I love recipes that get a little reaction (who doesn’t?! haha) when you put them on the table, and I mean… look at this one! It’s such a fun thing to bring out with drinks or before dinner because everyone immediately knows exactly what it’s supposed to be. And then, of course, someone has to be the first person to ruin the perfect little tree with a cracker! The good thing is, underneath all the Christmas decoration, it’s actually a really lovely cheese ball.
The goat cheese gives it a bit of tang and you get little sweet bites from the cranberries, and the lemon zest does more than you’d think here, just enough freshness to stop all that cheese from feeling too rich.
And it’s much easier to make than it looks. Most of the work is mixing everything together and letting the fridge do its thing. And you do need to chill it twice, which may sound a little annoying until you actually make it… the first makes the mixture easy to shape and the second is what helps your tree stay standing while you decorate it. After that, parsley, pomegranate, little cheese star… done!!
Helpful Tips
- Let the cheeses soften a little first. About 15 minutes at room temperature is enough. You want them soft enough to mix smoothly, but not so soft that the mixture turns loose before it even gets near the fridge.
- Chop the cranberries and parsley quite finely. Big pieces make the mixture harder to shape neatly (and nobody wants one giant cranberry holding up the side of the tree). Keep the parsley for the outside separate so you don’t accidentally use it all in the filling.
- Taste before you add salt. Goat cheese and cheddar already bring plenty of flavor, so you may not need much at all. I’d rather add a tiny pinch at the end than realize too late that the whole thing is too salty.
- Don’t rush the chilling. The first chill firms up the mixture so you can actually shape it. The second is just as important because that’s what helps the cone hold its shape once the plastic wrap comes off!!
- Give the tree a nice wide base. When you shape the cone, flatten the bottom enough that it feels stable on the plate. You can fuss with the pointy top all you like, but the base is what keeps the whole thing standing!
Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Ingredients
For the cheese ball
- 9.2 oz full-fat cream cheese (260 g)
- 3.5 oz soft goat cheese (100 g)
- 4.2 oz cheddar (120 g), finely grated
- 1.8 oz dried cranberries (50 g), finely chopped
- 0.35 oz fresh parsley (10 g), finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- salt as needed
For decorating
- 0.9 oz fresh parsley (25 g), finely chopped
- 1.8 oz pomegranate seeds (50 g)
- 1 thick slice cheddar or scamorza for the star
For serving
- crackers, crostini, or breadsticks as needed
Instructions
- Let the cream cheese and goat cheese sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes so they soften slightly.
- Transfer them to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the grated cheddar, lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Add the chopped parsley and dried cranberries and fold them in with a spatula.
- Taste and add salt only if needed, keeping in mind the natural saltiness of the cheddar and goat cheese.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour, so it firms up and becomes easier to shape.
- Place two sheets of plastic wrap on the work surface in a cross shape. Transfer the cheese mixture to the center and wrap it tightly.
- Shape the mixture with your hands into a cone with a wide, stable base and a well-defined tip.
- Keep the cone wrapped in plastic and refrigerate again for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
- Finely chop the parsley for the decoration.
- Carefully remove the plastic wrap and place the cheese ball on a serving plate.
- Cover the entire surface with parsley, gently pressing it onto the cheese so it adheres.
- Scatter the pomegranate seeds over the surface like small Christmas ornaments.
- Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut a star from the slice of cheddar or scamorza. Carefully insert a toothpick into the bottom of the star and place it on top of the tree.
- Keep the Christmas Tree Cheese Ball refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Serve with crackers, crostini, or breadsticks.
Notes
Nutrition
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 7 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Saturated fat
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 210 mg
- Fiber
- 0.6 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make a Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
-
Get the ingredients ready.
Let’s start by letting the cream cheese and goat cheese sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. We don’t want them really soft, just soft enough that they’ll mix together nicely (without having to beat them forever!!). While that’s happening, finely grate the cheddar, chop the cranberries and parsley, and zest the lemon.
And keep the parsley for decorating separate! You only need a little in the cheese mixture and it’s very easy to get carried away with the chopping and suddenly realize you’ve used the lot haha.
-
Mix the cheese base.
Now beat the cream cheese and goat cheese together on low speed until smooth and creamy. Then add the cheddar, lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper, and then mix again until everything is nicely combined. After that, fold in the cranberries and parsley with a spatula.
Now… taste it. Before adding any salt, I mean! Goat cheese and cheddar can already be pretty salty, so you may find it needs hardly any. Much easier to add a pinch than try to rescue an over-salted cheese ball later.
-
Chill, shape and chill again.
Cover the bowl and put the mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour. It should feel noticeably firmer before you try to shape it. Then lay two sheets of plastic wrap across each other, spoon the cheese mixture into the middle and wrap it up tightly.
And now for the fun part… let’s shape your tree!! Make the bottom nice and broad and flat (this bit matters!), then use your hands to taper the top into a point. But does it need to look perfect at this stage? Absolutely not! We still have parsley coming to the rescue.
Once you’re happy with the basic shape, put the wrapped tree back into the fridge for at least another hour, or until properly firm. Yes, another chill, but we REALLY NEED IT to keep the tree up.
-
Decorate the tree.
Unwrap the chilled tree and put it straight onto the plate you’re going to serve it on. Press the finely chopped parsley all over the outside until the cheese is completely covered, and then add the pomegranate seeds like little ornaments. As many or as few as you like (I’m firmly in the more ornaments camp haha).
For the top, cut a star from the slice of cheddar, carefully insert a toothpick into the bottom and place it on the tree. And that’s it! Keep your Christmas tree cheese ball refrigerated until you’re ready to serve, then bring out the crackers, crostini or breadsticks.
The only difficult part left is deciding who gets to destroy the perfect little tree first!!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Serving
This is exactly the kind of appetizer I like making ahead since the fridge time is already built into it. Once you’ve shaped the tree, leave it wrapped and chilled until you’re ready to decorate. One less thing happening while everyone is arriving!
I always add the parsley, pomegranate seeds and cheese star after that final chill. The tree is much easier to decorate when it’s properly firm (and far less likely to become a slightly tipsy Christmas tree halfway through).
Keep the finished cheese ball covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. For leftovers, use them within 3 to 4 days.
When it’s time to serve, put it out with plenty of crackers, crostini or breadsticks and a small spreader or cheese knife. And maybe take a quick photo first… because that perfect little tree does not stay perfect for long!!