I am sharing a recipe for my absolute favorite appetizer – pistachio-cherry goat cheese balls . This is the perfect dish for any gathering, from a fancy cocktail party to a casual get-together. The sweet and salty combination is irresistible, and trust me when I say that your guests will be asking for the recipe. Is is hard to call this a recipe but it is certainly an easy and delicious appetizer to pull together fast. It is perfect on a cheese board, or as a pass around hors d’oeuvres. They can be made ahead and kept in the fridge until it is time to serve.
Needless to say, you can double or triple the recipe with no problem. Now, for the substitutions. If you don’t have pistachios or dried cherries, don’t worry, there are plenty of other options that work just as well. For the nuts, you can substitute pecans, almonds, or even cashews. And for the dried fruit, you can try cranberries, apricots, or figs. Just make sure to chop them up finely so that they stick to the cheese balls.
I pretty much have all these ingredients on hand most of the time so this is great to pull together in minutes for surprise guests or for impromptu get togethers. However, if you want to make this goat cheese balls recipe ahead of time, here is how to store them.
To store the goat cheese balls, you will need to follow a few simple steps:
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Prepare all the goat cheese balls as per the recipe except for inserting the rosemary “toothpick”.
- Transfer the cheese balls to an airtight container. You can layer them between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Place the container in the refrigerator and store for up to 3 days.
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When you are ready to serve the goat cheese balls, take them out of the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes to allow them to come to room temperature.
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Arrange the goat cheese balls on a platter and insert the rosemary stems .
If you need to store the cheese balls for longer than 3 days, you can freeze them instead. To freeze the cheese balls, follow these steps:
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Place the cheese balls in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm.
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Once the cheese balls are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer bag. Be sure to label the container with the date so that you know when they were frozen.
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Freeze the cheese balls for up to 1 month.
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When you are ready to serve the cheese balls, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
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Once thawed, let the cheese balls sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes and insert the rosemary stems before serving.
If you like goat cheese, I have another fast and easy appetizer cheese course that is always a hit. Try my Goat Cheese, Pistachio and Hot Raspberry recipe.
Other easy cheese course ideas include:
Baked Brie with Cinnamon Pears
Fried Baby Brie Bites with Tart Cherry Jam
Baked Brie with Walnuts, Brown Sugar, Honey & Momofuku
Serve one or more of these and you’ll never have a boring cheese course or cheese board again.
Pistachio-Cherry Goat Cheese Balls
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 Oz. Goat Cheese
- 1/4 Cup Pistachios, finely chopped
- 1/4 Cup Dried tart cherries, finely chopped
- Fresh Rosemary springs
- Crackers to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the pistachios and cherries and mix and put on a plate.
- Cut the goat cheese log into four, one-ounce pieces. Roll into a ball and then roll in the pistachio-cherry mix pressing gently so they cling to the goat cheese.
- Spear with a rosemary sprig and place on a platter. Serve with or without crackers or serve as part of a cheese board. Enjoy!
