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This Rudolph Christmas Cheese Ball is the ultimate festive appetizer to bring holiday cheer to your party spread! Creamy, cheesy, and bursting with tangy ranch flavor, this easy-to-make recipe is as delicious as it is adorable. Shaped and decorated to look like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, it’s guaranteed to be a hit with kids and adults alike.
Easy Christmas Cheese Ball
If you are looking for a simple yet tasty appetizer for your next Christmas get-together, I highly recommend this Rudolph cheese ball. It’s easy and quick to make so you may whip it up in a pinch and let it chill until it’s time! I love dips and cheesy finger foods so this is one of my favorites. I love the flavor and creamy texture. Plus, you may serve it in various ways with dippers or as a spread. Use the base recipe for another special occasion, too!
Searching for other flavor variations? Try this French Onion Cheese Ball or Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball.
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Cheese Ball
- Great to prepare ahead. I like to prepare this cheese ball ahead of a party or special event since it needs several hours to chill in the refrigerator. This saves so much time and allows freedom to finish it right before serving.
- Budget-friendly. The ingredients used are affordable on any budget. You don’t have to spend a fortune for a recipe to be delicious. Sometimes the simplest, cheapest dishes are the best ones!
- Crowd pleaser. I have never met anyone who didn’t enjoy a good cheese ball. This one is simple and perfectly cheesy. Whenever I serve it, it goes fast. It’s safe to say that it’s always a huge hit!
What You’ll Need
You need 3 ingredients for this Christmas cheese ball and 4 for the decorations to turn it into a super cute reindeer! These items are easy to find any time you want to make this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below to find the measurements.
- Cream cheese: This is a key ingredient to ensuring a creamy and spreadable cheese ball. Soften the cream cheese so it mixes more easily with the other ingredients and isn’t lumpy.
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese adds more flavor to the cheese ball and a subtle texture.
- Pecans: I like to use pecans to coat the cheese ball because it’s classic and adds the brown color needed for the reindeer. Other nuts like walnuts and almonds work as well.
- Ranch dressing mix seasoning: This is a simple way to season the cheese mixture that tastes super good. It will have a wonderful herbaceous flavor!
- Decorations: To make the cheese ball look like a reindeer, I use pretzels for the antlers, tomato for the nose, and black olives for the eyes.
How to Make a Rudolph Christmas Cheese Ball
Making a holiday cheese ball is easier than ever. Below are the instructions to make this one and how to decorate it to look like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer!
- Combine the cheeseball ingredients. Add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and Ranch seasoning to a mixing bowl. Stir until they are well combined.
- Roll into a ball. Roll the mixture into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
- Chill. Put it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or until it’s firm and easy to handle.
- Coat in pecans. Place the pecans into a large bowl and scoop them with your hands, pressing them firmly into the cheese ball. Coat the entire ball in the pecans.
- Place the antlers. Break regular pretzels in half or use an entire pretzel for each antler. Press each antler firmly into the top left and top right side.
- Add the nose and eyes. Cut two black olives in half and use the side without big holes. Attach them with toothpicks for eyes. Use a whole cherry tomato and a toothpick to attach the red nose.
- Serve. Enjoy with assorted crackers!
Tips for Success
- Don’t freeze it. I do not recommend freezing this cheese ball for later or the leftovers. It changes the texture as it thaws and becomes a little watery. Enjoy this Rudolph cheese ball from the refrigerator and then toss any extras (if there are any).
- Handle with care. Be gentle when working with the cheese ball before and after it is firm. It may still fall apart if you are too rough adding the pecans or decorations. You want it to stay as round as possible for the best presentation.
- Use gloves. You may use gloves to keep your hands clean and for easier handling. I find it very helpful when forming the cheese ball because the mixture becomes quite sticky.
- Make it savory. Coat the cheeseball in bacon or chopped parsley and add a red bell pepper nose.
Proper Storage
Store this holiday cheese ball covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. If you have leftovers, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
More Christmas Appetizer Recipes to Try
- Pigs in a Blanket Wreath
- Christmas Tree Appetizer
- Snowman Cheese Ball
- Reindeer Sloppy Joe Sliders
- Guacamole Christmas Tree Dip
Rudolph Christmas Cheese Ball
This adorable Rudolph Christmas Cheese Ball will be the hit of your holiday get-together! A classic and easy cheeseball, coated in chopped pecans, and decorated to look like Rudolph! It’s much easier to make than it looks and that’s another reason to love it.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 2 ½ Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Cup Chopped Pecans
- 1 ounce Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 2 Black Olives
- 1 Cherry Tomato
- 2 Pretzels regular not mini
- Ritz Crackers optional for serving
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and shredded cheddar cheese. Mix well.
- Using gloves if desired, roll the mixture into a ball.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for about 4 hours or until it can be handled.
- Place the chopped pecans in a cereal sized bowl and break up any larger pieces you see.
- Using gloves once again, if desired, scoop the pecans into your hand and press them into the cheeseball. This may seem difficult at first because the cheeseball will be a little hard from chilling in the fridge, but that’s ok. You might not end up using all the pecans, but keep pressing until you can’t really see the cheeseball underneath the pecans. Do not coat the flat bottom part of the cheeseball or it won’t sit properly.
- For the antlers, I broke two regular sized pretzels in half, and then removed the little center portions from the best pieces. Utz was the brand I used for the pretzels and I loved the way they looked. If you don’t want to mess with breaking the pretzels, just use a whole pretzel for each antler.
- Stick an antler into the top left side of the cheeseball and repeat on the right top side with the other antler.
- Push your toothpicks into place for the eyes and nose, leaving the pointy part slightly poking out.
- Cut both olives in half, and use the side without the big hole as the eyes. I attached them to the toothpicks using the thickest edge of the inside of the olive. This step you will need to be gentle with.
- Attach the cherry tomato to the toothpick for the nose and gently push it into the cheeseball so that it nestles more closely to the cheeseball, making it look more natural.
- Serve on a platter with your favorite crackers and enjoy!
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Equipment
- Rubber Gloves (optional)
- Plastic wrap
Notes
- Store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 1 week. Do not freeze.
- Be sure to sort through your chopped pecans and break the larger pieces into smaller pieces. This makes it nicer for coating the cheeseball and looks better as well.
- My toothpicks were super long, so I broke them down so they were easier to work with.
- Be sure to sit your cheeseball in the fridge exactly how you want it to sit once it’s ready because the cheeseball hardens once chilled and however it hardens is how it will sit once decorated.
- If you don’t like the way the nose and eyes are sitting, it won’t hurt the cheeseball for you to pull the toothpicks out and reposition them.
Nutrition
Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 555mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 910IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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