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–+ servings
Seasoned cream cheese and cheddar ball shaped like a pumpkin.

4-Ingredient Cream Cheese Pumpkin

Print Recipe
This Cream Cheese Pumpkin is a combination of cream cheese and cheddar, perfectly seasoned and coated in pumpkin seeds for a festive and savory appetizer.
Course Appetizers
Cuisine American
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword 30 Minutes or Less, 5 Ingredients or Less, Appetizer for Sharing, Cheese, Cream Cheese Ball, Cream Cheese Pumpkin, Easy Appetizer, Fall, No-Bake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Author Marley Goldin

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces plain cream cheese 16 oz = 2 blocks
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Everything but the bagel seasoning
  • ¾ cup shelled, roasted, and salted pumpkin seeds
  • stem of one bell pepper optional for pumpkin stem
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Take your cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 30-45 minutes before starting to allow it to soften.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and everything but the bagel seasoning.
    Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and everything but the bagel seasoning mixed together.
  • Turn the cream cheese mixture out onto a large piece of wax paper. Then wrap the wax paper around the cream cheese and use your hands to shape it into a ball.
    Everything but the bagel seasoning cream cheese ball wrapped in wax paper.
  • Add half of the pumpkin seeds to a shallow bowl and place the cream cheese ball on top. Then press the rest of the pumpkin seeds into the tops and sides of the cream cheese ball, so that it is completely coated with seeds on all sides.
    Cream cheese ball coated in pumpkin seeds.
  • Add the seed-coated cream cheese ball to a second piece of wax paper and wrap it completely.
    Cream cheese ball covered in pumpkin seeds wrapped in wax paper.
  • Use butcher's twine to tightly tie around the ball, making little indentations around 10 equal parts to imitate the shape of a pumpkin. For detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures, please refer to the blog post.
    Cream cheese ball shaped like a pumpkin
  • Cut away the twine and turn the pumpkin out onto a serving plate.
    Cream cheese pumpkin on a wooden board.
  • Stick the stem of a bell pepper in the top (optional to represent pumpkin stem).
    Cream cheese pumpkin with a bell pepper stem.
  • Serve with your favorite snacks or veggies and a soft cheese knife. Enjoy!
    Seasoned cream cheese and cheddar ball shaped like a pumpkin.

Notes

  • Block cream cheese works best in this recipe. You can use regular, reduced fat, or a combination of both.
  • If you don't have a bell pepper stem, you can use a cinnamon stick, an actual stem from a mini pumpkin, or you can just opt to leave it off altogether. The pumpkin shape will be representative of a pumpkin enough, even without the stem.
  • This appetizer is great for entertaining and for Thanksgiving! For more Thanksgiving recipe ideas, check out my list of 40+ Exciting Thanksgiving recipes!