This Benedictine Cheese Ball is a riff on the traditional cucumber dill spread that is eaten all over Kentucky, especially at the Derby. Add this to your Derby Day Party Menu!

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Serve it along with Pimento Cheese Straws, Buttery Roasted Pecans, Derby Pie Bites, and wash it down with a Blackberry Coconut Splash!

cheese ball covered with herbs surrounded with crackers

What is Benedictine spread?

If you have ever taken a trip through the south and had the opportunity to attend a party thrown by traditional southern ladies, then you have had the pleasure of eating this spread.

Most likely between two tiny pieces of bread in a perfectly shaped finger sandwich.

The genius of this cucumber cream cheese spread is that it is simple to make, has a fresh taste, and goes great with everything!

Benedictine spread always makes an appearance at baby showers, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, Mother’s Day and Easter brunches, and always at a Kentucky Derby party.

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hand holding cracker with cheese spread on it

Ingredients Needed

The original recipe for Benedictine is simple.

cream cheese
cucumber (although one recipe just used cucumber juice)
onion
mayo
salt
a touch of green food coloring. Not sure why people feel the need to tint foods unnatural colors, but whatever.

I embrace all these ingredients, but I think it can be so much better with some additional ingredients added to it.

A little pepper to go with the salt
some fresh chopped herbs like parsley and dill
and a shot or two of hot sauce

And why not make it a little stiffer and roll it into a Benedictine cheese ball? I think I can make anything into a cheeseball! 😜

How to Make a Benedictine Cheese Ball

The original Benedictine Spread is loose and used as a tea sandwich spread but I really want to make it into a cheese ball. So to bulk it up I add some shredded mozzarella cheese and increase the cream cheese amount a little.

The cucumber is such a watery vegetable that chopping it up and adding it to a mixture will bring more moisture. Even as the cheese ball chills, the cucumber will release moisture so you need to add more cheese to soak it up.

Adding the fresh herbs will also help hold the Benedictine Cheese Ball together and add some beautiful green color. Feel free to leave out the food coloring if you want. I added just a drop to follow in the footsteps of our elders, but the fresh herbs add all the green color you need.

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Check out all these other tips for making the perfect cheese ball!

Can I make it ahead of time?

You can make it up to 24 hours ahead of time but remember that the cucumber has a lot of water in it so it will get “wetter” as time goes on.

How long does it last?

This spread or cheese ball will last up to 3 days!

Can I serve this as a dip and not a cheese ball?

You can totally serve this as a dip. To make it a little “looser” for dipping, leave out some of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Can I freeze it?

I would not recommend it because of the high moisture content.

Kentucky Derby Foods

Looking to host a Kentucky Derby Party? Here is a list of Derby party food ideas and some cute decorations!

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

close up of cheese ball rolled in herbs with text"benedictine cheese ball - easy"

Make your own Benedictine sandwiches with a spread or smash some of this Benedictine Cheese Ball between two mini toasts! Your Derby Party just got tastier!