Melted Snowman Cheese Bites (Printable)

Creamy cheese balls shaped like melted snowmen, decorated with olives and carrots for festive fun.

# What you'll need:

→ Cheese Base

01 - 8.8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 3.5 oz grated mozzarella cheese
03 - 2 tbsp sour cream
04 - 1/4 tsp garlic powder
05 - 1/4 tsp onion powder
06 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Decoration

07 - 12 small mozzarella balls (bocconcini or ciliegine)
08 - 36 thin black olive slices
09 - 12 small carrot tips
10 - 24 pretzel sticks
11 - Fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped (optional)
12 - Crackers or sliced baguette, for serving

# How to make it:

01 - In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, grated mozzarella, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until creamy and homogenous.
02 - Form twelve large, slightly flattened cheese balls approximately 2 tablespoons each by hand; arrange evenly on a serving platter allowing edges to drip slightly to mimic a melted effect.
03 - Place one small mozzarella ball atop each base, pressing gently to secure.
04 - Decorate each figure by applying black olive slices for buttons and eyes, placing small carrot tips for noses, inserting two pretzel sticks into sides as arms, and optionally wrapping a strip of chive or parsley as scarves.
05 - Present immediately with crackers or sliced baguette alongside.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • They're genuinely foolproof to make, even if you've never shaped cheese before—no special skills required, just enthusiasm
  • The melted, slightly droopy look is exactly what makes them charming, so perfection is actually the point
  • You can prep them hours ahead, which means you can actually enjoy your party instead of being stuck in the kitchen
  • Everyone assumes you spent way more time on these than you actually did, which feels like a delicious secret
02 -
  • The mozzarella balls must be cold and firm, or they'll squish into the cheese base and lose their shape. I learned this the hard way during my first attempt, and now I keep mine in the coldest part of the fridge until the last moment
  • Your cheese mixture needs to be thick enough to hold a shape but soft enough to work with your hands. If it's too thin, chill it for 15 minutes. If it's too thick, add just a tiny splash more sour cream and stir well
  • The slightly melted, uneven appearance is your friend here. These aren't meant to look like perfect snowballs—they're meant to look like snowmen on a warm day, drooping at the edges with character
03 -
  • If your pretzel sticks start to feel soft after sitting out, you can refresh them by giving them a quick 2-minute toast in a warm oven, which'll crisp them right back up
  • For a crowd-pleasing presentation, arrange your snowmen in little groups of 3 on the platter, which creates a charming winter scene that photographs beautifully and draws people's eyes
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