This Easy Snowman Cheese Ball Appetizer Will Melt in Your Mouth!

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This adorable snowman cheese ball is perfect for a winter or holiday appetizer and is (almost) too cute to eat!

This is hands-down one of my new favorite appetizers that I will be making again and again! It is so jolly and festive and just makes me smile to look at!

Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Here’s All You Need!

Anna, Elsa, and Olaf not necessary! (Although their songs will forever be engrained in my memory!)

For the cheese ball snowman portion, all you need is:

• Three cups of cheddar or sharp cheddar cheese at room temperature
• One-1.5 cups of finely shredded jack cheese
• Two 8-oz blocks of cream cheese at room temperature
• One packet of one-ounce Ranch seasoning mix
• One baby carrot for the nose
• Approximately 15-20 peppercorns for the “coal” embellishments
• Pretzel sticks for the arms
• Crackers for dipping

(See below for optional ingredients for the hat and scarf!)

Ingredient Substitutions

If you can’t find Ranch seasoning mix, never fear! You can also use a combination of:

• One teaspoon onion powder
• Four cloves minced garlic
• Two tablespoons parsley
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Baby raisins or chocolate chips can also be used for the coal accents instead of peppercorns!

Making the Cheese Mixture

• First, warm the cream cheese and cheddar cheese to room temperature.
• Then, use a mixer to combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and ranch dip. (You will not need the Jack cheese yet!)
• If you don’t have Ranch dip, use the above seasoning ingredients instead. Mix until it is as smooth as possible.
• Divide the mixture and use about 1/3 for the head of the snowman and the rest for the body. Roll into two balls: one larger ball for the base and a smaller one for the top.
• Wrap in Saran Wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours so the mixture can firm so the shape will hold. You could also refrigerate overnight.

You Can Check Out My Video Tutorial Below!

Assembling the Snowman

• Once the cheese balls are chilled, place the finely-shredded Jack cheese in a bowl. Roll both cheese balls in the Jack cheese until covered.
• Place the larger cheese ball on the serving platter. Stick 2-3 toothpicks in the top of the ball, which will help secure the top portion.
• Secure the top portion into the bottom portion using the toothpicks
• Decorate using the peppercorns and carrot!

How to Make the Hat

For the hat, I followed these simple steps (your dimensions may vary depending on the size of your snowman cheese ball:)

• Cut one larger circle out of black construction paper (about 4 inches in circumference.)
• Cut a 3 x 4-inch rectangle out of the same black paper and roll it into a cylinder, which I glued to the larger circle base of the hat.
• Finally, I glued a smaller black circle (about 2 inches in circumference) to the top of the cylinder.

Although I went with paper, there are plenty of edible options, too! You could use:

• A chocolate donut with a donut hole
• An upside-down Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookie with a mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• A chocolate Hostess cupcake on top of the upside-down Keeble Fudge Stripe Cookie
• A combination of any of the above!

How to Make the Scarf

For the scarf, I simply tied a small red ribbon around the snowball. Licorice or Fruit by the Foot (you could trim it to make it more narrow) would also be so fun and festive as an edible option!

If you’d prefer a simpler look, the cheeseball snowman is also adorable without the accessories!

Can This Be Prepared in Advance?

Yes! The cheeseball can be prepared up to three days in advance. Just add the Jack cheese and decorations right before serving so it stays fresh.

Storage Recommendations

If you have any leftovers, just place in a Tuppercare container. (Storage time might vary depending on how far in advance it was prepared.) Typically this stays fresh for 2-3 days after preparing.

Perfect Presentation Platters

I used this black paddle serving board for this recipe, and I also love this or this option from Target. (Target also has a beautiful soapstone option!)

For a similar look, Kirkland’s has this nice option or this piece that would be beautiful. JC Penney also has this lovely lighter tray, or you could use this white and wood-striped choice from Williams-Sonoma.

Happy Holidays!

I love how this dish is low-effort but looks much fancier! Have you ever tried to make this snowman cheese ball? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Also, special thanks to https://www.number-2-pencil.com/ for this amazing recipe inspiration!

Have a wonderful day, friends!

xoxo,

Leanna

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