A festive twist on a retro favorite, this Christmas tree cheese ball is always the first thing to disappear in any holiday appetizer spread. In just 10 minutes, shape creamy Boursin cheese into a tree, roll it in pistachios, dried cranberries, and other festive goodies. It’s easy to make ahead and is fabulous served with your favorite crackers, or fluffy no-knead focaccia.
I feel like a cheese ball is maybe the most retro appetizer idea ever, but it’s great?!
Typically rolled into an actual ball, this festive version, shaped into a Christmas tree, is much more fun and incredibly quick, and easy.
I’ve seen variations of this recipe where you individually press the toppings into the tree, but I much prefer this speedy version.
- All you need to do is roll the tree in your ‘decorations’, which results in a wonderfully festive-looking tree in a fraction of the time.
- It also gives you a bit of a higgledy-piggledy look, which I prefer.
- Using a star cookie cutter to make a cheesy topper for the tree is such a fun touch, too!
I’m using similar ingredients for the decorations that I use in my viral festive bread dipping oil – it’s a great mix of colors and textures, and looks so glorious as part of a festive appetizer spread. But you can absolutely play around with the ingredients based on what you have to hand and what you and your guests like best.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Boursin. This soft, garlicky, herby French cheese is similar to cream cheese and is the perfect flavourful base for this tree. If you can’t find it (I find this tricky when I’m home in New Zealand), you can use flavored cream cheese (or regular) or soft goat’s cheese. Boursin also does a plant-based version, which is brilliant if you’re catering for vegans.
- Dried fruit. To keep things festive and colorful, I’m using dried cranberries and dried apricots. Switch this up based on what you like – try dried figs, mangoes, apples, or raisins.
- Pistachios. I love the pop of festive green they bring to the tree, but you could use pecans, walnuts, almonds, or cashews, or for a nut-free version, use pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
- Sundried tomatoes. One of my favorite ingredients, these provide a lovely, deep savoriness to the tree (and are lovely and festive). Swap them for olives if you like.
- Rosemary. You could also use thyme, oregano, sage, or dried herbs.
- Pomegranate seeds. These give a lovely, juicy finish – but they’re optional as they can be tricky to find. If I use them, I like to stick them around the tree after I’ve rolled it in the decorations.
If you want to make a star topper for your tree, use something that isn’t too crumbly (so stay away from cheddar). I like to use firm mozzarella or Gruyere.
How to Make
- Place a piece of clingfilm on a flat surface, then arrange the Boursin on top of each other in the middle. Wrap the cheese tightly, then use your hands to form it into a cone. Pop into the fridge to firm up while you prepare the toppings (this will make it easier to roll).
- Mix the dried cranberries, apricots, sundried tomatoes, pistachios and rosemary on a plate large enough to fit the cheese tree when it’s lying down.
- Unwrap the cheese, then roll it in the mixture, pressing to make sure it sticks to all sides.
- Set it upright, then place your cheese star on top, and serve with your favorite crackers (I LOVE it with baked pita chips or smeared onto no-knead chili cheese focaccia).
Watch how to make it
Christmas Tree Cheese Ball FAQs
You can coat the tree the day before you want to serve it, or shape the cheese tree up to a week before you want to serve it, then just coat it in the topping before serving.
You can play around based on what you like – dried mangoes, apples, or figs would be great, or raisins or sultanas.
Like this recipe? Here are more festive appetizers for you
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
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10 Minute Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A festive twist on a retro favorite, this Christmas tree cheese ball is always the first thing to disappear in any holiday appetizer spread. In just 10 minutes, shape creamy Boursin cheese into a tree, roll it in pistachios, dried cranberries, and other festive goodies. It’s easy to make ahead and fab served with your favorite crackers (crunchy baked pita chips are great), or fluffy no-knead chili cheese focaccia.
Ingredients
- 2 boxes of Boursin cheese (10.5oz/300g)
- 1 tablespoon pistachios, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried apricots, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
- Mozzarella or Gruyere, for the cheese star topper
Instructions
- Form the cheese cone. Lay out a piece of clingfilm on a flat surface, then place the Boursin cheese on top of each other, in the middle of it. Wrap the cheese in the clingfilm tightly, then use your hands to shape it into a cone. Place it into the fridge while you prepare the decorations – this will make it easier to roll the cheese in them.
- Mix the decorations. Add the chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, dried apricots, sundried tomatoes, and rosemary to a large plate, and mix to combine. Spread it onto a single layer. Use a small star cookie cutter to cut a star from your Gruyere or mozzarella to top the tree with.
- Coat the tree. Get the cheese cone from the fridge and unwrap it. Roll it in the decorations on the plate, pressing them into all sides so it’s well coated. Stand it up, then fill in any gaps with any remaining decorations on the plate. Press the cheese star into the top of the tree, then transfer it to a serving plate, and enjoy with your favorite crackers or bread.
Notes
PREP AHEAD: You can coat the cheese ball tree the day before you want to serve it, then just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, if possible, before serving, for the best texture. You can also form the cheese cone, then store it in the fridge for a week before you want to coat the tree and serve.
CAN’T FIND BOURSIN? Use flavored cream cheese, regular cream cheese or goat’s cheese (or mix the two). Boursin even has a plant-based version, if you’re catering for vegans.
SUBSTITUTIONS: You can play around with the topping decorations, based on what you like best. Swap dried cranberries and apricots for dried figs, mangoes, apples or raisins, swap sundried tomatoes for olives, or use pecans, walnuts, almonds or cashews instead of pistachios. For a nut-free version that still has a festive touch, use pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Use thyme, oregano, flat-leaf parsley, or sage instead of rosemary. If I have pomegranate seeds to hand, I like to stick them around the tree once I’ve coated it, for an extra festive touch.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: appetizers
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tablespoons
- Calories: 122
- Sugar: 4.1g
- Sodium: 107mg
- Fat: 9.8g
- Saturated Fat: 5.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5.4g
- Fiber: 0.6g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 14.5mg
This Christmas tree cheese ball is such a cute and clever idea! 🎄🧀 I love how festive and easy it is to make. The mix of Boursin cheese with all those colorful toppings sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try this out for my next holiday gathering. Thanks for sharing this fun and quick recipe!