Bring on the New Year with some festive cheer with my Festive Goat Cheese Balls! These bite-sized appetizers or snacks are a wonderful addition to your NYE celebrations. Enjoy them as is or serve them with crackers, crostini and your favourite glass of bubbly! Cheers!
My Festive Goat Cheese Balls come together in 15 minutes and require a handful of fresh and flavourful ingredients. Simply toss goat cheese, cream cheese, parsley, honey, lemon zest and salt into a bowl, mix and form into balls. Then, roll the cheese balls in a mixture of dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and parsley for a satisfyingly sweet, tart, aromatic, creamy and crunchy bite! Top each with a segment of rosemary and watch these cheese balls transform into a fun and festive edible ornament!
Ring in the New Year with these easy to make, no bake, one-bite wonders. These little gems are party-ready and are sure to impress all your guests! So, let me show you how it’s done! Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8 - 12 (Makes 24 Goat Cheese Balls)
Ingredients:
Goat Cheese Balls
1 300g package goat cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp kosher salt
Festive Coating
1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped (See Notes below)
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
8 fresh rosemary sprigs, quartered
Instructions:
Creating the Cheese Balls: To a large bowl, add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 2 Tbsp parsley, honey, lemon zest and salt and mix until fully incorporated.
Using a 1 tablespoon measure, spoon out the goat cheese mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, using your hands, form each into a ball. Repeat the process for the remaining cheese balls. Set aside.
Making the Festive Coating: To a medium bowl, add the dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and parsley and mix until combined. Roll each cheese ball into the dried fruit, seed and herb mixture, pressing down ever so slightly to allow the ingredients to adhere.
The Finishing Touch: Transfer your Festive Goat Cheese Balls to a serving platter or plate. Top each with a segment of rosemary and serve and enjoy!
Notes:
To Toast or Not to Toast, That is the Question!?: You can simply use raw pumpkin seeds in this recipe. But, if you have a few extra minutes, toasting the pumpkin seeds adds a ton of flavour and a nuttier profile to this dish. To a small skillet set over medium heat, add the pumpkin seeds and cook them for 2 - 3 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently throughout. To halt the cooking process, immediately transfer the pumpkin seeds to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Substituting the Pumpkin Seeds: Using pumpkin seeds, keeps this recipe nut-free. However, if you don’t have pumpkin seeds on hand or simply enjoy nuts, then you can substitute the pumpkin seeds in this recipe on a 1:1 basis with roughly chopped pistachios, almonds, walnuts or pecans.