Festive Goat Cheese Balls

Festive Goat Cheese Balls – Creamy, sweet, tangy and delicious festive appetizer made with goat cheese, cream cheese, cranberries and pistachios. Perfect for Christmas!

What are goat cheese balls?

These are a festive dish made with goat cheese, cream cheese, dried cranberries, and pistachios. It is a simple, no-cook, no-bake and delightful holiday appetizer that can be made in no time.

The combination of creamy goat cheese and cream cheese with the tartness of cranberries and the nuttiness of pistachios creates a wonderful blend of flavors. These are creamy, tangy, sweet and often served as bite-sized snacks or appetizers, perfect for parties and celebrations during the holiday season.

These are a wonderful option if you are looking for a easy and quick festive appetizer. Makes a great addition to your cheese board.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Creamy, sweet, savory and festive!

Straightforward and easy to make.

You can easily modify it by adding your favorite spice or herbs!

Can be make ahead and perfect for gatherings and celebrations.

Ingredients & Substitutions:

Goat Cheese – It is the key ingredient. It adds the creaminess and tangy flavor to the balls. Make sure to soften it at room temperature for easy mixing.

Cream Cheese – Adds additional creaminess to the dish and helps bind the ingredients together.

Cranberries – Adds a sweet and tart flavor. Make sure you chop the dried cranberries so they will stick to the cheese balls easily.

Pistachios – I love the combination of cranberries and pistachios. They will add a nutty flavor and texture. You can use raw or roasted pistachios. Almonds, walnuts, or pecans could be used instead.

Cilantro – It can be replaced with fresh parsley.

Honey – Do not skip adding sweetener. Maple syrup or agave can also be used.

Red Chilli Flakes – Adds a hit of spice. You can swap it with paprika, cayenne pepper, or minced jalapenos.

Salt – A pinch of salt is enough.

Serving suggestions:

Serve the cheese balls with your favorite crackers, pretzels, veggie sticks or slices of crusty bread.

Incorporate them into a larger charcuterie or cheese board. Arrange them alongside other cheeses, olives, nuts, and dips.

You can also use them as a flavorful salad topping.

Storage suggestions:

These require refrigeration. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for few days. Avoid freezing.

Tips & Notes:

Ensure the cheeses are at room temperature before mixing.

If you are not able to roll the cheese mixture into balls, chill it for sometime to make it easier to shape them.

Use fresh and high quality ingredients for the best flavor and taste.

Step by step instructions:

Combine the softened goat cheese, cream cheese, salt, honey and red chilli flakes in a mixing bowl.

Mix everything until creamy and well combined.

Add ¼th cup of chopped dried cranberries, ¼th cup of chopped pistachios and ⅛th cup chopped cilantro to the creamed cheeses.

Gently mix everything using a spatula. If you want to shape the mixture into a large ball instead of tiny balls, chill the mixture at this stage for at least 30 minutes for easy rolling. You don’t need to chill the mixture before rolling if you want to make small balls.

Combine the remaining chopped cranberries, pistachios and cilantro in a small bowl or plate.

Give it a mix.

Take a spoonful of the prepared mixture and lightly roll it into a ball.

Roll it in the cranberry nut mixture well.

Take it out of the bowl and roll it between your palms to coat the cranberries neatly.

Let them chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve them with crackers.

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• Lemon Meltaway Cookies
• Pumpkin Chia Pudding
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• Cherry Cream Cheese Spread
• Avocado Yogurt Dip
• Sweet Potato Pizza Bites

Recipe inspirations: Food Network

Cranberry goat cheese balls recipe video below: