This appetizer comes together so quickly and you'll love the savory-sweet flavor. Here's how to make an Easy Goat Cheese Ball with Pistachios And Cranberries.
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When it comes to easy party food, a cheese ball should be at the top of your list. It's an old-fashioned appetizer but still a popular one, and so yummy to dig into with sturdy crackers!
This version is a Goat Cheese Ball. It takes just minutes to mix together and only 30 minutes to chill before you can set it out at your gathering.
The base of this spread is tangy goat cheese, or chèvre, that's really delicious in combination with dried, chopped cranberries and chopped pistachios.
What is a Goat Cheese Ball?
A cheese ball is a type of appetizer made by first blending soft cheese with a variety of mix-ins like herbs, aromatics, nuts, dried fruits, and bacon bits. The mixture is then molded into a rounded ball shape and chilled until firm.
Once set, it can be served as is or coated with nuts or herbs. It's attractive to set out on the snack table with plenty of crackers and a small cheese knife.
A goat cheese ball is simply a cheese ball made with soft goat cheese as the primary ingredient. My recipe includes pistachios and cranberries in the cheese mixture.
I’m a big fan of the cheese products from Vermont Creamery, but if they're not available in your area use any good quality chèvre.
Why you'll love this recipe
The very best thing about a cranberry pistachio goat cheese ball is how easy it is to make. It's ready to serve 30 minutes after shaping, or you can make it hours in advance and have it waiting in the fridge—which is just so convenient.
If you love goat cheese then you'll love how the flavors of this Cheese Ball work together: tangy goat cheese, sweet-tart bits of cranberry, and crunchy bits of pistachio. Pepper jelly brings a little heat to the mixture, too.
Make this Goat Cheese Ball for the holidays
Add this one to your collection of holiday recipes! It's an easy snack to make when family and friends come to your house for the holidays, or to bring along to a Christmas or New Year's Eve party.
The red cranberries and green pistachios also give the cheese ball a wonderful, festive look that's perfect in December. Scatter extra cranberries and nuts around the serving tray to make it even lovelier.
🔪 How To Make An Easy Goat Cheese Ball (with Pistachios and Cranberries)
Ingredients:
- Dried Cranberries: They give gorgeous color and sweet-tart flavor to this appetizer.
- Pistachios: That green is lovely with the red cranberries.
- Goat Cheese: I like Vermont Creamery Chèvre or use another quality brand.
- Hot Pepper Jelly: Look for this near the relishes and hot sauces at the store.
- Salt: Just a pinch.
Step 1: Chop the cranberries and pistachios
Use a sharp knife to cut the dried cranberries and pistachios into small pieces.
Step 2: Blend the ingredients
Mix together the cranberries, nuts, goat cheese, and pepper jelly in a mixer.
Step 3: Make the cheese ball
Press the cheese into a small, lined bowl and chill it.
Step 4: Unmold and serve
Invert the cheese ball onto a serving plate and spoon a little warmed-up pepper jelly over the top. Garnish the cranberry goat cheese ball with more chopped cranberries and pistachios, and serve it with crackers.
FAQs
Serve a variety of crackers: choose sturdy ones that can hold up when spread with cheese. Pita chips, slices of mini baguette, and veggies like carrot sticks and celery sticks are also good choices to serve with this cheese spread.
Tip:
- You can make this Goat Cheese Ball up to 3 days in advance. Keep it covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until you're ready to serve it.
A Pistachio and Cranberry Goat Cheese Ball checks all the boxes: easy to make, quite tasty, and goes well with good crackers. Plus, you only need 5 ingredients!
Are you ready? Let's make a cheese ball! The recipe for a Goat Cheese Ball With Pistachios and Cranberries is below. Here are more appetizer ideas, too:
💬 Have you tried this cheese ball? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Easy Goat Cheese Ball (With Pistachios And Cranberries)
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup pistachios in their shells (or ¼ cup shelled pistachios)
- 8 ounces good quality chèvre goat cheese (such as Vermont Creamery)
- 3 tablespoons hot pepper jelly (Plus extra to spoon over the top)
- 1 pinch salt
- Extra cranberries and pistachios for garnish
Instructions
Chop ingredients:
- Use a sharp knife and cutting board to chop up the dried cranberries. You don't have to worry too much about uniformity of the pieces, just chop them into smaller pieces.
- Remove the pistachios from their shells and use a sharp knife to chop them into small pieces.
Blend the ingredients:
- Place the chopped cranberries, chopped pistachios, goat cheese, pepper jelly and pinch of salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix the ingredients together on medium speed until the ingredients are evenly blended. (You can also use a large bowl and hand mixer to do this step.)
Make the cheese ball:
- Line a small, round bowl with plastic wrap. Press the goat cheese spread firmly into the bowl. Cover the top with plastic and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Unmold and serve:
- Have a serving plate ready: remove the top piece of plastic and invert the bowl onto the serving platter. Remove the bowl and the plastic wrap from the cheese.
- Warm a little pepper jelly for a few seconds in the microwave. Spoon it over the top.
- Add a few dried cranberries and pistachios as a garnish. Place crackers around the cheese and serve it up!
Serving options:
- Instead of a ball you can also simply spoon the cheese spread into a small serving dish and set it out with crackers. Or, you can shape the cheese spread into a log, chill it, and serve it in the log shape.
Notes
- You can make this Goat Cheese Ball up to 3 days in advance. Keep it covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until you're ready to serve it.
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