Olive cheese ball topped with chopped olives and a balsamic drizzle, with crackers and apple slices

AmericanAppetizer

Olive Cheese Ball with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives

A holiday cheese ball that does the work for you. Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives are plump green olives already filled with a creamy, tangy blue cheese blend, so chopping a handful into cream cheese and sharp white cheddar gives you briny olive and blue cheese in every bite with no crumbling or extra steps. Right before serving, a drizzle of Violet Fig White Balsamic runs down the sides. Its sweet, jammy fig and soft white balsamic finish are the classic match for blue cheese, the same reason fig jam sits next to blue cheese on a good cheese board. Six ingredients, no cooking, and it can be made two days ahead, which makes it an easy appetizer for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or any holiday open house.

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Servings

12

Prep Time

15 minutes

Calories

165

Author

Kristina DeRolf

Cook Mode

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 cup (4 ounces) sharp white cheddar, finely shredded
About 1 cup Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives (about 2/3 of the jar), drained, patted dry and chopped, divided: ¾ cup for the cheese ball, ¼ cup for the top
2 green onions, thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons Violet Fig White Balsamic
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional, for serving: crackers, toasted baguette slices or crisp apple slices

Directions

Drain the Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and pat them dry with paper towels so the cheese ball stays firm. Roughly chop them until you have about 1 cup. Set aside ¼ cup for the top.
In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or a sturdy spatula for about 1 minute, until smooth.
Add the cheddar, ¾ cup of the chopped olives, the green onions, parsley and black pepper. Stir until evenly mixed. Taste; the olives bring plenty of salt, so you likely will not need more.
Scrape the mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Gather the wrap up around it and twist to press it into a ball. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days, until firm.
Unwrap the cheese ball, set it on a serving board and reshape it gently with your hands. Pile the reserved ¼ cup chopped olives on top.
Just before serving, drizzle the Violet Fig White Balsamic over the top so it runs down the sides. Serve with crackers, baguette or apple slices.

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Olive cheese ball topped with chopped olives and a balsamic drizzle on a wooden board with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and Violet Fig White Balsamic

Nov 5, 2026Appetizers

Olive Cheese Ball with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives

Name: Olive Cheese Ball with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened at room temperature for 30 minutes; 1 cup (4 ounces) sharp white cheddar, finely shredded; About 1 cup Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives (about 2/3 of the jar), drained, patted dry and chopped, divided: ¾ cup for the cheese ball, ¼ cup for the top; 2 green onions, thinly sliced (about ¼ cup); ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 tablespoons Violet Fig White Balsamic; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; Optional, for serving: crackers, toasted baguette slices or crisp apple slices

A cheese ball is the most retro thing you can set out at a holiday party, and it is still the first thing people crowd around. This one keeps everything people love about the classic and makes it a little more interesting.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives do double duty: chopped olives fold into the cheese, and more go on top, so you get briny olive and tangy blue cheese in every bite. Right before serving, a drizzle of Violet Fig White Balsamic runs down the sides. Fig and blue cheese are a classic pairing for a reason.

Make It Ahead
The cheese ball keeps in the fridge for up to two days. Add the olives on top and the balsamic drizzle the day you serve it, so it looks fresh and glossy.

Bring It as a Gift
Heading to someone else's house? Set the cheese ball on a small board, wrap it, and tuck the jar of olives and the bottle of balsamic alongside. It is an appetizer and a host gift in one.

Shop the jar and bottle: Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and Violet Fig White Balsamic

Written by Kristina DeRolf

Kristina DeRolf, CRNA

Founder of The Outward Olive and a practicing nurse anesthetist since 2012. Kristina selects every olive oil and balsamic we carry and writes about olive oil, wellness, and gathering well.

More about Kristina