When my oldest kids were first starting to want to help me in the kitchen, we made a simple fall cheese platter, and in this post I’m sharing another version – a beautiful wooden serving tray filled with Christmas Cookie Cutter Cheese and Crackers.

Such a kid-friendly idea that can actually be switched up for any season of the year!

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Cheese and Crackers on a Wooden Serving Tray

Why You Should Make this Christmas Cheese Board!

It’s fun and festive! – Cheese and cracker trays are mainstays at many get-togethers and holiday parties, but it doesn’t take much extra effort or extra minutes to bump up the festive factor. By cutting the cheese into holiday shapes, you can take a board filled with boring old crackers and cheese, into a jolly array of candy canes, snowflakes, and Christmas trees!

It gets children involved! – Children want so badly to be helpful, but the kitchen can often seem chaotic in the hours before a holiday meal. This is a great way to keep those little hands busy and give them a true purpose! Children can easily handle this recipe, from start to finish. They’ll feel so proud later when someone asks “Who made this adorable cheese tray?!”
It’s simple but filling! – It’s the end of Christmas Day and your family is needing a light supper. Candy doesn’t cut it! But you’re exhausted from the holiday! This simple cheese and crackers idea fills bellies with fats, proteins, and carbohydrates – all while looking merry and bright.

What You’ll Need To Make A Christmas Tree Cheese Board

You don’t need much in order to make this Christmas Day cheese and cracker board!

Cheese, Crackers, and Cookie Cutters sitting on Marble Kitchen Counter Top

Cheese – crackers – fun cookie cutters. You’re good to go!

shop mini cookie cutters on amazon

Assortment of Cheeses – There’s really no wrong answer when it comes to what type of cheeses to use. Stick to your favorite cheeses or choose a variety of cheese flavors and textures to round out your cheese tray. Any semi-hard cheese will work. I recommend using sharp cheddar or white cheddar cheese, since those are crowd favorites.
Assortment of Crackers – Butter crackers (like Ritz crackers) are favorites around here, but there are so many other crackers you could choose from for this idea. Because of the popularity of charcuterie boards in recent years, you can purchase assortment packages of crackers at your grocery store. Make sure your crackers are flat and large enough to hold your cut cheese!
Holiday Cookie Cutters – You’ll need a variety of small, holiday-themed cookie cutters. You’ll likely find these in the baking or holiday section of your grocery store. Opt for a small cookie cutter, rather than the large ones intended for making sugar cookies. You need the cut cheeses to be able to fit on top of a cracker!

How To Make A Christmas Cheese And Crackers Board

Cutting cheese slices into fun shapes and laying them on crackers is so simple that even a child can do it – which is kind of the point!

However, here are a few tips to help make the process as smooth as possible.

First, you might need to prep your cheese! If you’re starting with a block of cheese rather than cheese slices, you’ll need to slice your cheese. Use a cheese slicer or a sharp knife to cut your cheese into slices of your desired thickness.
Lay out your crackers on your meat-and-cheese plate or board. You can lay them in rows, or be more creative! Consider laying them out in a Christmas tree shape!
Set a slice of cheese on a cutting board. If your cheese is somewhat soft (like havarti), lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of the cutting board so that your cheese shape will be easier to remove.
Use your snowflake cookie cutter, tree-shaped cookie cutter, or other holiday cookie cutter to cut the slice of cheese into a fun, festive shape!
Carefully remove the cheese shape from the cutting board, and lay on top of one of the crackers.
Repeat until your have a cheese board ready for the holiday season!

Crackers, Cheese, and Cookie Cutters on Kitchen Counter

Storing Leftover Christmas Cheese And Crackers

Whether you’re aiming to make this holly jolly cheese tray ahead of time to make the day of the party easier, or you simply have a good amount leftover and don’t want it to go to waste, don’t worry! I’ve got you!

Cheese and Crackers on Wooden Serving Tray

Cheeses don’t tend to age well left out on the table for long periods of time.

The edges start to harden and they might put out some moisture.

If the cheese is sitting on crackers, that moisture will cause the crackers to lose their crispiness!

We don’t want any of that.

To store the Christmas cheese and crackers, you will need to separate the cut cheese shapes from the crackers themselves.

Place both the cheese and the crackers in their own airtight container.

The crackers can be left at room temperature, but the cheese shapes will need to go into the refrigerator.

When it’s time to assemble (or reassemble, as the case may be!), all you will need to do is lay out the crackers and place a cheese shape on each.

It’s as simple as that!

Other Ideas To Round Out A Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

A tray filled with whole wheat crackers and fun cheese shapes is fun and festive on its own, but there’s no need to stop there!

Here are some other foods that you can add to your tray to create a charcuterie board perfect for holiday parties.

sliced meats– summer sausage, salami, chorizo, or prosciutto
various vegetables – olives, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, or sliced cucumbers
nuts – walnuts, pecans, or almonds
fresh fruits – grapes, blackberries, cranberries, and pomegranate pearls
soft cheeses – cream cheese, or goat cheese crumbles
other “crackers” – pretzel sticks, bagel thins, pita crackers