Goat cheese has a creamy texture and tangy flavor that pairs amazingly with a variety of other ingredients, making it a favorite when creating simple, yet delicious, appetizers! Served with fresh fruits, drizzled with honey, added to savory ingredients, served atop crostini, there are endless possibilities when you want to impress your guests.
If you haven't tried goat cheese, also called chèvre (which is French for goat), we want to introduce you to a delicious creamy, tangy delight! These goat cheese appetizer recipes are delicious, fast, and easy to make. They're perfect for your next party, family get together, or any day treat to yourself!
Goat cheese comes in a wide variety of forms - a creamy blue cheese, firm wedges, a crumbly log. Each type offers its own unique texture and flavor, making goat cheese as diverse as it is delicious.
Jump to:
- Types of goat cheese
- How to buy and store goat cheese
- Our Favorite Recipe
- Recipes for Goat Cheese Appetizers
- Blackberry Goat Cheese Crostini
- Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Whipped Goat Cheese
- Strawberry Goat Cheese Crostini
- Pumpkin Galette
- Pear and Goat Cheese Crostini
- Peach Bruschetta with Whipped Goat Cheese
- Herbed Goat Cheese Roll
- Fried Goat Cheese Balls
- Herb Marinated Goat Cheese
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes for Casual Entertaining
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Types of goat cheese
The aging time of goat cheese directly affects its texture and flavor.
- Fresh, semi-soft goat cheese, aged just a number of days, is typically shaped in a log and is tangy with a creamy texture.
- Hard or firm goat cheese, usually aged 3-4 weeks, is drier and has a richer flavor.
- Ripened goat cheese, aged over 2 months, becomes even firmer and crumbly with a stronger, more complex flavor and a more wrinkled rind.
Most recipes calling for goat cheese typically use fresh goat cheese, like what you normally find in the deli section from companies like Vermont Creamery
- Most grocery stores carry fresh or semi-soft goat cheese, usually found in the deli section. We love Vermont Creamery for its consistent delicious flavor and creamy texture.
- For a wider variety, visit a cheese store or a well-stocked cheese counter, where you'll find options like blue, stinky, brie-style, and even Loires, named after France's Loire Valle. These are delicious to experiment with on a cheese board or in the recipes we've included.
How to buy and store goat cheese
Fresh goat cheese should have firmness rather than mushiness, which can indicate excess water content. If it's sold in wedges, make sure the rind hasn't separated from the cheese, which may suggest the cheese is old and has been sitting for awhile.
Goat cheese comes in various shapes - logs, discs, pyramids, or blocks - and can be plain or coated in herbs. The shape doesn't affect the flavor of the goat cheese.
It's best to buy only what you need and use the cheese quickly before it dries out. If you have leftovers, avoid plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container to keep it fresher longer.
We've included goat cheese appetizers recipes, but it's also fantastic in a varitey of other dishes!
- Crumbled in salads
- Melted into mac and cheese
- Sprinkled on pizza or calzones
- Spread on flatbread, or galettes
- Garnishing soup
- Melted in a grilled cheese sandwich
Our Favorite Recipe
Asking us to pick one favorite recipe is...unfair. But if we had to choose JUST ONE DISH from this recipe collection, it would be THIS ONE.
It's a stuffed mushroom - do we really need to say more? Tangy goat cheese, fresh herbs, all melted together inside a savory mushroom cap - it's magic in one bite! Plus: they're quick and easy to make. Any leftovers? Chop them up and heat with fresh cooked pasta for a next day meal.
Recipes for Goat Cheese Appetizers
This collection features our favorite goat cheese appetizer recipes from our archives, plus a few delicious ideas from other recipe developers!
Blackberry Goat Cheese Crostini
Easy blackberry goat cheese crostini are the perfect decadent bite that’s sure to be a hit! A beautiful and delicious addition to your holiday spread!
Photo & Recipe: Life As A Strawberry
Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Baked mushroom caps filled with creamy, tangy goat cheese, cream cheese and fresh herbs make these herb and goat cheese stuffed mushrooms the perfect bite!
Whipped Goat Cheese
This easy whipped goat cheese recipe makes a creamy spread that's perfect as a dip, over crostini, or added to your favorite pasta!
Photo & Recipe: Life As A Strawberry
Strawberry Goat Cheese Crostini
Easy strawberry crostini with creamy goat cheese, honey, balsamic reduction, and mint. A sweet and savory bite perfect for any occasion!
Pumpkin Galette
Brown butter pumpkin galette topped with caramelized onions and tangy goat cheese. This savory pumpkin galette makes a perfect Thanksgiving appetizer!
Photo & Recipe: Coley Cooks
Pear and Goat Cheese Crostini
This Pear and Goat Cheese Crostini is super easy and fast to make. It is ready in minutes with just a few ingredients. The best part - IT'S DELICIOUS!
Peach Bruschetta with Whipped Goat Cheese
This easy peach appetizer with whipped goat cheese, fresh basil, and balsamic glaze is perfect for entertaining or as a light dinner!
Photo & Recipe: Life As A Strawberry
Herbed Goat Cheese Roll
This tangy goat cheese log rolled in fresh herbs is a delicious addition to your next cheese platter, appetizer table, or just enjoy it by yourself!
Fried Goat Cheese Balls
Crispy, golden fried goat cheese balls with a creamy, melty center, ready in 30 minutes. A perfect appetizer for holidays, game day, or movie night!
Photo & Recipe: Ahead of Thyme
Herb Marinated Goat Cheese
Effortlessly elegant, this herb marinated goat cheese is a simple yet gourmet appetizer that’s sure to impress at any gathering!
Photo & Recipe: Life As A Strawberry
Frequently Asked Questions
Goat cheese dries out fairly fast which means it will loose it's freshness, so it's best to buy just what you need and use it promptly. Here are some guidelines for when you have extra cheese.
• Don't store it in plastic wrap! This can cause moisture to build up and the cheese to become wet, which makes the cheese spoil faster and causes it to loose flavor faster.
• Store in an airtight container or wrap in parchment paper (or waxed paper) in the refrigerator. These methods allow the cheese to breathe and prevents additional moisture building up.
Not at all! Goat cheese varies widely in both texture and flavor, it's affected by where the goats are raised, their diet, and the aging process used in the cheese production. The most familiar type is fresh, semi-soft goat cheese, usually aged 8-15 days. It has a tangy flavor, a soft, creamy texture, and is often sold in a log shape in the deli sections.
There's also a firmer variety, aged 3-4 weeks, which has a drier texture and a richer flavor. Finally, ripened goat cheese, aged over 2 months, is even firmer, more crumbly with a stronger, more complex flavor, and a wrinkled rind.
Then you have different flavors and types; herb, fruit and herb, gouda, cheddar just to name a few. A cheese store or a well-stocked cheese counter should carry a wider variety of goat cheese.
The recipes for goat cheese appetizers in this post are just one way to use goat cheese. It is also great crumbled in salads, melted into mac and cheese, sprinkled on pizza or calzones, as a garnish for soup, or melted in a grilled cheese sandwich!
We hope you loved this guide to goat cheese appetizers! If you have any questions, drop a comment below. For more easy ideas to help you entertain with confidence, check our full recipe index.
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