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

Can I make it ahead of time?

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

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!

This post originally appeared on this blog on November 17, 2021.