Easy Whipped Goat Cheese with Pistachios and Pomegranate
This whipped goat cheese is easy to make and the perfect addition to your holiday appetizer spread or to any gathering!
The tangy goat cheese pairs beautifully with the flavors of pistachios, pomegranate and honey. And, you can whip up this recipe in 10 minutes.
I love to make quick and easy dips like this Quick Whipped Ricotta Dip with Hot Honey and Easy Sun-Dried Tomato Dip Recipe (perfect chip dip!) to serve to guests. And, this whipped goat cheese has a spot on my go-to list of appetizers due to it’s simplicity.
Why you’ll love this whipped goat cheese with pistachios and pomegranate
- Quick: You only need 10 minutes of prep time to make this creamy dip.
- Easy: Three easy steps to this appetizer – whip, spread and garnish!
- Customizable: Customize this whipped goat cheese to your taste for holidays or everyday entertaining.
Ingredients you’ll need for this easy appetizer
Goat cheese: Plain goat cheese is the best base for this recipe.
Extra-virgin olive oil: Olive oil helps whip the goat cheese smoooth.
Seasonings: Lemon zest, salt and black pepper are the perfect seasoning to this whipped goat cheese.
Pomegranate: Pomegranate arils (pomegranate seeds) add a nice pop of colour and juicy flavour!
Pistachios: Crunchy pistachios are the best crunchy texture for this dip.
Honey: A drizzle of honey brings this recipe together; make sure to use liquid honey so it’s easy to drizzle over the entire dip.
Fresh rosemary: You only need 1/2 of a teaspoon of fresh minced rosemary as a garnish.
Key steps to make this whipped goat cheese recipe
Whip: Add the softened goat cheese with extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, kosher salt and ground pepper to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy.
Spread: Spread the whipped goat cheese in a shallow serving bowl or on a plate.
Garnish: Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios. Drizzle the honey over top and then garnish with the fresh minced rosemary.
Serve: Serve with crostini (toasted baguette), crusty bread or your favourite plain crackers.
Tips and tricks
Instead of a food processor: You can use a blender, stand mixer or handheld mixer if you don’t have a food processor.
Pomegranate arils: You can find these in the produce aisle, already pulled from the pomegranate! Look for small containers with the seeds already ready to go. If you can’t find these, a pomegranate will work just fine.
Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs are MUST For garnish. Do not use dried herbs
How to remove pomegranate arils (seeds) from pomegranate
My favourite method to use to remove pomegranate arils (seeds) from a pomegranate is the ‘wooden spoon tapping method.’ I find this to be the quickest way!
1: Cut the pomegranate in half.
2: Hold one half of the pomegranate seed-side down in the palm of your hand, with your fingers slightly spread out, over a bowl or strainer.
3: Tap / whack the harder outer red skin of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon, until the seeds drop through your hand into the bowl or strainer. Get as many as you can – you only need a 1/4 cup for this recipe. I like to gently rinse the seeds and use my fingers to get any white membrane of the fruit off of the seeds before using to garnish the whipped goat cheese.
Variations and substitutions
Add a spicy kick: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes (chili flakes) as a garnish or into the whipped goat cheese. Or, try a drizzle of hot honey instead of regular honey for some heat!
Make it into a crostini: After you whip the goat cheese, instead of serving as a dip, use it as a topper for crostini. Then, spread the softened goat cheese onto each crostini. Then, garnish each crostini with the pistachios, pomegranate arils, minced rosemary and a drizzle of honey. Serve all the crostini on a platter.
Creaminess: If you want to up the creaminess (and lessen the tanginess) you can add 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or cream plain cream cheese. This will up the creaminess of this appetizer!
Crunchy bits: Pistachios are totally divine with this appetizer, but if you need to replace them, walnuts are a great choice.
Make it nut free: Can’t have nuts?! No problem! You can just omit the pistachios if desired or try a sunflower seed or even some crunchy nut-free granola.
Fresh herbs: Instead of fresh minced rosemary, try fresh thyme leaves for a different flavor profile.
What should I do if I forget to soften the goat cheese?
You can still make this appetizer if you forget to soften the goat cheese to room temp. Here are two ways to soften goat cheese quickly:
Warm bowl of water – Place the sealed package of goat cheese in a bowl of warm water for 3-5 minutes to get it to soften.
Microwave – Remove the goat cheese from it’s package and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place the log of goat cheese on a plate and microwave in 5-10 second intervals, until the goat cheese is soft enough to spread with the back of a spoon or a knife.
FAQs
You can! Blend everything together per the recipe and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pomegranate arils are the pomegranate seeds within a pomegranate fruit. Find my tips above for how to remove them from a pomegranate. Or you can buy them already separated from the fruit, in containers, in the produce aisle at the grocery store.
Can’t have nuts?! No problem! You can just omit them if desired or try a sunflower seed and even some crunchy nut-free granola.
How to store and make-ahead
Make ahead: Blend everything together per the recipe and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before serving, let it come to room temperature for the best texture before garnishing and then serving.
Storage: Blend everything together per the recipe and store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
More holiday appetizer favourites from the blog
- Easy 3 Ingredient Boursin Appetizer with Fig Jam
- Quick Whipped Ricotta Dip with Hot Honey Appetizer
- Easy and Quick Holiday Brie Crostini Appetizers
Easy Whipped Goat Cheese with Pistachios and Pomegranate
Ingredients
- 300 grams (10 oz) plain goat cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of ground pepper
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils (pomegranate seeds)
- ¼ cup chopped salted pistachios
- 3 tbsp liquid honey
- ½ tsp minced fresh rosemary for garnish
- Toasted baguette (crostini) or crackers for serving
Optional: Make crostini
- 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add softened goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, kosher salt and ground pepper to a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
- Spread the whipped goat cheese in a shallow bowl and then sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios. Drizzle the honey over top and then garnish with the fresh minced rosemary.
Optional: Make crostini
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the slices of baguette on the baking sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, flip and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the crostini to a serving tray and set aside.
Photography by: Kaeleigh Pugliese
