Appetizers Holiday Appetizers

December 11, 2025

3-Ingredient Holiday Cheese Truffles

Name: 3-Ingredient Holiday Cheese Truffles
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 ramekins (13 ounces total) Alouette Garlic & Herbs Soft Spreadable Cheese, or sub a herbed cream cheese or herbed goat cheese; ⅓ cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped; ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped; Optional: Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Fun and easy holiday cheese truffles made with 3 simple ingredients! These beautiful cheese truffles make the perfect appetizer on their own, or an addition to a holiday charcuterie board. Serve these festive, savory truffles with your favorite crackers, pretzels, and more.

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

30 mins

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I have one last new appetizer for you to share with loved ones this holiday season, and this one is equally as pretty as it is EASY.

These 3-ingredient holiday cheese truffles come together in just about 30 minutes (including a quick chilling time) and are so fun to make — even with kiddos! Start with yummy Alouette Garlic & Herbs Soft Spreadable Cheese or you can use goat cheese, and roll in both sweet and savory toppings for flavorful little bites everyone can spread on crackers or enjoy on their own.

Serve them on a pretty platter with garnish (try a Christmas tree formation!) or add them to a festive charcuterie board and watch friends and family devour.

Everything you’ll need to make these cheese truffles

When I say 3 ingredients, I truly mean it! These holiday cheese truffles couldn’t be easier to make. Here’s what you’ll need:

Cheese: we’re using Alouette Garlic & Herbs Soft Spreadable Cheese as the base of these cheese truffles. The garlic and herb flavors really shine in these little ramekins of cheese, so you don’t have to add any extra seasonings! You can find this spreadable cheese and many grocery stores. A great alternative is goat cheese or a fun flavored goat cheese.
Pistachios: you’ll roll half of the cheese balls in finely chopped roasted pistachios for a savory kick.
Cranberries: you’ll roll the other half in finely chopped dried cranberries for a little sweet option!

More toppings to try

I love the pistachios and dried cranberries to give these a festive, green and red look for the holidays, but you could also roll the cheese truffles in:

Walnuts
Pecans
Crushed pretzels
Dried cherries
Fresh chives or scallions
Bacon bits
Crushed Ritz crackers

Skip the nuts if you’d like to keep these all nut-free — easy!

Can I use a different cheese base?

Absolutely! If you can’t find Alouette or want to try a new cheese, you can use:

goat cheese — feel free to try out the fun flavors of goat cheese!
cream cheese — an herbed cream cheese would be perfect!

Can I make them vegan or dairy-free?

Feel free to swap the cheese for your favorite vegan/dairy-free spreadable cheese.

Easy cheese truffles in 4 steps

Chill the cheese. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the spreadable cheese, goat cheese or cream cheese for each ball you want to make and place it on a plate lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 20 minutes to firm up the cheese. You can also make these into smaller balls if you prefer.
Prep your toppings. Add your pistachios and dried cranberries to separate small plates.
Roll the truffles. Use your hands to roll the scooped cheese into balls, then roll half of the cheese balls in the pistachios and half in the cranberries.
Garnish & serve. Serve immediately on a garnished platter (see ideas below!) or place them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

What to serve with holiday cheese truffles

I love to serve these cheese truffles on a charcuterie-style platter with:

Pita chips
Pretzels
A variety of crackers
Mixed nuts
Green and red grapes
Apple slices
Fresh figs (if you’re feelin’ fancy)
Fresh rosemary (for garnish)

You could even arrange them like a Christmas tree (pictured in this post), or poke a pretzel stick into each truffle for easy grabbing!

How to store homemade cheese truffles

Store these mini cheese balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing them.

Tools you’ll need

Get all of my kitchen essentials here!

More appetizers you’ll love

Get all of my appetizer recipes here!

I hope you love these 3-ingredient cheese truffles! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

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3-Ingredient Holiday Cheese Truffles

Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

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Prep Time 5

Total Time 30

14 servings

Ingredients

2 ramekins (13 ounces total) Alouette Garlic & Herbs Soft Spreadable Cheese, or sub a herbed cream cheese or herbed goat cheese
⅓ cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped
½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Optional: Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Instructions

Line a large plate with parchment paper. Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop (2 tablespoons) to scoop out a ball of cheese and place it on the prepared place. Repeat with the remaining cheese. Place the plate in the freezer for 20 minutes; this will help the balls to firm up so they’re easier to roll.
Add the chopped pistachios and chopped dried cranberries to two seperate small plates or shallow bowls.
Remove the plate with the cheese balls out of the freezer. Use your hands to roll the scooped cheese into round balls. Roll half of the cheese balls in the chopped pistachios and half in the chopped cranberries until they’re completely coated.
Place the truffles on a serving platter. If desired, add rosemary sprigs around the rim of the platter for garnish. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.