Pumpkin-Patch Cheese Ball
From our kitchen · October 27, 2026
This pumpkin is mostly cheese, which gives it an advantage over the decorative ones on my porch. It looks festive and gives people something substantial to eat while they decide whether to begin on the sweets.
Sharp cheddar provides the orange color and most of the flavor. Cream cheese holds the whole thing together. A bell pepper stem makes the top; I keep the rest of the pepper for dipping so it earns its place in the grocery bag.
The string makes the grooves while the cheese chills. It stays outside the plastic wrap, so there is no digging through dinner for a piece of twine later.
- Serves
- 12–16
- Prep
- 20 min
- Total
- 20 min
Ingredients
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar, divided
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bell pepper with its stem attached
Crackers and vegetable sticks, for serving
Directions
- 1
Mix cream cheese, 1½ cups cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper until evenly combined.
- 2
Place mixture on a large piece of food-safe plastic wrap. Gather it into a round ball, wrap tightly, and add a second layer of wrap.
- 3
Tie four pieces of kitchen twine around the wrapped ball at even angles, gently indenting the surface to form eight pumpkin sections.
- 4
Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- 5
Remove all twine and wrap. Press remaining ½ cup cheddar over the outside, gently following the grooves.
- 6
Cut the stem from the bell pepper with a small piece of pepper attached and press it into the top. Slice the rest of the pepper for serving. Serve with crackers and vegetables; remove the stem decoration before eating.
One family tip
Finely shredded cheddar sticks to the outside better than thick shreds.
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