Reindeer Cheese Ball

ByJaclyn Shimmel On11/21/202511/21/2025

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Looking for Christmas appetizer ideas that are festive and easy? This Reindeer cheese ball is a total crowd-pleaser made with simple ingredients and perfect for prepping ahead for your Christmas party. It’s playful, festive, and always gets smiles the moment it hits the table.

A festive reindeer cheese ball decorated with pretzel antlers, black olive eyes, and a red cherry tomato nose. The cheese ball is coated in chopped nuts and surrounded by golden crackers on a white plate with holiday decorations in the background.

This Christmas cheese ball turns a tasty cream cheese dip into a showstopping centerpiece, complete with pretzel antlers and a cherry tomato nose. It’s the perfect appetizer for any holiday party or potluck.

It’s also incredibly easy to pull together. The base is a creamy, cheesy mixture rolled in pecans for crunch and flavor. Simple ingredients, big impact.

Serve it with your favorite crackers or dippers and watch how quickly the rudolph cheese ball disappears.

Close-up of a reindeer-shaped cheese ball coated in chopped nuts with a red cherry tomato for a nose, black olives for eyes, and pretzel antlers. A cracker is scooping into the side, revealing the creamy cheese inside.

If you love fun and festive holiday starters, don’t miss my Christmas Tree charcuterie board, pigs in a blanket wreath, of these flaky puff pastry Christmas trees. They all bring cheer to the table with minimal effort.

Why you’ll love this recipe

It’s easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.
Perfect make-ahead dish for holiday gatherings
Looks cute and tastes good too!
Easy to customize with different cheeses or mix-ins

Ingredients for Rudolph Cheese Ball

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Overhead view of labeled ingredients for a reindeer cheese ball including black olives, a cherry tomato, shredded Colby-Jack cheese, two pretzels, roughly ground pecans, sour cream, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Sour cream – Adds creaminess. Use full-fat or low-fat.
Garlic powder + onion powder – Simple seasonings that boost flavor.
Worcestershire sauce – Adds extra flavor to the cheese dip.
Colby Jack cheese – Shred your own from a block rather than using pre-shredded for best taste and texture. A sharp or medium cheddar cheese would work here as well.
Cream cheese – Use full-fat blocks, not the spreadable kind.
Pecans – Adds crunch and nutty flavor. To make easy work of chopping you can pulse them briefly in a food processor. Don’t go too crazy, you don’t want them finely ground.
Pretzels – Thicker twist-style work best for antlers. Look for pretzels with the classic pretzel twist shape that are a bit thicker, such as Utz Sourdough Specials or Snyder’s Olde Tyme Pretzels. However, don’t use sourdough hard pretzels because they will be too thick.
Black olives + cherry tomatoes – For the reindeer face.
Crackers – For serving. Use your favorites!

How to Make a Reindeer Cheese Ball

This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.

Step 1: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to combine the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, ranch powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until smooth and well combined. Then, mix in the cheddar cheese.

Step 2: Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a non-stick surface. Use clean hands to scoop up the cream cheese mixture and form it into a ball, and place it in the center of the plastic wrap.

Pro Tip:

If the mixture is too soft to form a ball, place in the fridge for 10 minutes until it’s a bit firmer.

Side-by-side images showing cheese ball mixture on plastic wrap on a wooden board and the same mixture wrapped tightly into a round shape using plastic wrap.

Step 3: Fold the plastic wrap around the ball tightly and place it in the fridge to firm up for at least 3 hours. I prefer to let it chill overnight.

Step 4: Once the ball is set, unwrap it, roll it in the chopped pecans until the entire cheese ball is completely coated, and set it on a serving platter.

Side-by-side images of a plain cheese ball in a bowl of chopped pecans and the same ball fully coated in the nuts.

Step 5: Add the pretzels for antlers, olive halves for the eyes, and half of a cherry tomato for the nose, and enjoy!

Side-by-side images showing two pretzel twists cut into antler shapes and the completed reindeer cheese ball with pretzel antlers, black olive eyes, and a cherry tomato nose.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 4 days.

Make Ahead: You can prep the cheese ball 3 days in advance, then decorate just before serving.

Freezer: Wrap tightly (without toppings) and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in fridge overnight before decorating.

Recipe Tips

Chill the cheese ball well before rolling in pecans to keep its shape.
Don’t overgrind the pecans—leave them a little chunky for texture.
Add toppings just before serving to keep pretzels crunchy.
Serve with a variety of crackers, veggies, and pretzel sticks for dipping.

and dipping a cracker into a reindeer cheese ball, which is covered in crushed nuts. The cheese ball has pretzel antlers, black olive eyes, and a red cherry tomato nose, arranged on a plate surrounded by crackers.

Additions and variations

Swap the Colby Jack. Try Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a medium or sharp cheddar cheese.
Add extra seasoning. Sprinkle in some taco seasoning if you have it.
Extra mix-ins. Mix in bacon bits and/or chopped green onions into the cheese ball mixture before forming the ball.
Sweet & savory – Add a few dried cranberries to the mix.