 20 minutes of smoke to be a good amount of flavour. Your mileage may vary, depending on your smoker and personal taste preference

  • Divide mixture into 4 equal portions. Roll each into a ball, chill for 30 minutes.

  • Carefully press chopped topping choices into all exposed surfaces of the cheese balls. Brush away excess topping.

  • Wrap cheese balls tightly in plastic, chill for 1 hour. Line plate or baking sheet with a fresh piece of parchment.

  • Unwrap cheese balls, arrange on baking sheet or plate. Return to smoker for another 10-20 minutes or so.

  • Remove cheese balls from smoker, wrap in fresh plastic wrap, re-molding to nicer ball shapes if necessary.

  • Chill cheese balls for another 2 hours before serving,

Notes

* Stuff to roll them in:

  • Nuts. Finely chopped pecans, thinly sliced almonds, etc
  • Crushed corn/potato chips, or pretzels
  • Crushed cornflakes or other cereal
  • Sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, and/or flax seeds
  • Crispy bacon, drained well and finely chopped
  • Fresh herbs - we love basil with this.
  • Citrus zest, coarse ground black pepper, poppy seeds, and/or dried pepper flakes as an accessory flavour in your topping

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 377mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 807IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 339mg | Iron: 1mg

More Cheese Recipes!

Are you a wild cheese freak like us? We've some recipes for you!

Brie en Croute
Easy Cheese Souffle

Heart Shaped Beer Pretzels with Jalapeno Jack Dip
Hot Cheeseburger Dip
How to Make Fromage Fort
How to Make Proper Queso
Jalapeno Artichoke Cheese Dip
Paneer Burgers
Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
Southwest Fondue
The One Cheese Ring

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Smoked Jalapeno PoppersScalloped PotatoesDill DipSmoked Cream Cheese
Cold Smoked Cheese Balls Recipe - Celebration Generation (2024)

FAQs

How long to smoke cheese in a cold smoker? ›

We recommend smoking cheese for about 45 minutes to 2 hours for a mild smoky flavor. If you're looking for a bold smoky flavor, try smoking the cheese for 2 hours or longer. Also, be sure to rotate your cheese every 15 to 30 minutes to ensure each side is evenly smoked.

How do you keep a cheese ball cold? ›

Serve the cheese ball immediately or store it in the fridge. Wrap the cheese ball in one layer of plastic wrap, then one layer of aluminum foil.

How to make your own smoked cheese? ›

Arrange the cheese on the grill grates. For best results, make sure they aren't touching on the sides and there is airflow around each piece of cheese. Close the lid and smoke the cheese for about 1 hour for a lighter smoke flavor or 2 hours for a bolder smoke flavor. Wrap and refrigerate.

What is the best wood to cold smoke cheese? ›

Mild smoke woods are best for cold smoking cheese. Apple, cherry, alder, or a combination of these will work well. As when smoking meat, cherry will create more color on the surface of cheese than apple or alder.

How do you know when cheese is done smoking? ›

After the cheese has smoked for 3-4 hours, it will have a brownish tint to it and this is visual clues that the smoke has done it's thing. Bring the rack of cold smoked cheese into the house and set it on the counter to cool.

Why is my cheese ball so hard? ›

Why is my cheese ball so hard? You want your cheese ball to be firm enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to allow for easy spreading. To achieve this consistency, the key is making sure your cream cheese is softened before preparing.

Can a cheese ball be left out overnight? ›

The U.S. Department of Health doesn't recommend keeping any perishable food sitting out of the fridge for more than two hours — and that's certainly the case for soft cheeses, like cottage or cream cheese, brie, or fresh mozzarella.

How long do homemade cheese balls last? ›

Storing: A cheese ball should be stored in the refrigerator and will stay fresh for several days or up to 2 weeks depending on the freshness of your ingredients. To estimate how long your cheese ball will stay fresh, first notice the expiration date on the ingredients you are using.

What is the best smoked cheese? ›

Cheddar and Parmesan are great options for delicious smoking results. We recommend hard cheeses like Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, and Parmesan for beginners as they don't easily become over smoked.

How do you smoke cheese without melting it? ›

Solid milk fat in cheese begins to liquefy at 90°F (32°C). Because of this threshold, the most important key when cold smoking cheese is to keep your grill or smoker's internal temperature below 90°F (32°F) to keep the cheese from melting.

What ingredients are in smoked cheese? ›

INGREDIENTS: Cheese (Milk) (37%), Skimmed Milk Concentrate, Smoked Cheddar Cheese (Milk) (23%), Smoked Butter (Milk) (9%), Emulsifying Salts (Polyphosphates, Triphosphates), Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid, Sodium Phosphates).

What is the ideal temperature for cold smoking cheese? ›

Temperature is a huge factor in cold smoking. I will cold smoke when the ambient temperature is between 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. True cold smoke is 90 degrees or less, but in my experience, if you hit 70 degrees outside temperature, the heat from the smoke generator will start to affect the quality of the cheese.

How long to smoke cheese at 225? ›

To smoke the block of cream cheese, set your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, and let it preheat for at least 15 minutes. Then, place the cream cheese on a baking rack and set it on the grate. Smoke for 1 to 2 hours, checking continually to ensure it doesn't get overcooked.

Can you cold smoke in a masterbuilt? ›

Yes, you can cold smoke in a Masterbuilt smoker using the cold smoking attachment or by using a separate cold smoke generator. These accessories help maintain a lower temperature inside the smoker, allowing you to cold smoke various foods such as cheese, fish, and vegetables.

Can you smoke cheese at 225? ›

I added them to the smoker, a little worried they would turn into a melted mess. But after two hours at 225 degrees, they had achieved a perfect crust and split evenly down the middle with very little spread.

How do you cold smoke cheese in a pellet smoker? ›

Place your cheese on a metal cooling rack and place on your smoker or grill to one side. Fill your smoker tube with wood pellets of your choice. Place it vertically on a solid fireproof surface and light it with a torch or lighter until it's burning fairly well. Let it burn for 3 to 4 minutes.

What temperature is cold smoking? ›

Cold smoking is a process of infusing smoke flavor into food without cooking it. The process involves exposing the food to smoke at low temperatures, typically between 68°F and 86°F (20°C and 30°C), for several hours or even days.

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