Name: Sweet and Savory Date Cheeseball Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup cottage cheese ((drained)); 8 ounces cream cheese; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 3/4 cup dates ((seeds removed, and finely chopped)); 1/2 cup pecans (toasted and chopped)

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Sneak Preview: This Date-Sweetened Cheeseball is a delightful mix of CREAM CHEESE and COTTAGE CHEESE, naturally sweetened with DATES and coated in toasted PECANS. Serve with buttery crackers or fresh fruit for a unique, crowd-pleasing dessert or appetizer. Make ahead for easy entertaining!

Date-sweetened cheeseball served with strawberries and homemade graham crackers.

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Looking for something different from cakes and cookies? This cheeseball is just the right balance of sweet and savory. Naturally sweetened with dates, it skips the added sugar while still satisfying your sweet tooth. Bonus: it’s quick to assemble and can be prepped the night before.

Ingredients and Substitutions

COTTAGE CHEESE:
- Adds lightness
- Lends a mild taste
CREAM CHEESE:
- Use Neufchatel for fewer calories
- Use Mascarpone for a richer flavor
LEMON JUICE:
- Enhances flavor
- Fresh is best
DATES:
- Whole dates are ideal
- Dried figs can be substituted
- Remove seeds
PECANS:
- Toast for maximum flavor
- Substitute with toasted walnuts or sliced almonds.

What to Serve with a Date Cheeseball

Fresh Fruit: Add strawberries or raspberries for color and freshness.
Crackers: Buttery crackers like Ritz or graham crackers pair beautifully.

Uncut Date Cheese (naturally sweetened) ball-decorated with strawberries and served with homemade graham crackers.

How To Make a Date Cheeseball Recipe

Pictorial of assembling the cheese ball: rolling balls in chopped pecans, molding the ball and unmolding for serving.

1. Place chopped pecans onto a paper plate.
2. Roll cheeseball in pecans to cover.
3. Line a small dish with plastic wrap and press the coated cheeseball inside.
4. Chill for at least 2. hours.
5. Unmold onto a serving dish.

Need ideas for leftover dates?

Top Ritz crackers with dates for a quick snack.
Chop and add to bread like Banana Whole Wheat Yeast Bread.
Use them to sweeten spreads like Pumpkin Butter.

What’s Next?

Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!

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8 Comments

Terry,
That is my mistake. You are correct about 3/4 cup. I also have the recipe listed on this post and it is correct. So sorry Terry. Love these graham crackers.

OMG! This morning, while I should be job hunting on line, I stumbled across salad-in-a-jar.com. You are my new favorite person! I have sat here way too long looking at all of your recipes and reading how to make my own yogurt. I just had to let you know how impressed I am. I am a person who loves to cook and everyone wants all get togethers to be at our house so that I have to be the cook. Your recipes are ones I cannot wait to try. We are having a family dinner (we do this once a month to keep family in touch) this weekend and I am making some of your dinner rolls for sure. Thank you for taking the time to share your recipes and tips.

I have always wanted to try homemade graham crackers! I whipped these puppies up last week and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top before baking. My five-year-old graham cracker connoisseur declared, “These are gooder than the store-bought ones, Mama! Yummy!” A million thank-yous for the awesome idea to roll them out in a ziploc bag and freeze before cutting!! What genius. They were super-easy to make.

The only trouble I had was getting the dough to form a ball. I needed to add maybe 1/4 c. of water to get it to stick together and not be too floury.

Paula says:

at

Glad the ziploc bag worked for you. I use it for MANY recipes.

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Paula says:

at

Alyssa,
I note you left this comment almost two years ago but I just figured out why you couldn’t get the dough to form a ball. There was a typo in the recipe, which I have corrected. Instead of 1/4 cup of butter, there should be 3/4 cup of butter. I’m so thankful to the commenter who noticed it.

Reply

Both recipes sound fabulous! I love dates, and I’ve been on the hunt for a good graham cracker recipe. I like your bold text note about the cottage cheese. I like cottage cheese, but some people are so scared of it!

Ok, how many people make their own cheeseballs, turn around and make their own graham crackers? Tell, me, how many? 🙂 (I probably would)! These look incredible – and the dates (I love dates – but not a lot of people I know do)! I am going to make this, of course I have everything in the house except the dates. Those crackers look SO professional (Keebler, watch out)! Kudos to you for all the effort – I can just imagine everything tastes spectaular – and Happy New Year!

Beth Pope says:

at

Happy New Year Paula! I am going to try these homemade graham crackers – Don will absolutely love them- he doesn’t like things too sweet – and the cheeseball looks wonderful – We’re having a bunch over today and I’m making your blackeyed pea dip – thanks for sharing! The pictures are incredible.

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Paula Rhodes, owner

As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.