Who doesn’t love a good appetizer? And what’s better than one that’s both delicious and easy to make? These mini goat cheese balls are the perfect snack for your next party or get-together.
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Why you’ll love this easy appetizer
- If you love goat cheese, then these are for you!
- Red, yellow, and green – these appetizers scream Christmas!
- They’ll become a favorite appetizer for game day or a Christmas party.
- Super quick and easy to make, and you can make them ahead too.
- All the ingredients are 100% vegetarian.
Ingredients you’ll need
You need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
Bold, elegant and so much fun, these little goat cheese truffles are such a popular appetizer on any holiday table!
How to make mini goat cheese balls with step-by-step instructions
Making our festive mini goat cheese balls is easy if you follow our simple instructions.
A full printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Add cream cheese, goat cheese, and Italian seasoning to a small mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
Scoop up the cheese filling and, using your hands, roll it into cheese balls. If you want to get perfectly equal-sized cheese balls, weigh out the cheese mixture.
Place the cheese balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place them in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Once chilled, remove them from the fridge and gently roll each cheese ball in either chopped pistachios, chopped dried cranberries, or chopped dill.
Insert a pretzel stick into the balls and serve on a serving tray. Enjoy your goat cheese balls!
We hope you enjoy making and eating our goat cheese balls and would love to hear how you got on with making them.
Please leave a comment below, and feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Goat cheese
Use soft creamy goat cheese; there will be no need to use a food processor or blender. - Storage
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
A healthier way to eat goat cheese
Our mini cheese balls aren’t deep fried, which means that this appetizer recipe is a much healthier way for you to eat goat cheese.
What’s the best goat cheese to use?
We’ve used soft creamy goat cheese for these cheese truffles. We like it as you don’t have to use a food processor; both the cream cheese and goat cheese is soft enough to mix by hand.
You could use honey goat cheese which will give a sweeter taste.
Can I make goat cheese balls in advance?
Yes, you can. Make them up to 24 hours in advance, making them the perfect holiday appetizer!
How do I store them?
Store your mini cheese balls in an airtight container or on a plate covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days but remove the pretzel sticks as they will go soft.
You can also freeze, but they will be fiddly, so it may be better to freeze the goat cheese mixture as one large cheese ball.
What do I serve them with?
These cute cheese balls are absolutely delicious when served on assorted crackers and drizzled with honey.
Serve them with your favorite bread or with apple slices.
Play with the flavors
For a striking visual look, we’ve separated our coatings into three flavors: dried cranberries, chopped pistachios, and finely chopped dill.
You could mix them a little and have a cranberry-pistachio mixture for one of your cheese balls.
Substitute pistachios with finely chopped pecans (or your preferred chopped nuts), and if you do this, then toasted pecans are so tasty!
And if you’re out of dried cranberries, try your favorite dried fruit; dried cherries would be a great alternative, as you keep that festive red color.
Fresh parsley will be a great green substitute for the dill.
You could also add other cheese into the balls (make sure it’s vegetarian) blue cheese is amazing in them – give it a try!
Another great recipe to try is goat cheese with blueberry chutney.
More easy appetizer recipes for you to make at home
We’re sure that our mini goat cheese balls will become one of your favorite appetizers, so why not look at our other delicious appetizers?
- Air fryer mozzarella sticks
- Air fryer pizza rolls
- Baked brie
- Cheese ball
- Caprese skewers
- Vegetarian potato skins
Mini Goat Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 6 oz Cream cheese softened
- 8 oz Soft goat cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup Pistachios chopped
- ⅓ cup Fresh dill chopped
- ⅓ cup Dried cranberries
- 22 Pretzel sticks
Instructions
- Add cream cheese, goat cheese, and Italian seasoning to a food processor and blitz until fully combined6 oz Cream cheese, 8 oz Soft goat cheese, 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Remove the cheese mixture and, using your hands, roll it into small balls, approximately ½ inch in size. Place them on a parchment lined plate and place them in the fridge to chill for approximately 20 minutes
- Once chilled, gently roll the balls in the toppings and then pierce them with a pretzel stick. Serve and enjoy!⅓ cup Pistachios, ⅓ cup Fresh dill, ⅓ cup Dried cranberries, 22 Pretzel sticks
Notes
Use soft creamy goat cheese and there will be no need to use a food processor or blender Storage
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
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Jenn says
Love love love goat cheese and I can’t wait to make these again! Everyone loved them, especially the cranberry ones!
Elizabeth Swoish says
These were so delicious. The cranberry was my favorite. Yum!
Robin says
These adorable cheese balls were a huge hit at my recent party! Can’t wait to make them again.
Sonia says
I love goat cheese. And these little goat cheese appetizers are not only delicious; they are a festive appetizer for the holidays! I will make them again.
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
We’re so pleased you enjoyed them!