If you’re looking for an easy Christmas appetizer that’s almost too cute to eat, this Santa Brie Cheese Appetizer is the perfect addition to your holiday spread! Made with creamy Brie cheese, salami, and mozzarella pearls, this adorable Santa-shaped cheese appetizer is festive, delicious, and surprisingly simple to make.

One of my favorite things about holiday entertaining is finding easy appetizers that look impressive but take hardly any effort. This Santa Brie is exactly that! With just three ingredients and no cooking required, you can turn an ordinary wheel of Brie into the cutest Santa Claus, complete with a white cheese beard, mustache, and a red salami hat.

Whether you’re hosting a Christmas party, putting together a festive Christmas charcuterie board, or looking for a fun appetizer to bring to a holiday gathering, this no-bake Santa Brie is guaranteed to be a hit. It’s also such a fun way to dress up a traditional cheese board without spending hours in the kitchen.

If you love festive holiday appetizers, you’ll also want to try my Christmas Fruit Board, bacon wrapped smokies, or Prosciutto Wrapped Dates. They are simple Christmas appetizers that are perfect for holiday entertaining!

Why You’ll Love This Santa Brie Cheese Appetizer

Only Three Ingredients: All you need is Brie cheese, salami, and mozzarella pearls to create this adorable Christmas appetizer.
No Cooking Required: There’s no baking or cooking involved, making this an easy last-minute holiday appetizer.
Perfect for Christmas Parties: This festive Santa Brie makes the cutest centerpiece for a Christmas charcuterie board or holiday appetizer platter.
Easy to Make Ahead: You can prepare the Brie pieces ahead of time and assemble everything before your guests arrive.
Fun and Festive: It’s a creative way to serve cheese that both kids and adults will love!

Ingredients You’ll Need

One of the best things about this easy Santa Brie appetizer is that you only need three simple ingredients to make it! Here’s what you’ll need and why each ingredient works.

Brie Cheese: A round wheel of Brie is the star of this Christmas appetizer. The creamy cheese makes Santa’s face, while the white rind from the top of the wheel is used to create his beard, mustache, and hat brim.
Salami: Thinly sliced salami creates Santa’s signature red hat. I like folding the slices before arranging them to give the hat a little extra texture and dimension.
Mozzarella Pearls: These tiny mozzarella cheese balls are perfect for creating the fluffy white pom-pom at the end of Santa’s hat.

How to Make Santa Brie

Making this Santa Brie cheese appetizer is so much easier than it looks! You only need a sharp knife, a round wheel of Brie, and a few minutes to put everything together.

Prepare the Brie: Start by placing your Brie wheel on a cutting board. Carefully slice off the entire top layer of the Brie, keeping the white rind as intact as possible. Set the bottom portion of the Brie aside because this will be Santa’s face.

Make Santa’s Beard: Take the top layer of Brie you removed and cut it in half. Use one half to create Santa’s beard. Place it on the bottom half of the Brie wheel, positioning it along the lower portion of Santa’s face.

Create the Mustache and Hat Brim: Using the remaining half of the top Brie layer, carefully cut out Santa’s mustache and the white brim of his hat. Arrange the mustache just above the beard and position the hat brim across the top of the Brie wheel.

Make Santa’s Hat: Take your salami slices and fold them to create Santa’s red hat. Arrange the folded salami above the white Brie hat brim, overlapping the pieces slightly until you have the shape of Santa’s hat.

Add the Pom-Pom: Finish Santa’s hat by placing mozzarella pearls at the end of the salami to create the fluffy white pom-pom.
Serve and Enjoy: Place your Santa Brie on a festive serving platter or charcuterie board. Add your favorite crackers, fruit, and other holiday appetizers around it, and you’re ready to serve!

Watch How to Make It

Expert Tips for Making the Best Santa Brie

Start With Cold Brie: I recommend keeping your Brie refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble Santa. Cold Brie is firmer and much easier to cut into shapes without becoming too soft.
Use a Sharp Knife: A small, sharp paring knife works best for cutting the Brie rind into Santa’s beard, mustache, and hat brim.
Keep the Top Rind Intact: When removing the top layer of Brie, try to keep it in one piece. This makes it much easier to create all of Santa’s facial features.
Fold the Salami: Instead of laying the salami flat, fold each slice before arranging it. This gives Santa’s hat a fuller appearance.
Assemble on Your Serving Board: I recommend putting Santa together directly on the platter you plan to serve him on so you don’t have to move him once he’s assembled.
Let the Brie Soften Before Serving: For the best flavor and creamy texture, let the finished Santa Brie sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before serving.

Variations and Substitutions

Use Pepperoni Instead of Salami: If you don’t have salami, thinly sliced pepperoni works as another option for creating Santa’s red hat.
Make a Larger Santa Brie: Hosting a big Christmas party? Use a larger wheel of Brie to create a bigger Santa centerpiece.
Add Santa’s Eyes and Nose: For extra detail, use small pieces of black olives for Santa’s eyes and a small piece of red bell pepper for his nose.
Create a Festive Charcuterie Board: Surround your Santa Brie with rosemary sprigs, crackers, grapes, strawberries, and nuts for a beautiful Christmas appetizer board.
Serve With Something Sweet: Brie pairs perfectly with cranberry jam, fig preserves, or honey, so consider adding a small bowl alongside your Santa appetizer.

What to Serve With Santa Brie

This Santa Brie cheese appetizer is delicious on its own, but I especially love serving it as the centerpiece of a Christmas charcuterie board.

The creamy Brie pairs beautifully with buttery crackers, sliced baguette, fresh apples, grapes, and strawberries. You can also add candied pecans, mixed nuts, and a little cranberry jam for the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors.

For a festive presentation, arrange fresh rosemary sprigs around your serving platter to create the look of Christmas greenery. Add a few fresh cranberries for decoration, and you’ll have a beautiful holiday appetizer that looks like it took so much more effort than it actually did!

This is also a great appetizer to serve alongside other easy holiday finger foods when you’re hosting Christmas Eve dinner, a holiday cocktail party, or a festive girls’ night.

Make Ahead and Storage

Make Ahead: You can prepare the Brie pieces a few hours before your holiday gathering. Cut out Santa’s beard, mustache, and hat brim, then arrange them on the Brie wheel. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. I recommend adding the folded salami and mozzarella pearls shortly before serving so everything looks fresh.

Storage: If you have leftovers, store the Brie, salami, and mozzarella in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to refrigerate leftovers promptly and discard anything that’s been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this Santa Brie appetizer because the texture of the cheese can change after thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to bake Brie for this Santa Brie appetizer?

No! This Santa Brie is a completely no-bake Christmas appetizer. The Brie is served cold or at room temperature, which makes it perfect for holiday entertaining when you want something easy that doesn’t require oven space.

Can I make Santa Brie the night before?

Yes! You can prepare the Brie pieces the night before and store them covered in the refrigerator. For the best presentation, I recommend assembling the salami hat and mozzarella pom-pom shortly before serving.

Can you eat the white rind on Brie cheese?

Yes! The white rind on Brie cheese is completely edible. It has a mild, earthy flavor and is actually what makes this Santa Brie appetizer so fun. The white rind creates Santa’s beard, mustache, and hat brim without needing any additional ingredients.

You’ll Also Love

If you love easy Christmas appetizers and festive holiday recipes, be sure to check out these other holiday favorites!

Santa Brie Cheese Appetizer

This adorable Santa Brie Cheese Appetizer is made with just three simple ingredients! Creamy Brie cheese, folded salami, and mozzarella pearls come together to create the cutest Santa Claus appetizer that’s perfect for Christmas parties, holiday charcuterie boards, and festive entertaining.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 8-ounce round wheel of Brie cheese
30-40 slices thinly sliced salami
6 mozzarella pearls
Crackers fruit, or sliced baguette, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Place the chilled Brie wheel on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice off the entire top layer of the Brie, keeping the white rind intact.
Set the bottom portion of the Brie on your serving platter. This will become Santa’s face.
Cut the removed top layer of Brie in half. Use one half to create Santa’s beard, placing it along the lower portion of the Brie wheel.
Using the remaining half of the top Brie layer, carefully cut out a mustache shape and a strip for Santa’s hat brim.
Arrange the mustache above the beard and place the hat brim across the top of Santa’s face.
Fold the salami slices and arrange them above the Brie hat brim, overlapping slightly to create Santa’s red hat.
Place the mozzarella pearls at the end of the salami hat to create Santa’s white pom-pom.
Serve immediately with your favorite crackers, fruit, and charcuterie board additions, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

Brie Cheese: Use a chilled round wheel of Brie for easier cutting and shaping.

Cutting Tip: A sharp paring knife makes it easier to create Santa’s mustache and hat brim.

Salami: Thinly sliced salami works best because it’s easier to fold and arrange.

Make Ahead: Prepare the Brie pieces ahead of time and refrigerate. Add the salami and mozzarella pearls just before serving.

Serving: Allow the Brie to sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for the creamiest texture.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Keyword brie appetizer, charcuterie, christmas appetizer, santa brie