Make a festive snowman cheeseball for your holiday appetizer spread. Full of smoky gouda flavor and dressed up as a dashing little snowman, this cutie is sure to impress at any party!
Why this recipe works
What’s fun about this snowman cheeseball is that you can use any recipe to make it. Not a fan of sundried tomatoes? Try our cranberry cheeseball instead.
The holidays always bring out the food creativity in people. We loved the cheeseball snowman from No. 2 Pencil, so we used our sun dried tomato cheeseball recipe with a few other changes to create this version.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CHEESE – Cream cheese and gouda are used to make this delicious cheeseball, plus finely shredded mozzarella on the outside to give it that snowman look. Smoked or regular gouda will both work. I always recommend shredding a block of cheese in place of pre-packaged cheese, but either will do the trick.
How to Make a Snowman Cheeseball
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Combine cream cheese and Gouda cheese in food processor until creamy. Remove cheese mixture from processor and place in a bowl. Stir in chives, tomatoes and garlic powder.
EXPERT TIP – While I used a food processor, you can alternatively mix everything with a wooden spoon. However, using the food processor will cream the shredded cheese in with the cream cheese and combine it much better than by hand.
- Shape mixture into 1 large and 1 small ball.
- Press on the finely shredded mozzarella, covering both balls. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
- Once chilled, stack the cheese balls onto eachother using a toothpick or small dowel in the center to stabilize.
- Press raisins sideways into the cheeseball for the buttons. You may also use whole cloves for this if preferred.
- To make the nose, slice a baby carrot in half lengthwise. Take one half and cut it again lengthwise. Press into the head of the snowman.
- Use two whole cloves for the eyes, and about 7 to create the mouth.
- Lastly, add two pretzel sticks for the arms! Serve with sturdy crackers and veggies.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can make this snowman cheeseball ahead of time. Make the cheeseball according to directions, but don’t add the mozzarella, eyes, nose, mouth, and arms until you are ready to serve. Wrap the cheeseball in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. You can make it 3-4 days in advance for the best freshness, but it can really be made up to a week in advance.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your snowman cheeseball with sturdy crackers, celery sticks, carrots, pretzels, or sliced baguette. You might want to take it out of the refrigerator an hour or so ahead and time to let it soften up a bit before serving.
Other Decorating Ideas
- Dried cranberries or chopped pecans for the buttons
- Raisins can also be used for the mouth and eyes
- Tie a scarf using rosemary sprigs
- Black peppercorns work in place of cloves for eyes and mouth
More Holiday Recipes
- Saltine Toffee
- Homemade Eggnogg
- Christmas Tree Cheese Platter
- Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
- 12 Days of Christmas Cookies
- Antipasto Wreath
I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!
Snowman Cheeseball
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 cups gouda cheese shredded
- ½ cup chives chopped
- ½ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes drained and chopped
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Decorations
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese finely shredded
- 9 whole cloves for eyes and mouth
- 4 raisins 3-4, for buttons
- 2 pretzel sticks for arms
- 1 baby carrot for nose
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You might want to take it out of the refrigerator an hour or so ahead of time to let it soften up a bit.
- This cheese ball is made with a food processor, but you can mix everything with a wooden spoon. Using the food processor will cream the shredded cheese in with the cream cheese and combine it much better than by hand.
Instructions
- Combine cream cheese and Gouda cheese in food processor until creamy. Remove cheese mixture from processor and place in a bowl. Stir in chives, tomatoes and garlic powder.
- Shape mixture into 1 large and 1 small ball. Press on the finely shredded mozzarella, covering both balls well. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
- Once chilled, stack the cheese balls onto each other using a toothpick or small dowel in the center to stabilize.
- To make the nose, slice a baby carrot in half lengthwise. Take one half and cut it again lengthwise. Press into the head of the snowman.
- Use two whole cloves for the eyes, and about 7 to create the mouth.
- Press raisins sideways into the cheeseball for the buttons. You may also use whole cloves for this if preferred.
- Lastly, add two pretzel sticks for the arms! Serve with sturdy crackers and veggies.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared on this blog on November 17, 2021.
Amanda Davis
Latest posts by Amanda Davis (see all)
- Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread - December 2, 2024
- Homemade Turkey Gravy - November 25, 2024
- Watergate Salad - November 21, 2024
Sue says
Sometimes I delete but today’s list of recipes I printed. The recipes how to make pie crust and the Snowman Cheese Ball look easy to make.