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This warm goat cheese appetizer is perfect for entertaining! Just 4 ingredients make this tasty dip for crostini or crackers.
Our favorite recipes for easy entertaining? Those that have minimal ingredients and prep time, but achieve maximum flavor. There’s no better example of that than this warm goat cheese appetizer! It’s got just 4 ingredients, takes just 10 minutes to bake, and tastes like an absolute dream.
The tangy, gooey goat cheese against the citrusy marmalade and herbaceous thyme is pure bliss. It’s become a total go-to in our house. We love this recipe so much, we decided to included it in our A Couple Cooks cookbook!
Ingredients in this goat cheese appetizer
Guests are coming? Quick, grab these four ingredients for a crowd-pleaser that will have everyone parked around the dish. The simplicity here is magic: the creaminess of the cheese with the sweet tart marmalade is the perfect combination. Here are the only ingredients you’ll need for this goat cheese appetizer:
- Goat cheese log (aka chevre)
- Marmalade or jam or any kind
- Pistachios
- Fresh thyme
Throw the goat cheese into the oven with the marmalade and bake 10 minutes, then top with chopped nuts and fresh thyme sprigs. The oven warms it so it’s spreadable on crackers or crostini. It’s so simple and perfect for any occasion: dinner parties, Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and everything in between.
Variations
There are endless variations on this goat cheese appetizer idea! I sent this to my mother and she made it the same day using blueberry preserves. Here are some ideas:
- Preserves and jam: Use orange apricot marmalade like we do, or any type of preserves. Good flavor pairings with goat cheese are blueberry, blackberry, fig, and tomato jam.
- Nuts: Use any type of chopped nuts! Instead of pistachios, use almonds, pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts.
- Herbs: The fresh thyme has a distinct flavor here that we highly recommend! You can substitute dried thyme if desired. Chopped chives, rosemary or sage would also work.
Ways to serve this goat cheese appetizer
Pull this goat cheese appetizer out of the oven, and you can serve it immediately! Baking the cheese is key, because it makes it warm enough to be spreadable. Here are a few ideas to use for dipping in:
- Crusty bread like no knead bread, baguette, or other
- Crostini (here’s how to make your own)
- Crackers
- Pita chips (here’s how to make them)
- Flatbread or naan bread
Tip for taking to a party
Taking this goat cheese appetizer to a party? Here’s what to do:
- Bake first. Bake it your house, then cover the dish in foil and warp it a towel to keep it warm. It should stay warm for about 20 minutes this way.
- Bake at the party. Or, have the host preheat the oven for you in advance! Pop it in right when you get to the party.
Dietary notes
This goat cheese appetizer recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free (using gluten-free crackers).
Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer
This warm goat cheese appetizer is perfect for entertaining! Just 4 ingredients make this tasty dip for crostini or crackers.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Appetizer
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 10 ounces goat cheese log
- ½ cup orange apricot marmalade, or preserves or jam of any flavor*
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- Crostini, bread or crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread ⅓ cup of the preserves in a small baking dish. Add the goat cheese log. Top with 2 tablespoons of the preserves. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and top with pistachios and fresh thyme. Use as a dip for crostini, bread, or crackers.
Notes
*Other great options are blueberry, blackberry, fig, tomato jam, and more.
More goat cheese recipes
This goat cheese appetizer is one in a long list of favorite recipes starring this ingredient! (We’re goat cheese fanatics, in case you couldn’t tell.) Here are some great goat cheese recipes to try:
- Go for fan favorite Baked Goat Cheese Dip or Whipped Goat Cheese
- Go for Cranberry Goat Cheese or Blueberry Goat Cheese
- Try crispy and delicious Goat Cheese Pizza
- Start the day with a Goat Cheese Omelette
- Make a fresh Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula & Apple
- Mix up Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta or Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
We tried this recipe with fig jam and it was delicious and easy!
This was very good. I used date jam (mash medjool dates with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar). One to make again. Thanks!
I love these easy to throw together appetizer ideas. Thanks! Can’t wait to try this one.