Description
Delight your guests with these Mini Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Balls, a perfect blend of creamy goat cheese and cream cheese, sweet honey, warm cinnamon, crunchy pecans, tart dried cranberries, and fresh parsley. These elegant bite-sized cheese balls are easy to prepare, make-ahead friendly, and ideal as a sophisticated appetizer for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture
- 10 oz goat cheese
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons honey (plus extra for garnish)
- 1/2 cup diced pecans
Coating
- 1 cup diced dried cranberries
- 1 cup diced pecans (remaining 1 cup from total 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a large bowl, beat together the goat cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons of honey until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Fold in 1/2 cup of diced pecans evenly.
- Prepare coating mixture: On a sheet of parchment paper laid out on your countertop, toss together the remaining 1 cup of diced pecans, diced dried cranberries, and minced fresh parsley in the center to create the coating mixture.
- Form and coat cheese balls: Using a large cookie scoop, portion out rounds of the cheese mixture and roll each ball in the cranberry and pecan coating mixture until fully covered. Repeat until all of the cheese mixture is used and coated.
- Chill the cheese balls: Place the coated cheese balls in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. The cheese balls can be made up to two days in advance, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Serve: Before serving, drizzle the cheese balls with additional honey if desired. Present them with crackers, warm crostini, or simply with toothpicks or pretzel sticks for an elegant appetizer experience.
Notes
- Make ahead: Cheese balls can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Serving suggestion: Serve with crackers, crostini, or pretzel sticks for ease of eating and presentation.
- Adjust coating ingredients to taste; you can add more parsley or pecans based on preference.
- For a nut-free version, substitute pecans with seeds or crushed crackers (note this will change texture).
- Use fresh goat cheese for best texture and flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: goat cheese balls, cranberry pecan cheese balls, holiday appetizer, no-bake cheese balls, easy party snacks, cream cheese appetizer
