Impress your guests and serve a port wine cheese ball at your next party. A refined version of the retro cheeseball made with a port wine reduction and cheese, then rolled with toasted almonds.

A port wine cheese ball coated in almonds surrounded by crackers.

Who doesn’t like a port wine cheese ball? A ball of cheese rolled in nuts, revealing swirls of dark purple when sliced.

I used to wonder how it was made and thought it would be too intimidating to make on my own.

Guess what? It’s not.

What sets this port wine cheese ball from the rest? It’s homemade without all the artificial colors and flavoring.

There’s no Blue 2 and Red 40 in this cheese ball. Just cheddar cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream, spices, and a reduction of port wine. Using orange cheddar recreates the look of a port wine cheese ball from the market, but white cheddar works just as well.

A blend of cheddar cheese and port wine cheese plopped on plastic wrap.

A blend of cheddar cheese and port wine cheese wrapped in plastic.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE THIS PORT WINE CHEESE BALL GO FROM HO HUM TO PHENOMENAL

First, reduce the port wine.

You don’t want to add the wine as is because it will be too runny and the alcohol flavor will be too strong. Instead, boil the wine in a small saucepan for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

The wine will reduce by half leaving a thicker, sweeter result. Boiling the wine causes the alcohol to evaporate, along with the harsh taste.

A blend of cheddar cheese and port wine cheese formed into a ball.

Second, toast the almonds.

Toast the almonds in a hot skillet until they just start to turn golden and become fragrant. Add a pinch of salt and toss.

Want to read more about nuts? Check out my post on how to store nuts here.

As for the spices, adding a little salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper brightens the flavor of the cheese without overpowering it. You won’t taste the heat from the cayenne because the cheese and cream mellows the intensity. It only contributes flavor.

Besides, we are only adding ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne. You can add ¼ teaspoon or more if you like. You have control.

Grate the cheddar cheese. If you plan to process a block of cheddar, make sure the cheddar is at room temperature and but into small chunks to allow the processor to cut through it easily.

After processing the cheeses with the cream and spices, remove ¾ of the mixture and place in a bowl.

Stir the remaining cheese with the port wine reduction.

Then swirl together with the cheese mixture.

Wrap in plastic, and form a ball. Chill for about 2 hours or until firm.

Roll chilled cheese ball onto toasted almonds.

Serve with your favorite crackers.

A port wine cheese ball coated in sliced almonds surrounded with crackers on a board.

CAN'T HAVE NUTS? MAKE A SPREAD!

Just eliminate the toasted almonds and serve the cheese in a bowl along with your favorite crackers.

A cheese ball cut open revealing purple swirls.

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PORT WINE CHEESE BALL

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Impress your guests and serve a Port Wine Cheese Ball at your next party. A refined version of the retro cheeseball made with a port wine reduction and cheese, then rolled with toasted almonds. Requires at least 2 hours of refrigeration for the cheese to firm up.

Prep Time: 15

Refrigeration: 2

Total Time: 15

Servings: softball sized ball

Author: Natalie Gregory

Equipment Used

Food Processor

Spatula

bowl

Ingredients

COATING:

½ cup sliced almonds
Pinch of kosher salt optional

CHEESE BALL:

¼ cup port wine
8 ounces grated extra sharp cheddar cheese white or orange
4 ounces cream cheese full fat is best
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

MAKE THE COATING:

Place a skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and salt. Shake skillet to spread out almonds in a single layer. When the almonds become fragrant, toss the almonds to continue toasting. Remove from heat onto a plate as soon as they are mostly golden. Spread them out to cool.

FOR THE CHEESE BALL:

In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer port until reduced by half - about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool.
Pulse cream cheese, cheddar, heavy cream, salt, and cayenne in a food processor until smooth. Transfer ¾ of the mixture into a bowl. Pulse the remaining cheese mixture with the reduced port until smooth.
Alternatively, you can use a mixer to blend everything together.
Gently fold the port mixture into cheddar mixture to create large swirls. Be careful not to over mix or you won't have the swirling effect.
Transfer the cheese mixture onto the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Gather the wrap around the cheese to create a softball sized ball. Twist to close. The mixture will be soft.
Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Once the cheese ball is firm, shape into a smooth ball while still wrapped in plastic. Unwrap and roll in the toasted sliced almonds, pressing with your hands to create an even coating.
Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving for best texture. Serve and enjoy with your favorite crackers.

Notes

Can't have nuts? Make a spread. Just eliminate the toasted almonds and serve the cheese in bowl along with your favorite crackers.

Nutritional Information

I don't post the nutritional value because I don't trust the accuracy of the nutritional apps. I’m not a nutritionist and don't want to post misinformation.

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