• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Kiwi Country Girl logo

  • Start Here
    • Our story
    • Family
    • Travel
  • Recipe Index
  • Farm & Garden
    • Farm
    • In the garden
  • DIY & Crafts
  • Shop
  • Free Downloads
    • Freezer Meal Storage Guide
    • Free 1 Week Meal Plan
    • Bread Baking Ebook
  • Join The Kiwi Country Homestead
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Farm & Garden
  • DIY
  • About us
  • Shop
  • Join The Kiwi Country Homestead
  • Free Downloads
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Farm & Garden
    • DIY
    • About us
    • Shop
    • Join The Kiwi Country Homestead
    • Free Downloads
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » In the kitchen » Christmas Cheese Log

    Christmas Cheese Log

    Published: Dec 21, 2017 · Modified: Dec 19, 2022 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The perfect quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer to feed a crowd! Make in advance and serve with crackers and toasted bread.

    Christmas cheese log - the perfect quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer to feed a crowd! Make in advance and serve with crackers and toasted bread | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    4 sleeps til Christmas!! I'm picking you've all got the Christmas menu sorted - someone is doing the ham, someone has the pavlova under control and the trifle is ready to be assembled. But let's talk about the snacks! Because while all this prep is going on you're going to need something to keep you going, and what is better than a Christmas cheeseboard complete with a festive looking (and tasting) Christmas cheese log!

    This Christmas cheese log is the ultimate way to do snack time. It's something that can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge, and because all of the elements - cheese, dried fruit, nuts and herbs - are packed into the cheese log, all that needs to be done is to place it on a platter, surround it with crackers and toasted bread and dig in! But in saying that, it's also super easy to whip up on Christmas Eve if you don't get a chance before then!

    Christmas cheese log - the perfect quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer to feed a crowd! Make in advance and serve with crackers and toasted bread | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    Because it's an all in one type cheese board it's also a pretty cheap way to serve cheese and crackers - this cheese log goes a long way. It also saves the need for choosing cheeses, knives and other bits and pieces which are just other decisions you just don't need to be making at this time of year!

    This Christmas cheese log is inspired by Chelsea Winter's version that I made last year, with just a few small changes. I used almost equal quantites of feta and cream cheese for maximum flavour, filled it with dried apricots and cranberries, chopped chives and parsley and it's coated in toasted pistachios and pecans. Plus it's got lemon juice and zest, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar to balance out all that delicious creaminess.

    Christmas cheese log - the perfect quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer to feed a crowd! Make in advance and serve with crackers and toasted bread | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    Christmas cheese log - the perfect quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer to feed a crowd! Make in advance and serve with crackers and toasted bread | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    It's creamy and crunchy, sweet and salty and so festive looking! It's the perfect Christmas Day snack!

    Christmas cheese log - the perfect quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer to feed a crowd! Make in advance and serve with crackers and toasted bread | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    Christmas cheese log - the perfect quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer to feed a crowd! Make in advance and serve with crackers and toasted bread | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    Christmas Cheese Log

    4.91 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10
    Author: Laura

    Ingredients

    • 250 g cream cheese (room temperature)
    • 200 g feta
    • 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
    • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1 clove garlic, crushed
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • ½ cup dried apricots (chopped finely)
    • 3 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley & chives)
    • Ground black pepper to taste (be generous)
    • ¾ cup pistachios/pecans to coat

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F and place the nuts on a baking tray.
    • Bake for 8 minutes (keep a close eye on them around this time as they can burn quickly) and remove from the oven. Chop the nuts coarsley (or use a food processor) and set aside.
    • Using a stand or hand mixer (or a bowl and wooden spoon) combine the softened cream cheese and feta. Add all remaining ingredients except for the nuts and combine. 
    • Cut a large piece of baking paper and place on the bench. Tip the cheese mixture onto the baking paper and form it into a log shape. Roll it up in the baking paper, shaping as you go, tuck in the ends of the paper and place in the fridge for 3 hours (or longer) to set. 
    • Once the cheese log has set, remove from the fridge. Spread the chopped nuts on a rimmed baking tray, carefully unwrap the log and roll it in the chopped nuts until it is completely coated.
    • Serve on a platter with crackers and toasted bread or wrap tightly in gladwrap and store in the fridge for up to a few days until needed.
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @thekiwicountrygirl or tag #thekiwicountrygirl!

     

    « Santa's Little Nightcap
    Easy Healthy Homemade Granola »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Robin Johns says

      November 10, 2020 at 6:06 pm

      Can I freeze this? If so, for how long?

      Thanks. (December is very busy.)

      Reply
      • Laura says

        March 08, 2021 at 2:24 pm

        Hi Robin, you absolutely can freeze it, I would say it will be fine for a couple of months wrapped up well. Laura

        Reply
    2. Raewyn says

      December 22, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      This looks delicious Laura and I look forward to trying it 🙂 Just a suggestion; when you set up your recipes for printing, if you include your name/website by the title or on it somewhere, we know where the recipe has come from when we look back on it another time.

      Reply
      • Laura says

        January 03, 2018 at 10:52 am

        Raewyn, thank you so much for the suggestion...there is so much to think about that I often overlook the basics! I've changed that now, I really appreciate you commenting! I hope you enjoy the recipe. Laura 🙂

        Reply
        • Raewyn says

          January 03, 2018 at 8:04 pm

          We tried it and it was great thankyou!

        • Laura says

          January 05, 2018 at 10:22 am

          Oh fantastic!! Happy New Year 🙂

    4.91 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Laura, a country girl from rural New Zealand sharing all things food, garden and living the simple life!

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Homemade beef burger with fries in the background
      Homemade Burger Patties (Josh's secret recipe)
    • Close up of scoop of cheesy mince pasta with herbs on top
      Cheesy One Pan Mince Pasta
    • Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (or taco seasoning) - the perfect blend of spices to make your favourite Mexican meal in minutes! Perfect for beef burritos, nachos, chicken strips for tacos, refried beans or anything Mexican! | thekiwicountrygirl.com
      Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (with free printable labels)
    • Overhead of bowl with potato salad, chives and tea towel in background
      Easy Potato Salad Recipe

    Winter Warmers

    • Pan of devilled sausages with mashed potato
      Devilled Sausages
    • Bowl of bacon bone and vegetable soup on table with slice of buttered bread
      Bacon Hock and Vegetable Soup (slow cooker and instant pot)
    • Baked mince and cheese pie with tomato sauce and forks with a slice on a plate
      Mince and Cheese Pie
    • Chocolate self saucing pudding in white dish with bowl served up beside it
      Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

    Footer

    [instagram-feed num=7 cols=7 showheader=false showbutton=false showfollow=false]
    • Recipe Index
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact me

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As a Mighty Ape Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme

    2.8K shares
    • Pinterest
    • 15Facebook
    • Email
    • Print
    2847 shares
    • 15

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.