Make these colorful & delicious Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Bites for your next party or get together! These EASY bite sized appetizers are made in 15 minutes!
Recently I hosted a Christmas get together for former co-workers. Several of us hadn’t seen each other in 12 years! It always seems like the holidays are a great time to renew friendships and enjoy spending time with those you love!
I made a couple simple desserts, provided beverages, and asked everyone that came to the party to bring an appetizer to share! It was a lot of fun, and there were some nice food choices we all enjoyed!
The appetizer I decided to make was this recipe for Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Bites. I originally found the recipe on Pinterest, from Jessica (at The Novice Chef), and decided to try it!
The recipe is super easy to make, and the results? Fantastic! Creamy, slightly sweet cheese balls, are coated in dried cranberries, fresh parsley, and chopped pecans. These colorful (green and red) tiny bite size treats were a perfect appetizer for the holiday season! YUM!
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
How To Make Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Bites Filling
Place the goat cheese, cream cheese, honey and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to fully combine these ingredients until blended and smooth.
Once the goat cheese mixture is smooth, add 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans, reserving the remaining pecans (1 cup) for later. Stir the 1/2 cup of chopped pecans into the cheese mixture until combined. This will be the filling for your cranberry pecan goat cheese bites!
NOTE: I “dry-toasted” the pecans in a skillet (no oil, etc.), stirring for a few minutes to slightly toast them before using them in this recipe. I then let the pecans cool before adding them to the cheese mixture. THIS STEP IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL (but good!).
Covering The Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Bites
Place a sheet of parchment paper on kitchen counter. Put the remaining 1 cup of chopped pecans, dried cranberries and chopped fresh parsley on the paper.
Gently combine the pecans, cranberries and parsley. Spread them out a bit on the parchment paper. Grab a cookie scoop (or a Tablespoon measuring spoon), and get ready to create these cute cranberry pecan goat cheese bites!
Place a scoop of the goat cheese mixture on top of the cranberry/pecan/parsley mixture. Make sure the cheese mixture is rounded into a ball. Roll it around in the topping, until the cheese ball is covered on all sides. When done, place the cranberry pecan goat cheese ball on a large plate or platter.
Repeat this process (one at a time) until all the goat cheese mixture is gone. The recipe will yield about 18 cranberry pecan goat cheese bites!
The cheese balls will need to be refrigerated, for peak flavor and texture. They will firm up a bit as they chill. They are at their best, when served cold, right from the refrigerator! You can make these cute and festive little appetizers up to 3 days in advance, which is really a great timesaver! They need to be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed, airtight container.
Don’t they look colorful? Perfect for the Christmas holidays! And… since they are so easy to make (and can be made ahead of time), this appetizer is PERFECT for such a busy time of year!
Serving The Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Bites
Right before serving the cranberry pecan goat cheese bites, I transferred them to a pretty Christmas serving platter. Gently insert a stick pretzel into the center of each cheese ball, to serve. That step is completely optional, but it made it very easy for my guests to pick up the cranberry pecan goat cheese bites to put on their plate!
I received several compliments on these colorful and yummy appetizers! They are GOOD! Sure do hope you will consider making these for your family, friends, a holiday party… or ANY time of the year! Have a wonderful day, friends. Make it a GOOD one!
Looking For More Appetizer Recipes?
You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index located at the top of the page. A few favorite appetizers (that are wonderful for parties) are:
- Tex Mex Party Nuts
- Classic Bruschetta
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies
- Mom’s Famous Cream Cheese Ball
- Hummus
Interested In More Recipes?
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Recipe Source: https://thenovicechefblog.com/cranberry-pecan-goat-cheese-truffles/
- 10 ounces goat cheese (chevre)
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups pecans , chopped and divided
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Place goat cheese, cream cheese, honey and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to fully combine ingredients until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans (reserve the rest for later). Stir the pecans into cheese mixture until combined. NOTE: I "dry-toasted" the pecans in a skillet (no oil, etc.), stirring for a few minutes to slightly toast them before using them in this recipe. I then let the pecans cool before adding them to the cheese mixture. THIS STEP IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL (but good!).
Place a sheet of parchment paper on kitchen counter. Put remaining cup of chopped pecans, dried cranberries and chopped fresh parsley on the paper. Gently combine pecans, cranberries and parsley. Spread them out on the parchment paper.
Place a scoop (using cookie scoop or Tablespoon) of the goat cheese mixture on top of the cranberry/pecan/parsley mixture. Make sure the cheese mixture is rounded into a ball. Roll it around in the topping, until the cheese ball is covered on all sides. When done, place the cranberry pecan goat cheese ball on a large plate or platter. Repeat process (one at a time) until all the goat cheese mixture is gone.
The cheese balls will need to be refrigerated, for peak flavor and texture. They will firm up as they chill. They are at their best, when served cold, right from the refrigerator! You can make these appetizers up to 3 days in advance, which is a great timesaver! They need to be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed, airtight container. Serve as is, or gently insert a stick pretzel into the top of the cheese ball right before serving. Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!