Cheese Ball

A low FODMAP cheese ball of lactose-free cream cheese, sharp cheddar, garlic-infused olive oil, chives, and Dijon, rolled in chopped walnuts.

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 10

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 g) lactose-free cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (170 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives (or green tops of scallions only, no white bulb)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (check the label for added garlic or onion)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts, finely chopped, for coating (Monash serve is about 15 nut halves (30g) per person)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives or parsley, for coating
• To serve: plain rice crackers or gluten-free crackers (check for onion, garlic, inulin, chicory root, and bean or coconut flour), carrot sticks, cucumber rounds, or red bell pepper strips

Instructions

Mix the base

1. Let the lactose-free cream cheese sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so it blends smoothly. In a medium bowl, beat it with a spatula or hand mixer until creamy.
2. Add the shredded cheddar, garlic-infused oil, 3 tablespoons chives, parsley, Dijon, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
3. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Shape and chill

1. Scrape the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Gather the wrap around it and twist to pull the cheese into a rough ball.
2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days, until firm enough to hold its shape.

Coat and serve

1. Chop the walnuts finely and toss them with the extra chopped chives or parsley on a plate or in a shallow dish.
2. Unwrap the chilled ball, reshape it with your hands if needed, and roll it through the walnut mixture, pressing gently so the coating sticks all over.
3. Set it on a serving plate and surround it with gluten-free crackers and vegetable sticks. Let it sit out for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so it softens enough to spread.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use aged cheddar for the most flavor. Sharp or extra-sharp cheddar has almost no lactose and carries the ball. A little grated parmesan mixed in adds a saltier edge if you want it.
• Keep the walnut portion in mind. Monash lists walnuts as low-FODMAP at about 15 nut halves (30g). 60 g spread across 10 servings is about 6 g each. Pecans work too; their low FODMAP serve is about 15 nut halves (30g).
• Swap chives for scallion greens. If you can't find chives, use the green tops of scallions only. The white bulb is high in fructans; the green part is low-FODMAP.
• Toast the walnuts for deeper flavor. Toast them in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, cool them completely, then chop and use as the coating.
• Regular cream cheese in a pinch. Standard cream cheese is low-FODMAP at 2 tablespoons (40 g), and this ball works out to about 22 g of cream cheese per serving, so regular cream cheese works too. Lactose-free keeps the margin wider if you go back for seconds. Look up cream cheese in the FODMAP Foods app to see how its rating changes with portion size.
• Add a pinch of asafoetida bloomed in the garlic-infused oil for a more onion-forward savory note. Check the label for wheat if you are gluten-free.

Why This Works

• Garlic-infused oil, not garlic. Garlic's fructans don't dissolve into oil, so the infused oil gives you the flavor without the FODMAP. A fresh garlic bulb would push this over the threshold quickly.
• Hard and lactose-free cheese. Aged cheddar has almost no lactose, and lactose-free cream cheese has the lactose already broken down, so the dairy base stays low-FODMAP.
• Chives over onion. Chives and scallion greens give you the oniony top note without the fructans that are concentrated in onion and scallion bulbs.
• Walnuts in a measured coating. Walnuts are low-FODMAP at 30 g, and a thin outer layer spread across the whole ball keeps each serving modest.

Storage

Wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days; the flavor deepens after the first day. For a neat coating, store the ball uncoated and roll it in fresh walnuts within a few hours of serving. You can freeze the uncoated ball wrapped in plastic and then foil for up to 1 month, then thaw it overnight in the fridge and coat it before serving. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so it spreads.