This quick and fun Sorting Hat Cheese Ball is perfect for Halloween or a Harry Potter party!
I am so excited to share this recipe with y’all!! I made this sorting hat cheese ball a couple years ago for a Harry Potter murder mystery dinner and it was such a big hit! I was about 20 weeks pregnant at the time, so it’s taken me up until now to finally get around to blogging it, but I wanted to get it up on the blog in time for Halloween.
I know it looks like a lot of work, but the hardest part is sculpting the cheese mixture to look like the sorting hat. The eyebrows really sell the piece in my opinion, so get those right and the mouth should be pretty easy. If you’re not up for sculpting a cheese ball (which may actually become my new hobby), then this totally works as a generic witch’s hat, or could be a pilgrim’s hat, a snowman (with powdered Parmesan cheese on the outside instead of poppy seeds), or a generic cheese ball or log shape. The possibilities really are endless.
As a bonus, this cheese ball is low-carb, so it makes a perfect keto appetizer to take with you to a holiday party! I love bringing something fun to a holiday party that I’m able to eat in case there isn’t anything else available for me. If you need a low-carb cracker for it, I love this recipe for Rosemary & Sea Salt Flax Crackers from I Breathe I’m Hungry. They’re a staple on my charcuterie boards.
Harry Potter Sorting Hat Cheese Ball
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 30 servings 1x
Description
A Sorting Hat inspired cheese ball. A quick and impressive Halloween or Harry Potter party appetizer.
Ingredients
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2.5 cups (10 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 (.7-ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
For decorating:
1/4 cup poppy seeds
For serving:
Veggies or crackers
Instructions
Combine cream cheese, butter, cheese, and dressing mix, in a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until well combined.
Shape 1/3rd of the cheese mixture into a 6″ diameter disc shape to form the brim of the hat.
Shape the remaining cheese mixture into a cone shape to make the top section of the hat.
Cover both shapes in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Remove shapes from fridge and place the cone on top of the disk on your serving platter and smooth them together. Sculpt the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth into the cone and bend the point back a bit so the sorting hat comes to life. (See photos for help with this step.) (You can skip the sculpting and just leave it as a witch’s hat shape if you prefer.)
Using your hands, press poppy seeds into the surface of the cheese ball hat until it is fully covered. I found it easiest to sprinkle them into the palm of my hand then gently press them on in larger sections. (This makes a bit of a mess, so you may want to do it outside or over a drop cloth of some sort for easier clean up.)
Cover gently with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This can be made the day before and kept in the fridge overnight.
Remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving and serve with your favorite crackers or veggies.
Notes
Adapted from Land O Lakes.
Nutrition
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Protein: 4g
Pin this Sorting Hat Cheese Ball for later!
I just made this for a viewing party and it turned out great! The directions were on point, and sculpting the hat was easier than I thought it would be! Thank you for providing a savory recipe among all the sweet Harry Potter treats I usually see online!
Thanks for the review – I’m so glad this turned out well for you! I made it for our party because we had so much sugary stuff too, so I wanted to counter the butterbeer and chocolate frogs.
I made this for a Harry Potter Murder Mystery party. It was a hit! Not only did it look cool, but it tasted amazing! Thank you so much for the tutorial/recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing! I made this for my daughter’ HP birthday and it was a huge hit!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148548487696897598/
OMG! This is so clever!
I didn’t have the seasoning mix but made one from another recipe. I think that was too salty so I’ll tone that seasoning down next time. The recipe for the cheese ball itself and the creativity is amazing and was a hit at a birthday with Harry Potter theme that I hosted. Thank you so much for sharing this.
This looks amazing! I was wondering if something could be substituted for the poppy seeds and still make it look and taste as good. Thank you!
Hi! I would probably try black sesame seeds as the closest substitute that would have a similar flavor profile. Chia seeds would give you a similar look, but I don’t think you would want to take a bite of raw chia seeds?
Not as hard to make an I anticipated. It was a hit at the party and tasted great!