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Cheese Ball Christmas Tree is the ultimate holiday centerpiece! Forget the usual platters; this Christmas cheese tree takes your appetizers to the next level with festive flavor and show-stopping presentation.
Inside, it’s creamy and loaded with sun dried tomatoes, red bell peppers, chives, and seasonings. But it’s the outside that really shines—decorated with antipasto Christmas tree toppings like olives, herbs, and peppers, making every bite just as fun as it looks. Serve your Christmas cheese tree platter with salami, prosciutto, and plenty of crackers for a spread that’s as merry as it is delicious.
What Makes This Recipe Work
This Cheese Ball Christmas Tree isn’t just about looks; it’s packed with flavor. The creamy cheese ball base is blended with sun dried tomatoes, red bell peppers, chives, and seasonings, giving every bite a savory and slightly tangy punch.
The magic is in the presentation. Whether you call it an antipasto Christmas tree cheese ball or serve it as part of a Christmas cheese tree platter, it’s a recipe that looks impressive, tastes incredible, and always gets your guests talking.
What Goes Into This Cheese Ball Christmas Tree
This festive Cheese Ball Christmas Tree starts with a creamy, flavorful dip base, then gets dressed up with colorful antipasto toppings. Here are a few of the standout ingredients that make it shine:
- Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese forms the base, giving the tree its smooth, creamy texture and perfect structure for shaping.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Mixed into the cheese ball and scattered on the outside, they add bursts of tangy, savory flavor that balance the richness.
- Red Bell Peppers: Diced peppers bring sweetness, crunch, and a festive pop of color inside the dip.
- Mixed Olives: A variety of green, black, and Kalamata olives are used to decorate, giving this antipasto Christmas tree cheese ball its signature holiday sparkle.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make This Cheese Ball Christmas Tree
- Mix the Dip: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, red bell peppers, dill pickles, chives, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.
- Wrap and Mound: Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface and scoop the mixture onto the center. Cover completely with a second sheet of wrap, sealing the edges to enclose the mixture.
- Shape the Tree: Using your hands, mold into a cone that resembles a Christmas tree. Lift the cone, peel away the bottom layer of wrap, then place onto a serving plate.
- Smooth the Surface: Remove the remaining wrap and use a cake spatula to smooth the sides and tip so it holds its shape. Wipe the plate edges clean if needed for a neat presentation.
- Decorate the Tree: Press olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and rosemary leaves or sprigs into the surface, spacing them like ornaments. Lightly brush with a little sun-dried tomato oil for extra flavor and shine.
- Finish and Serve: Cut a star from yellow or orange bell pepper or use a thick slice of cheese and set it on top. Serve with crackers, rolled salami, and prosciutto, then present your Cheese Ball Christmas Tree.
For a cozy balance, pair your Cheese Ball Christmas Tree with Creamy Pumpkin and Spinach Soup with Crispy Bacon. The creamy pumpkin base and smoky bacon cut through the richness of the cheese ball while keeping the holiday table warm and inviting.
Add some flair with Pull-Apart Stuffed Bread with Chipotle Carne Asada for a smoky, bold kick, and keep things festive with Crispy Greek Lemon Smashed Potatoes. Together, they create a spread that’s colorful, hearty, and anything but ordinary.
Recipe FAQ’s
Chilling the mixture for 30 minutes before shaping makes it firmer and easier to handle. You can also lightly spray the wrap with non-stick spray.
For a lighter version, swap half the cream cheese with Greek yogurt or ricotta. Just note it may be a little softer in texture.
Absolutely! Divide the mixture into smaller portions and shape into mini Christmas trees, perfect for individual servings or smaller gatherings.
Antipasto Cheese Ball Christmas Tree
Ingredients
For The Dip:
- 4 cups cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell peppers diced
- 1/4 cup dill pickles finely diced
- 1/4 cup chives chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt to taste
For The Decorations:
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups pitted mixed olives I use a variety of black, green and Kalamata olives – dried with paper towel
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped (dried with paper towel)
- rosemary leaves sprigs to decorate
- Ritz crackers or water crackers or pretzels for serving
- 8 Salami slices for serving
- 8 Prosciutto slices for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the dip and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
- Place a piece of non-stick plastic wrap on a clean bench top or work surface. Scoop the cream cheese mixture out onto the plastic wrap and completely cover with another piece of wrap (you may need two pieces to cover it).
- Use your hands to mould the cream cheese into a tree shape. Then, carefully pick up the tree with one hand and peel off the plastic wrap on the bottom of the tree with your other hand. Place the tree straight onto a serving plate.
- Use a cake spatula to smooth the edges. Decorate with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary leaves/sprigs, lightly pressing each element into the cream cheese to ensure they stay on. Brush with some sun dried tomato oil from the jar (optional but adds even more flavour)!
- Top with a star cut out of a yellow or orange bell pepper OR a thick slice of cheese.
- Serve with crackers of your choice, salami and prosciutto slices rolled up!ENJOY!
Notes
- The cream cheese is more stable in a wider tree shape rather than a tall, thin tree. The taller tree folds over and collapses.
- If you find your cream cheese has softened too much and won’t hold its shape, refrigerate it until it thickens again (about 20 minutes).
- Pat dry each olive and sun dried tomato on a sheet of paper towel before decorating your tree to make sure they stay on, or they may slide off if covered in oil from the jar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is the 5th Xmas in a row I have done this dish (and sometimes 2) everyone asks for it. And I use the dip recipe for my standard dip as it is so delicious
Do you think shaping this into a wreath would work just as well?
This was awesome! It took a little longer to make — I cut my hand twice while slicing olives and had to use gloves which always slows me down! But, it was worth it! The weather prevented some of our guests from coming but those who were there loved it! It’s definitely going to be made again! The beauty of this cheese ball was exceeded only by its taste! GREAT RECIPE!!!
This looks so delicious! I am going to make this for New Years. My husband is having surgery tomorrow so it will just be a small group of us at home while he is laid up. Happy Holidays!
I love this recipe and so do all my friends! I’ve shared the link to your site with them! Will be having dinner with a dear friend. Thankfully there is no snow to interfere with our plans!