This cucumber Christmas tree appetizer is so fun and festive; our kids don’t even pay attention to the fact that it’s all about produce. Each cucumber slice is arranged in a Christmas tree pattern, piped with a yogurt-based topping, and finished off with a cherry tomato. It’s a great no-cook appetizer that’s easy for little hands to grab as they play during the holiday season.

By the time we get to Christmas, we’re usually pretty stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner and multiple batches of Christmas cookie bake sessions. But we still want something special to enjoy this time with our family.

At The Produce Moms, we love finding new ways to serve fruits and veggies to you and your family. So we did just that with this cucumber Christmas tree recipe. 

This cucumber Christmas tree veggie tray is sponsored by NatureSweet®.

You’ll top each cucumber round with a creamy yogurt and feta mixture and a fresh cherry tomato and serve it on a platter in the shape of a Christmas tree. The vibrant red and green pair beautifully with Christmas dinner and can be easily multiplied for extra batches for easy, nutritious snacking.

Be sure to get your kids into the kitchen with you to create more special memories in the kitchen. Plus, they can taste-test a cucumber bite or two; just make sure the creamy-to-crunchy ratio is just right. 

Don’t forget to check out the recipes at the end for more produce options this holiday season. 

Ingredients

You’ll find all of your ingredients in the produce and dairy sections at your local grocery store. We love using ingredients that are affordable and easy to find. So let’s grab your ingredients and make our Christmas tree snack!

NatureSweet® Produce 

English Cucumbers are firm and dark green, just like the leaves of a Christmas tree. Although they are sturdy enough to hold the toppings of each cucumber bite, they are made up of 96% water. Such a refreshing snack to cut through all the sugar of the holiday season with a crispy crunch. You’ll find these long cucumbers wrapped in plastic in the produce aisle. 

NatureSweet Cherubs® tomatoes add a pop of red like little tree ornaments. We love the juicy burst of sweetness as you bite into them. They are carefully grown in greenhouses and handpicked at peak ripeness. NatureSweet Cherubs® are the #1 selling snacking tomatoes in the world for their naturally sweet flavor. You gotta get the Cherubs®!

Topping

To make the topping creamy, tangy, and flavorful, we mixed yogurt, cream cheese, feta, dill, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s such a simple blend of easy-to-find ingredients, but it has a vibrant, creamy texture that pairs with the fresh cucumbers and juicy tomatoes.

Festive add-ons

To finish off the Christmas tree vibes, we used graham crackers and a small block of cheese. But more on that below.  

How to Make Your Cucumber Christmas Tree

With all of your ingredients on hand, it’s time to chop, mix, pipe, and decorate for a fun appetizer in minutes. Let’s go!

Step 1: Rinse and prep veggies.

Unwrap and rinse your cucumbers and set them on a cutting board in front of you. Then, rinse and drain the tomatoes using the clear lid of the packaging as a strainer. Set the tomatoes aside until you’re ready to top your cucumber bites.

Use a knife to slice the cucumbers about 1½ – 2 inches thick and arrange them on a large serving plate. It’s easier to start at the top and work your way down, adding one more cucumber slice to each new row. 

If you’re adding a cheese star on top, place your first cucumber slice a little lower from the top so there is enough space. 

Step 2: Make the creamy topping.

Add the yogurt, cream cheese, feta, dill, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor and blend until it’s thick and creamy. Transfer the cheese mixture to a piping bag to decorate your cucumber Christmas tree. 

Don’t have a piping bag? No problem! Put your topping mixture in a Ziploc bag and cut the corner with scissors. It works just as well.

Step 3: Decorate your cucumber Christmas tree.

Pipe about a teaspoon of the cheese mixture over each cucumber slice. Then, top each one with a tomato. 

Note: You’ll probably have about half of the dip leftover. Serve it with other veggie trays or store it in the fridge for quick snacks after the holidays.

We also added a stack of crackers for the tree trunk and used a star cookie cutter to make stars from a block of cheese. You can slice the star cheese with a knife and place it in a pile on top, so it’s easy to eat with the crackers. The crackers and cheese are optional, but our kids love it!

Why We Love NatureSweet®

We love having fresh fruits and veggies all year round. NatureSweet® is passionate about getting more veggies on your family’s tables while also taking care of the growers who help them achieve that goal. They empower the people they work with so that you and I can have juicy, fresh, and crisp tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. And that’s a mission we’re honored to support.

Look for your tomatoes and cucumbers in the produce aisle for a cucumber Christmas tree at peak freshness.

Fresh Recipes for Entertaining

• Watermelon and Cucumber Salad – refreshing and hydrating
• Stuffed Tomatoes and Cucumber Wraps – two appetizers in one recipe
• Fresh Tomato Tart – only 10 minutes of prep
• Hot Honey Roasted Tomatoes – perfect over crispy bread
• Burrata and Roasted Tomatoes – sweet, juicy, and creamy
• Avocado, Shrimp, and Cucumber Bites – great for parties with a little protein