This pesto cheese ball wreath makes the most festive holiday appetizer. Cream cheese, pesto, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes combine to create a flavor explosion!
Easy to make with just five ingredients, this gorgeous wreath will be the star of your Christmas party.
I am so excited to start sharing all the fun and festive holiday recipes I’ve been working on for you! Yes, my work in the kitchen is never done… and luckily, that’s just how I like it!
This pesto cheese ball is just as delicious and beautiful to serve as it is easy to make. Bonus? It’s Keto friendly, so your low-carb friends will be thrilled to partake as well!
I love creating holiday appetizers and desserts that are classic flavors with a charming twist in presentation. This baked brie wreath, my snowman dessert cheese ball, and even this darling reindeer bacon ranch cheeseball are some reader favorites!
I can’t tell you any lies. I ate this pesto cheese for lunch for days after I made and photographed this recipe.
It’s so good, it’s hard to stop! I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. Don’t you love when an appetizer is delicious and also so beautiful for parties? If you love that style as much as I do, don’t skip my elevated (yet totally classic) cheese and crackers, too!
Pesto Cheese Ball Wreath
Traditionally, pesto is considered a showcase of fresh basil. It’s an explosive flavor that simply needs a few additions to create the most delicious bright green sauce.
It’s delicious on most everything it touches, including this cheese ball!
Why You’ll Love It
Cheese balls are not only delicious, but they can be made a day in advance – even two days can often work well. Take those last-minute dishes off your plate and consider ways to reduce your work load.
Ingredients and Substitutions
See printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Cream Cheese – Full fat cream cheese is best. Not only does it bring the flavor, the texture actually holds together into the molded wreath shape.
- Fresh Basil – So much basil! Much of it goes into the pesto but you’re going to have fun decorating the outside of this cute holiday wreath with fresh basil as well.
- Garlic – You can take a shortcut and used pre-minced garlic, but in pesto, fresh garlic really shines.
- Mozzarella – Do me a favor and grate your own mozzarella cheese! You won’t regret it- it’s just so much creamier and more delicious. Learn how to grate cheese here.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Just a little spice goes a long way in this appetizer!
- Parmesan – More cheese! It’s a cheese ball after all! Parmesan has a delicious strong flavor if you use a good quality brand.
- Pine Nuts – Pine nuts have a sweet, subtle flavor, and it’s the texture that’s most important here. Don’t over-pulse your pesto in the food processor!
- Olive Oil – Because no pesto is complete without it! Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Cherry Tomatoes – These act like ornaments on your Christmas wreath, and you can add as many or as few as you’d like.
- Salt and Pepper – to taste!
*Alternatively, you can top it with or fold in fresh basil pesto or pesto rosso instead of making your own pesto in this recipe.
Variations
- Parsley – Skip the basil and make this with a parsley pesto or even arugula pesto!
- Nuts – Eliminate the pine nuts for a Nut Free Pesto, or try this walnut pesto or pistachio pesto.
- Pesto Rosso – Another delicious way to upgrade your pesto – try adding sun dried tomatoes.
- Lemon – A squeeze of lemon juice adds a layer of acidity.
How to Make
- In your food processor, combine basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
- In a large mixing bowl or the fitted bowl of your stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese with shredded mozzarella and the pesto sauce from your food processor.
- Stir thoroughly or beat at a low-medium speed until well mixed.
- Shape into wreath form. You can do this in several ways, I go into more detail below.
- Cover, refrigerate for three hours or until firm.
- Add your remaining chopped basil and sliced cherry tomatoes to the top for the wreath effect.
Tips to Create the Cheese Ball Shape
There are a couple ways to create this wreath form! Here’s a few tips and methods that will create different looks.
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- My method: Make a cheeseball in a bowl – just a classic round/circular shape. Create a hole in the center, pressing and shaping to flatten. Invert onto a platter and then smooth it out.
- Use a bundt pan! Line your bundt pan with plastic wrap, and scoop the cheese mixture into the bundt. Press firmly until it’s evenly flattened throughout.
Looking for a great bundt pan? This classic shape is very simple and should work well for this project!
For both methods, you’ll want to cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the pesto cheese ball is firm, which was around three hours when I tested this recipe. You could certainly make this the day before your event, as well! Just wait and add the remaining basil/tomatoes for decoration until you’re ready to serve.
Keep in mind, this pesto cheeseball is equally delicious in any form. You don’t need to take that next step to create the wreath shape – but it sure does make it beautiful to serve!
Serving Suggestions
You can serve a variety of items with this delicious pesto cheese ball! In fact, as I mentioned before, this pesto appetizer is Keto-friendly if served with a low carb option.
It’s such a simple way to make your guests feel special, knowing that you took their dietary restrictions into consideration.
Serve this appetizer with the following:
- tortilla chips
- crostini
- pita chips
- carrots
- bell peppers
- cucumbers
- cauliflower
- broccoli
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – You can leave this pesto cheese ball out for up to two hours while serving.
- Refrigerate – Make this cheese ball up to one day in advance (without topping with the fresh basil) and store tightly wrapped. After serving, you can store for up to one week in the refrigerator, though the fresh chopped basil exterior will begin to brown with storage.
You’ll also love these 30 Creative Christmas Ideas for more ways to bring charm into your holiday season.
More Cheese Appetizers
Pesto Cheeseball Wreath
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded (8 ounces)
- 1 cup basil ½ cup in the pesto, and ½ cup reserved for topping
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ cup parmesan fresh grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Topping
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- In your food processor, combine basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
- In a large mixing bowl or the fitted bowl of your stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese with shredded mozzarella and the pesto sauce from your food processor.
- Stir thoroughly or beat at a low-medium speed until well mixed.
- Shape into wreath form. You can do this in several ways, I go into more detail in the recipe notes below.
- Cover, refrigerate for three hours or until firm.
- Add your remaining chopped basil and sliced cherry tomatoes to the top for the wreath effect.
Julie’s Tips
- My method: Make a cheeseball in a bowl – just a classic round/circular shape. Create a hole in the center, pressing and shaping to flatten. Invert onto a platter and then smooth it out.
- Use a bundt pan! Line your bundt pan with plastic wrap, and scoop the cheese mixture into the bundt. Press firmly until it’s evenly flattened throughout.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
