Grape Appetizer

If you’ve ever pondered eating an entire cheese ball, now’s your chance! Our grape appetizers are like miniature cheese balls with a surprise inside: a seedless grape. The combination of cheese and grapes is often seen together on a cheese plate or charcuterie board, but not all in one self-contained bite—until now. Cream cheese, blue cheese and parsley provide the lovely cheese flavor, and a coating of toasted almonds outside the cheese gives them a little nutty crunch. Get ready for lots of “oohs” and “aahs” once guests taste this delicious sweet and salty treat.

Ingredients for a Grape Appetizer

•  Almonds: The chopped almonds add crunch to this tasty appetizer. As a coating, the nuts also help prevent the apps from sticking to one another or to the serving plate.
• Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese serves as the base of the cheese mixture in this recipe. It’s quite pliable and perfect for forming shapes.
• Blue cheese: Let the crumbled blue cheese reach room temperature before making this appetizer, as it will be easier to mix into the cream cheese.
• Parsley: Minced fresh parsley adds a bright note to the appetizers.
• Heavy whipping cream: Room-temperature heavy whipping cream helps make the cheese mixture more pliable. Use regular whipping cream if you can’t find heavy cream of any sort.
• Seedless red or green grapes: Rinse the grapes and pat them dry ahead of time, as they need to be dry for the cheese mixture to adhere.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the almonds

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Preheat the oven to 275°F. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until they’re finely chopped, but do not overprocess them.

Step 2: Bake the almonds

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Spread the almonds in a 15x10x1-inch pan and bake them until they’re golden brown, six to nine minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer them to a shallow bowl and allow them to cool slightly.

Step 3: Make the cheese mixture

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In another bowl, mix the cream cheese, blue cheese, parsley and cream until blended.

Step 4: Assemble the grape-cheese balls

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Insert a skewer into each grape. Roll the grapes in the cheese mixture, then in the almonds. Place the grape appetizers on waxed-paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate them, covered, until serving time.

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Grape Appetizer Variations

• Add honey: Add a tablespoon or so of honey to the cheese mixture for a touch of sweetness.
• Switch up the nuts: Chop pistachios, walnuts or pecans for a slightly different flavor profile. Using salted roasted nuts of any sort will add more of a salty flavor to the outside of the appetizers.
• Change cheeses: If you’re not a huge fan of blue cheese, use goat cheese instead. Fresh goat cheese, rather than aged, is creamy and spreadable, making it ideal for cheese ball recipes.

How to Store a Grape Appetizer

Store the cheese grape appetizers on a serving tray or plate in the refrigerator. Loosely cover them with plastic wrap, using the toothpicks to prop the wrap up so it isn’t sticking to the appetizers.

Can you make grape appetizers ahead of time?

Sure! This is an excellent recipe to make early in the day or the night before a party. Keep the apps in the refrigerator until serving time.

Grape Appetizer Tips

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Which blue cheese should I use?

While some blue cheeses might be labeled simply “blue cheese,” there’s more than one variety. Gorgonzola is an excellent choice, as long as you choose the “dolce” or “sweet” variety of this Italian cheese. Dolce Gorgonzola is creamy and almost buttery compared with Gorgonzola piccante, which is better for crumbling atop salads. Roquefort is another variety that’s excellent for this recipe, as it’s creamy and salty.

How can I get the cheese to make a nice ball shape on the grapes?

If you find it difficult to roll the grapes in the cheese, do it by hand without the toothpick in the grapes. Wear disposable food-prep gloves, and drop several grapes into the cheese mixture at a time. Form a ball of cheese around each grape, then roll them in the crushed nuts.

How can I present the appetizers with grapes and cheese?

Place the appetizers on a platter in the shape of a bunch of grapes. If you have a grape leaf or two, set those on the platter beneath the grapes, or tuck a few basil leaves into the bunch for a similar visual effect. Drizzle honey or a balsamic glaze lightly on the grapes for an interesting flavor twist.