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Goat Cheese Appetizer

5 from 1 vote
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posted: 12/19/18

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

This baked Goat Cheese Appetizer is a simple and delicious recipe that your friends and family will love. With just 10 minutes of prep time and minimal ingredients that you already have on hand, this is the perfect easy appetizer to throw together last minute! This would pair perfectly with some Cinnamon Whiskey Sangria. These Honey BBQ Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs and this Olive Pizza Appetizer are other great appetizers to serve with this recipe.

goat cheese appetizer recipe in a small baking dish

This morning I took a huge carful of gifts to a family in our city. I can’t stop talking/bragging about it because it makes my heart feel so happy. We found the family through a local community center that sets up this program every year and connects people with families in need. This is the second year we’ve done it, and just because people have asked me how we found the community center to work with, I will mention it here. Last November, I googled the name of our city plus “adopt family Christmas,” and found this program. They have been great to work with!

One of the reasons I love doing this so much is because we have our kids do it with us. We have them read the lists and then help us find things for the family that we think they will like. It was eye opening for them this year because the family we were shopping for needed basics, like beds, pots and pans, and plates. My kids are very blessed and couldn’t really understand how a family could not have beds.

We are so lucky and blessed that we have the means to do something like this for a family this time of year. It makes me so so happy.

easy goat cheese appetizer in a small baking dish with toasted baguettes around it

GOAT CHEESE APPETIZER

As I’m crossing things off of my holiday to-do list, I’m thinking about holiday celebrations and what I’ll be bringing to parties. I’m always on the prowl for easy appetizers that I can bring. This easy Goat Cheese Appetizer is currently at the top of my list. Besides being so fast and easy to make, it is absolutely amazing. It is a recipe out of America’s Test Kitchen (such a great source for amazing recipes), and I just made tweaks when it came to the herbs.

HOW DO YOU BAKE GOAT CHEESE?

Goat cheese is totally perfect for baking. It is already a soft cheese, so when you bake it, it still maintains it’s shape. The cheese becomes warm, delicious, and perfect for spreading.

In this goat cheese appetizer recipe, you simply slice the log of goat cheese and put it in a small baking dish. After that you whisk together a few simple ingredients from the pantry. Pour it all over the top of the goat cheese, and throw it in the oven for 15 minutes.

HOW DO YOU CUT GOAT CHEESE?

Because goat cheese is soft, it is not the easiest to slice. It sticks to the knife and the log can get squished as you cut through it. You can just go for it with a knife and not worry about how it will look, because it will still be delicious. Or, you can use dental floss that you wrap around the log, cross over the top and pull the ends of to make slices.

baked goat cheese appetizer being spread on a toasted baguette

hand holding goat cheese log appetizer spread on a toasted baguette

WHAT IS IN THIS BAKED GOAT CHEESE APPETIZER?

  • olive oil
  • honey
  • orange zest
  • dried thyme
  • dried rosemary
  • dried basil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • red pepper flakes

Just about everything except the orange and the log of goat cheese were already in my pantry. I LOVE recipes like that.

I love the combination of flavors in this recipe. The savory herbs with the light sweetness of the honey and the zip of the red pepper flakes is amazing with the tangy goat cheese.

goat cheese appetizer in a small baking dish

WHAT DO I SERVE WITH THIS GOAT CHEESE APPETIZER?

I decided that toasted baguettes were the way to go with this baked goat cheese appetizer. To make them you want to:

  • Cut a long baguette into 1/2 inch pieces.
  • Butter them on one side.
  • Place them in a single layer on a baking and put them under a broiler for a few minutes, watching to make sure they do not burn.

As you can see, there is a lot of oil that the goat cheese cooks in, the bread is amazing dipped in that as well once all the cheese is gone!

OTHER GREAT APPETIZERS

If you are throwing a holiday party and looking for other great appetizers and cocktails, here are some recipes that you will definitely want to try:

toasted baguette with goat cheese honey appetizer spread on it

goat cheese appetizer recipe in a small baking dish
5 from 1 vote

Goat Cheese Appetizer

Serves: 20 servings
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
This baked Goat Cheese Appetizer is a simple and delicious recipe that your friends and family will love. With just 10 minutes of prep time and minimal ingredients that you already have on hand, this is the perfect easy appetizer to throw together last minute!  

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces goat cheese (in log form)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cut the goat cheese into 1/4 inch pieces.  The easiest way to do this is to use dental floss, as it will keep the cheese from collapsing as you cut it.  Lay the cut cheese in a small baking dish as pictured.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the rest of the ingredients.  Pour over the top of the goat cheese.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.  Serve warm with toasted baguettes.
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
goat cheese appetizer recipe in a small baking dish

did you make this

Goat Cheese Appetizer

I'd love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

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Dill Dip

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Spinach Balls

This Spinach Ball appetizer has been passed down from friend to friend! And now you get to make them too!

goat cheese appetizer recipe in a small baking dish

collage of photos of easy baked goat cheese

Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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  1. Sandy says

    5 stars
    Hi, Lisa! I should have written a comment a few years ago because that was the first of many times I have made this Goat Cheese Appetizer. I am thinking of making it again for a group next week but have a question. I have the three herbs growing on my patio and would love to use them. The usual ratio is 3 fresh to 1 dry. Have you ever used fresh herbs with this recipe and/or would you recommend doing so?

    • Lisa Longley says

      Hi Sandy! I’m so sorry I’m so late in replying to this. So, my general rule is to not bake with fresh herbs. They just don’t hold up to the heat. If you want to use fresh, you would want to add them at the very end. But then you aren’t going to get that flavor infusing into the oil during baking.

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