Description
This festive Christmas Tree Dip is a delightful and visually appealing appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings. It combines creamy cannellini beans and reduced-fat cream cheese as a base, topped with vibrant pesto and decorated with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, and colorful Sweety Drop peppers. The decorative star and tree trunk add charm, making this dip both delicious and a centerpiece on your holiday table.
Ingredients
Scale
Base:
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel cheese)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings:
- ¼ – ⅓ cup fresh or refrigerated pesto
- Yellow bell pepper (for star, cut into star shape) or a star-shaped cracker
- Brownish or purple-black pepper slice (rectangular for trunk) or brown, rectangular cracker
- ½ cup chopped artichoke hearts (canned, not marinated)
- ½ cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
- Kalamata olives, sliced horizontally into rings
- Sweety Drop peppers (tiny, tear-shaped peppers)
- 1-2 tablespoons crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese or tomato-basil-flavored feta cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the cream cheese base: In a blender or food processor, combine the drained cannellini beans, reduced-fat cream cheese, and kosher salt. Blend until the mixture is very smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary to ensure an even texture.
- Shape the tree: Spread the creamy bean mixture onto a large platter (approximately 12″ x 16″ oval preferred) in the shape of a Christmas tree, smoothing the surface evenly.
- Add pesto layer: Spread a thin, even layer of pesto over the cream cheese base, leaving a small border around the edges. Use about ¼ cup pesto for a larger platter, or up to ⅓ cup if the cream cheese layer is thick or the platter smaller.
- Create the star and trunk decorations: Use a cookie cutter to cut a star shape from the flat side of the yellow bell pepper for the top of the tree. Cut a rectangular piece from the brownish pepper for the tree trunk. Alternatively, use star-shaped and rectangular crackers for these elements. Place the star on top of the tree and the trunk at the bottom.
- Decorate the tree: Arrange the chopped artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers to form garland strings across the tree. Scatter Kalamata olive rings and Sweety Drop peppers decoratively as ornaments. Finally, sprinkle crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese over the tree to resemble snow.
- Serve and enjoy: Allow the dip to soften slightly at room temperature for best texture before serving. Serve with crackers, bread slices, or vegetable crudités as desired.
Notes
- Select a vibrant and fresh-looking pesto for the best flavor; refrigerated brands like Rana or Kirkland are recommended over shelf-stable jarred varieties.
- For make-ahead, prep toppings 1-2 days in advance and refrigerate separately.
- You can also assemble the dip up to a day ahead; keep covered in plastic wrap and bring to room temperature about 20 minutes before serving to soften the cream cheese.
- To maintain food safety, avoid keeping the dip out at room temperature for extended periods before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (~½ cup)
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 230mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
