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This Christmas Cheese Ball is one of the most delightful appetizers you will make for the holidays, and it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Made with cream cheese and rolled in Parmesan, this delicious cheese ball is shaped into a charming snowman and served with crispy crostini. It features a cucumber hat, pretzel arms, and a carrot nose with peppercorn and basil details.
Serve this easy cheese ball recipe with crackers, veggies, or baguette slices.
Recipe Tip
Toast the bread, or, if you want to step things up a notch, fry the slices in a pan with 2 tablespoons of butter until golden on both sides. The butter makes them extra crunchy and tasty.
Christmas Cheese Ball Ingredients
- Cream cheese: I use a full-fat, herb cream cheese at room temperature.
- Parmesan: Grate it finely, then roll the cream cheese balls in it to coat.
- For the snowman: Fresh basil, pretzel sticks, carrot, cucumber, and peppercorns for the snowman details.
- To serve: Sliced, toasted baguette.
How to Make a Christmas Cheese Ball
- Shape the cheese ball: Divide the cream cheese into two separate pieces of plastic wrap (one larger than the other). Shape the pieces into the snowman’s head and body.
- Roll in Parmesan: Roll the balls in grated Parmesan, then arrange them on top of one another on a platter.
- Prepare the details: Shape two basil gloves, the cucumber hat, and the carrot nose.
- Assemble: Top the snowman with the hat, pretzel arms, peppercorn eyes, mouth, and buttons, and basil scarf. Use cream cheese to stick the basil gloves onto the pretzel stick arms.
Possible Variations
- Cheese ball: Swap herb cream cheese for a garlic or plain variety. For even more savory flavor, add chopped green onions, cranberries, bacon, and other grated cheeses.
- Parmesan: Swap for grated cheddar cheese, Pecorino, Manchego, or pecans.
- Presentation: Make mini snowman cheese balls and serve them on crackers for bite-sized portions.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days.
FAQs
Yes! Prepare the snowman up to 1 day in advance and keep it covered tightly with plastic wrap in the fridge. Add the pretzel arms and cucumber hat details shortly before serving.
You can definitely season to taste, but given that the Parmesan is quite salty I don’t.
Place the cheese in plastic wrap, then stick it in in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. See if that helps.
More Festive Appetizers
Christmas
Snowman Cheese Crostini
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Baked Brie in Phyllo
Christmas
Whipped Butter Snowman
Christmas
Christmas Tree Appetizers
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Christmas Cheese Ball
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 grams cream cheese, (I used Rondelé)
- 50 grams Parmesan, or Grana Padano
- 1 baguette
- fresh basil leaves
- 1 pretzel stick
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small cucumber
- 10 peppercorns
Instructions
- Set aside 1/4 teaspoon of cream cheese to decorate the snowman.
- Place just over half of the cream cheese on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it into a ball.
- Repeat with the smaller half.
- Grate the Parmesan finely.
- Roll the balls into the grated cheese and place them next to each other on a platter. Flatten them slightly.
- Top with peppercorn for the eyes, mouth, and buttons.
- Trim a small triangle out of carrot for the nose.
- Arrange two basil leaves as a scarf between the cheese balls.
- Halve the pretzel stick and insert it into the larger ball to make the arms.
- Trim two basil leaves into a glove shape, and top these onto the pretzel arms with the leftover cream cheese.
- Slice and peel the end of a cucumber.
- Trim off the rounded tip and remove a small section between the top part of the hat and the bottom to make the hat. Hold it in place with a toothpick.
- Serve with sliced, toasted baguette.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
