Quick Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Balls
Mini Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Balls, a festive, delicious appetizer or snack for the holidays, that’s so quick, simple, and easy, it will become your go-to recipe. These easy goat cheese bites are packed with cranberries, pecans, fresh parsley, seasoned with cinnamon and honey.
Honestly, these Cranberry Pecan Goats Cheese Balls are like the flavors of the holidays, rolled into small bites of Christmas.
Or… Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, or New Year’s Day. Name your holiday celebration, and you’ll want to serve these!
They are made simply with goat cheese, mixed with cream cheese, sweetened with honey, and seasoned with cinnamon. They are then rolled into a heavenly combination of fresh minced parsley, chopped dried cranberries, and more finely chopped pecans.
An electric mixer makes these appetizers truly quick and easy. The filling is mixed together, then scooped and formed into balls. And finally, rolled into the coating mixture.
When you’re ready to serve, I like to stick a toothpick (Amazon) in the center and drizzle a bit more honey over the top. Serve with crackers, fruit, or as part of a charcuterie board.
They will disappear quicker than you can imagine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have 15 minutes? That’s all it takes, truly, from start to finish.
Other than how incredibly delicious and pretty these are, the fact that they are make ahead perfect sends them to the top of my recipe list. Simply assemble the appetizers and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Change up the dried fruit and nuts for a variety of flavors. I like dried apricots and finely chopped almonds or walnuts.
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Mini Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Balls Appetizer
Ingredients
- 10 oz goat cheese
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/4 cup pecans finely chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- For the Mini Cheese Balls: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the goat cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon, and honey until light and airy. Fold in 1/4 cup of pecan pieces. Using a cookie scoop, portion out cheese filling and roll into small balls.
- For the Coating: In a shallow bowl, mix together the remaining pecan pieces, the dried cranberries, and minced fresh parsley. Roll each of the mini cheese balls into coating mixture and transfer to an airtight container.
- Storing: Refrigerate the cheese balls until you’re ready to serve. These mini cheese balls can be made up to three days in advance when stored in an airtight container.
- To Serve: Drizzle with additional honey, if desired. These are perfect as part of a charcuterie board or served with crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Can you sub the goat cheese for Cheddar or add Cheddar to the goat? I didn’t buy enough.
Yes! You can substitute cheddar for the goat cheese. I would use equal amounts of cheddar and cream cheese and would recommend shredding the cheddar myself if possible as opposed to buying pre shredded.