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Need a sophisticated nibble for last-minute holiday parties or unexpected guests? Our five-minute Christmas tree appetizer, inspired by Apron Strings, is a fun, festive finger food that will bring cheer to any holiday gathering.
If you have cream cheese, pesto, and pretzels, you’ve got the makings for a decorative appetizer that looks like a Christmas tree. You can’t have a Christmas tree without decorations! Thin apple slices make the cream cheese tree look 3D while the red and green pestos become garland and ornaments. A single pretzel becomes the tree trunk. Who knew that a block of cream cheese could become the most interesting appetizer on the table?
The cream cheese Christmas tree can’t stand alone, so we’ve added Laughing Cow cheese triangles to the serving platter to serve as miniature Christmas trees. These mini Christmas trees are deliciously decorated with pesto and absolutely too cute to resist. Serve your five-minute Christmas tree appetizer with a tasty assortment of crackers.
Your family and friends will take one look at your deceptively fancy eat and thank you for your eat-right-now gift!
Variations on a good thing. Laughing Cow cheeses comes in a yummy array of flavors. The spicy pepper jack and queso fresco chipotle cheeses will give your appetizer a lovely lip-smacking heat. The creamy white cheddar and asiago cheeses go impeccably well with the sliced apples. Swap in thin sliced green pears for the apple or decorate the large Christmas tree with both.
Have more than five minutes to make an appetizer? Get your kids involved in making this kid-friendly finger food. They can help insert the pretzels for tree trunks and arrange the trees on the serving platter. Hand them the squeeze bottles of pesto and give them the creative freedom to decorate the trees. You can even make the five minute Christmas tree appetizer a holiday family tradition.
Make a cream cheese tree
Cut the block of cream cheese down the middle in a long diagonal, forming two triangles. On a serving platter, arrange the two triangles into a tree shape.
Set the small cheese triangles on the serving platter
Arrange the smaller cheese triangles next to the large tree. Insert a pretzel stick into each one to give each tree a trunk.
Decorate the Christmas trees
Lay thin apple slices diagonally across the large tree, giving it branches. Squeeze rows of basil pesto on the large tree to look like garland or branches. Squeeze dots, or ornaments, of basil pesto on the smaller trees. Use the sun-dried tomato pesto to form red ornaments on the large tree and small trees.
Serve your Christmas tree cheese appetizer with an assortment of crackers
Such a festive cheese platter
Looks fancy and only takes minutes to make!
Creamy cheese and pesto are a great combination
Sweet and tart apples add a nice touch
Delicious!
Your guests will love this creative and tasty appetizer
5-minute Christmas tree appetizer
Yield 10-12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 block cream cheese (8 ounce)
- 4 small Laughing Cow cheese triangles
- Small pretzel sticks
- 1 green apple, halved, cut into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto, poured into a small squeeze bottle
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto, poured into a small squeeze bottle
- Assorted crackers for serving
Instructions
- Cut block of cream cheese down the middle diagonally. On serving platter, flip one side of cream cheese over next to other side, forming a tree shape.
- Place small cheese triangles around the large cream cheese tree.
- Insert pretzel stick into the bottom of large cream cheese tree to form the trunk. Insert a pretzel stick into each of the smaller cheese trees to form trunks.
- Lay apple slices diagonally across the large cream cheese tree.
- Squeeze rows of basil pesto on the large tree. Squeeze dots on the smaller trees.
- Use the sun-dried tomato pesto to form ornaments on the large tree. Squeeze dots on the smaller trees.
- Serve with assorted crackers.
Courses Appetizer
