This Baked Goat Cheese is melty, creamy, and the perfect sharing appetizer this holiday season. Serve it with some simple crackers or crostini and get ready for the recipe requests to come rolling in.
The Best Baked Goat Cheese
If you’ve ever wondered if you can bake goat cheese, the answer is a resounding YES! When baked, goat cheese becomes soft, creamy, and perfectly scoopable. This easy appetizer comes together in less than 30 minutes and only uses a handful of simple ingredients to get an out of this world dish. And the hot honey is the finishing touch that you didn’t know you needed until you tried it.
Looking for More Recipes Like This?
Then you have to try our ultimate spinach artichoke dip or our BBQ chicken dip. They’re both as cheesy and delicious as you’d expect.
What You Will Need
- honey – a touch of sweetness that’s the perfect pairing with savory cheeses.
- garlic – Just a bit to add a depth of flavor.
- kosher salt & black pepper – Two simple classics that heighten the entire dish.
- red pepper flakes – Adds just the right amount of heat to the hot honey.
- goat cheese – A creamy mild cheese that’s perfect for scooping.
- cream cheese & parmesan – Two melty cheeses that help balance out the creaminess of the goat cheese.
- extra virgin olive oil – Just a bit to ensure all the flavors are evenly distributed.
- lemon zest – A hint of citrus adds brightness and balance.
- toppings: We love to top this yummy appetizer with candied pecans and thyme to add crunch and flavor.
- serving: Learn how to make crostini or pick up some crackers from the store for serving.
How To Bake Goat Cheese
While your oven preheats to 400 degrees F, start gathering your ingredients for the cheese mixture and hot honey. To make the hot honey, place the honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper all in a small sauce pan and warm it up on the stove top at low heat so that it warms. We do not want this to boil.
Pro Tip
Set the cream cheese and goat cheese out on the counter a couple of hours ahead of time. This allows them to naturally come to room temperature which makes the mixing process a lot easier.
Once your honey is warmed, remove it from the stove top and start on the cheese mixture. Place the cream cheese, goat cheese, parmesan, garlic, honey, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper all in a large mixing bowl. Then use a hand mixer to combine all the ingredients into a uniform mixture.
Use a spatula to scoop out the cheese mixture and place it into a small baking dish, being sure that it’s evenly distributed. Then pop it in your preheated oven and let it bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.
Let your baked goat cheese appetizer cool slightly and then top with optional candied or plain pecans and a drizzling of hot honey.
Serve with a smattering of crackers or, if you’re really feeling inspired, make some super easy homemade crostini.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- Gluten-Free: simply serve with your favorite gluten-free crackers.
- Dairy-free: make this dish dairy-free by using dairy-free cheeses.
- toppings: We love this with candied pecans and hot honey, but a variety of jams would be amazing as well as different nut varieties.
- storage: Store leftover baked goat cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to store the crackers separately or they’ll quickly become stale.
- nutrition: The nutrition facts included in the recipe card account for only the baked goat cheese.
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Other Cheesy Appetizers You Might Like
Baked Goat Cheese + Hot Honey
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our quick and easy Baked Goat Cheese recipe is the perfect appetizer for your next special occasion or family gathering!
Ingredients
Hot Honey:
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1–2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch of kosher salt
- pinch of ground black pepper
Baked Goat Cheese:
- 8oz goat cheese, room temperature
- 4oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey (more, if desired)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- topping suggestions: whole or chopped pecans, candied pecans, fresh thyme
- serving: your favorite cracker or crostini
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Hot Honey: Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to medium heat. Stir often and let the honey warm through approx. 3-5 minutes (don’t let it boil here – we are just warming it through so it is “hot”). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Mix: In a large bowl, add goat cheese, cream cheese, parmesan, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, honey, and garlic. Use an electric hand mixer to fully combine all ingredients together.
- Bake: Spread goat cheese mixture evenly in the bottom of a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges.
- Serve: Garnish the top with whole or chopped pecans (feel free to use candied pecans), lots of hot honey and garnish with fresh thyme. Enjoy with homemade crostini or your favorite dipping crackers.
Notes
- Toppings: This is totally up to your personal preference! Highly recommend the hot honey sauce and candied pecans combination, but it would also be great with your favorite jelly/jam, chopped walnuts, or any other toppings that you love.
- Dairy-Free: use a dairy-free cream cheese and parmesan cheese alternative.
- Gluten-Free: serve with your favorite gluten-free crackers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 208
- Sugar: 12.9 g
- Sodium: 390.7 mg
- Fat: 14.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.7 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
- Cholesterol: 28.3 mg
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