Christmas Cheeseball brings holiday cheer! Shape it as Rudolph or a Christmas tree, perfect with crackers and cold cuts.
A One Ingredient Cheeseball!
December is one of the busiest months, so kitchen shortcuts are a lifesaver! For these festive Christmas cheeseballs, we’re keeping it super simple with just one ingredient: Boursin cheese.
If you haven’t tried Boursin, get ready for a treat! This creamy cheese, made with cow’s milk and butter, is flavored with herbs like garlic, parsley, and chives—perfect for spreading on crackers or bread. It’s available in flavors like garlic and herb, pepper, and spicy chili. For these cheeseballs, I love using the garlic and herb flavor!
Two Christmas Cheeseball Options
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Form Boursin cheese into a ball, roll in crushed pecans, and add black olive slices for eyes with a cherry tomato half for the nose. Use pretzel twists as antlers.
- Christmas Tree: Form Boursin cheese into a triangle, coat with chopped parsley for a green look, and add pomegranate seeds and almond slices as ornaments. Top with a bell pepper star.
What To Serve Alongside Your Christmas Cheeseball
- Crackers: Serve with breadsticks, buttery crackers, or pita chips.
- Bread: Try toasted baguette slices or mini crostini.
- Veggies: Carrots, celery, bell peppers, olives, and cherry tomatoes make great dippers.
- Meats: Add sliced meats like prosciutto, salami, or ham for a filling option.
- Fruit: Grapes, apple slices, or pears add a sweet touch.
- Dips: Pair with hummus, guacamole, or spinach dip for extra flavor.
Tips For Success
- Shaping: Wrap the cheeseball in plastic wrap, shape it, and chill it to make decorating easy.
- Decorate Creatively: Have fun with different designs—there are no strict rules! Share any fun ideas in the comments.
- Make Extra: Cheeseballs are always a hit, so make extra. You can freeze half for a quick snack later.
- Toast Pecans: Toasting pecans adds flavor and crunch. See the quick tip box below for how to toast them.
Quick Tip
To toast pecans, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned, or heat a dry skillet over medium heat and cook the pecans, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned.
More Festive Christmas Dishes
- Ham and Potato Pot Pie a delicious main course dish
- Creamed Peas with bacon
- Winter Salad with candied pecans
- Au Gratin Potatoes with the best cream sauce
- Roasted Carrots made 2 different ways
Christmas Cheeseball
Are you looking for a fun and easy way to add some holiday cheer to your party spread? Look no further than the classic Christmas Cheeseball! With just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of creativity, you can transform this humble appetizer into a show-stopping centerpiece that is sure to be a hit with guests of all ages. In this post, we'll share two fun ways to jazz up your Christmas cheeseball: by decorating it to look like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer or shaping it into a Christmas tree. These cute and tasty creations are sure to be a hit on your holiday party platter, along with your favorite crackers and cold cuts of meat. So let's get started!
Equipment
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
Christmas Tree
- 1 pkg. (5.2 oz) Boursin Cheese (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate arils
- 1 yellow pepper
Rudolph
- 1 pkg. (5.2 oz) Boursin Cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans (Note 2)
- 2 large twist pretzels
- 2 black olives
- 1 small cherry tomato
Serving suggestions: crackers, cold cuts of meat, etc. (Note 3)
Instructions
- CHRISTMAS TREE: Begin by laying out a large sheet of plastic wrap. Take the Boursin cheese, unwrap from packaging, and place it on the plastic wrap.Wrap the cheese tightly in the plastic wrap, shaping it into a cone shape that resembles a pine tree. Freeze the cheese for 15 minutes, or refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it.Just before serving, unwrap the cheese pine tree and roll it in finely chopped parsley, gently pressing the parsley into the cheese to cover it evenly. Decorate the tree with sliced almonds and pomegranate arils, pressing them gently into the cheese.
- CHRISTMAS TREE CONT.: Use a sharp paring knife to cut a star shape out of the yellow pepper, and press it into the top of the cheese pine tree. Serve the cheese pine tree with crackers and cold cuts of meat, if desired.
- RUDOLPH: Toast pecans if desired (for more flavor–see Note 2!) Let pecans fully cool then add to a small food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs (don't over-pulse or you'll get pecan butter!) Pour the crumbs into a shallow bowl and set aside until ready to use.Pull out a large sheet of plastic wrap. Unwrap Boursin cheese and plop onto plastic wrap. Wrap it tightly then shape it into a round ball. Freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate until ready to serve.
- RUDOLPH CONT.: Just before serving, unwrap the ball shape and roll it in the finely chopped pecans, gently pressing the nuts into the ball. Press 2 pretzels on top to resemble antlers. Cut 2 olives oil half and press into ball to resemble eyes. Cut a cherry tomato in half and press into the ball to resemble the red nose. Serve with crackers and cold cuts of meat as desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Boursin Cheese: Boursin cheese is widely available in grocery stores and comes in a variety of flavors but we love the garlic and herb-flavored version best for these Christmas cheeseballs. Picking up Boursin is a nice ONE ingredient short-cut during the business of the holidays! If you’d rather make your own cheeseball from scratch, check out our Cheese Ball Recipe or Pistachio Goat Cheese Ball as an alternative.
Note 2: Toasting Pecans: To toast pecans, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned, or heat a dry skillet over medium heat and cook the pecans, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned.
Note 3: Serving Suggestions: Here are some ideas to accompanying these cheeseballs: crackers (crispy breadsticks, butter crackers, pita chips, etc.), bread (slices of toasted baguette or mini crostini), and/or vegetables (such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, olives, and cherry tomatoes).
Note 4: Calories are for the Christmas Tree Cheeseball.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.8g | Protein: 7.3g | Fat: 11.3g | Cholesterol: 24.3mg | Sodium: 162.2mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 0.9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
