Christmas Cheese Tree
Turn your favorite cheese ball into a Christmas Cheese Tree! A super simple yet impressive Christmas cheese ball appetizer that might be too pretty to eat.
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CHRISTMAS CHEESE TREE
It’s four days before Christmas and I just wanted to share one more Christmas themed recipe before I take a break from the Internet to spend time with my family. It seems that I’ve become overly obsessed with cheese balls in the last couple of years.
I have five cheese balls on this blog which automatically makes me feel like an 80-year-old. But really, maybe there’s something to it. 80-year-olds are wise and have been around a while. Maybe they just know what is good, easy, and worth it…cheese balls!
On a side note, the stress of the season has not got to me. As a coping mechanism, when things get too busy I completely shut down and attack none of the items on my to-do list. In fact, I spent the last half hour personalizing my own emoticon. 
That’s me. Blond hair, green eyes. That’s what 30 minutes will get you.
Remind me to add “Time Management” to my list of New Year’s resolutions.
Back to the cheese ball. The original recipe made two cheese balls with two different flavors. We were not fans of the other flavor at all. I suggest you make two cheese balls and either freeze one for later or make one huge cheese ball if you’re having a big party. I mean like a BIG party.
My son and I had a cheese ball-off. He’s very creative and so we had a contest as to who could decorate their tree the most creatively. There’s no picture of his because by the time he got done it was bedtime.
You really could decorate this any way you want. I used pine nuts for lights, chopped yellow and red bell pepper for ornaments, and cheese for a star. You want to use a sturdier cracker like a Triscuit for dipping unless you have a spreader on the serving plate then you can use a Ritz or any other cracker. Enjoy!
OTHER CHEESE RECIPES:
- Pumpkin Pie “Cheese” Ball
- Hawaiian Cheese Ball
- Peanut Butter Chocolate “Cheese” Ball
- Easy Feta Dip
- Warm Bacon Cheese Dip
- Cheesy Baked Eggs
Christmas Cheese Tree
Ingredients
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, (16 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard, (dry)
- 5 or 6 drops red pepper sauce
- Have ready at serving time:
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper, (or yellow too)
- Assorted crackers for serving
- (optional) slice cheddar cheese or lemon peel for star
Instructions
- Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, mustard and pepper sauce until well combined. If making two trees divide in half or if making one just leave whole. Refrigerate until firm enough to shape.
- Place cheese mixtures on cookie sheet. Shape each half into cone shape to look like Christmas tree or one big tree if that's what you choose. Roll trees in parsley, pressing parsley evenly onto trees. Press pine nuts onto trees in string form for garland. Press bell pepper pieces onto trees for ornaments. Top each tree with star shape cut from a slice of cheddar cheese or a lemon peel. Serve with crackers.
Notes
I love this cheeseball. This will b my third year making it! People r always impressed. One note. Its big which is great but if u make it ahead just note it takes a while to warm up enough that it is ready to serve. Just make sure u take it out before people arrive to start to soften. I use a knife to serve it.
Made the large tree, everyone enjoyed, delicious! And fun. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you!
Could you spray olive oil cooking spray on the inside of a funnel and then fill the funnel with the basic cheese ball recipe to give the cone shape for the Christmas Tree Cheese ‘Ball’? Then refrigerate it till set before removing it from the funnel? Then roll it in the toppings and decorate as desired.
Yes, that sounds like it will work.
What is the dish on the cover of the book????
Stuffed Shells. They’re in the book but not on the blog
Can you use boursin cheese instead?
I’m sure it would work
Your recipes are so creative. I am going to try some of these for Christmas this year.
Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe! I made my own red pepper sauce by roasting some red peppers and blending together with basil, parm cheese and olive oil. It was a hit!
Thank you!
That is adorable!🎄
Thank you!
This looks great. I’m saving to try for Christmas…if we’re ever able to have Christmas parties again, which doesn’t seem real likely at this point thanks to Covid and folks who refuse to mask up.
I used pecan halves (and then cut them in half again) instead of pine nuts. Wow, where I live pine nuts are very expensive (I buy only from the organic health food store, so maybe that’s why??). I use as many organic ingredients as possible whenever I cook or bake. Organic butter is getting very expensive too, and now I see a lot of people (especially in politics) who want us to ELIMINATE dairy and eggs from our diets . . . I will never do that. I’ll buy my own cow and a few chickens first!
Thanks for the feedback!
Hi dear , how do you make the cheese star at the top to stand ? Because the cheese is not sturdy enough to hold it.
Mine was sturdy enough!
This looks great! Do you have any suggestions for a pine nut replacement? We have nut allergies in our family.
Anything really. More red bell peppers?
I used pomegranate for my “bulbs” on one of my trees. It looked very pretty. Also, if you put the white part facing out it almost looks like they are glowing.
what is red pepper sauce? do you mean a type of hot sauce?
Yes, it’s a generic term for hot sauce.
Ok, I see you made this a couple of years ago and I just found it but – it looks fantastic! I have two parties to go to and I think this is going to be a hit. Thanks for this great recipe. BTW, I’ve never mad a cheese ball. Can they be frozen?
-Very unique & pretty.
Thank you!
Merry Christmas, I want to eat this Christmas tree.
This is nice recipe. Let’s try it next year!
You’ll love it!
Happy New Year !! I love all the dishes… and that last photo… I want to be apart of eating that!
Thank you!
I just wanna say, you are creative.. Thanks for this.
Haha. Thanks!
This is taking the holiday cheese ball to an entire new level! You did an amazing job!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
This is such a clever idea! Great way to offer a cheese ball type in a seasonal shape. Thanks for sharing.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Thanks for sharing. This is a great idea, so pretty and festive. The kids would love it also.
Thank you!
Yum! What a good idea in this season of sweets!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/
hey girl – this looks so cool and so yummy! Very creative! Merry Christmas!
YOU just made me SMILE so big! This… THIS: Remind me to add “Time Management” to my list of New Year’s resolutions.
THIS…. is why I love reading your blog! Always been a big fan of yours! <3 Merry Christmas