I can confidently say this goat cheese dip is one of the best appetizer recipes in the world. Yep — the world! Each time I make this easy dip with goat cheese it gets rave reviews. My friends even specifically request that I bring it to parties now!
This dip is CRAZY easy to make, and it will impress every taste bud it meets. If you ask me, few things are better than goat cheese. But when you heat it up and combine it with a bunch of other savory flavors? Even better!!!
It's become one of my my go-to appetizers for get togethers because it's so quick and easy, and it's always gobbled up in no time.
Can't say I'm surprised though...When you use three types of cheese and combine garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and olive oil, it's bound to be delicious! Once you dip crackers and other crunchy foods into it, it's even better.
I can CONFIDENTLY say this will be one of the best goat cheese recipes you ever get your hands on!
If you're looking for something light, try my French onion Greek yogurt high protein dip next!
Goat Cheese Dip 2020 Update
Okay — here we are in 2020 and I need to give you a little update about this goat cheese recipe.
I first published it back in 2018. Since then, it's been a big part of making XO&So what it is! This was my first recipe to "go viral," with almost 2 million recipe views on Pinterest.
You can serve it with a whole bunch of different things on the side. AND you can make it as spicy or as mild as you'd like. Gotta love the versatility!
When it comes to goat cheese recipes, you seriously can't beat this!
You can be pretty loosie-goosie with most of these ingredients & still end up with a delicious dip. So, if you want a little more cream cheese & less goat cheese, go for it. Or if you want it spicier, go ahead & add more red pepper flakes. Etc etc etc.
2024 Update
Six years after I first published this recipe, it's still going strong! It remains one of my top recipes and every time someone tells me they made it and loved it, I'm so happy to hear it! Some recipes need adjusting and updating over time I find (just to make them the best they can be), but this is one that truly stands the rest of time.
I also love hearing from people how they use the goat cheese dip...including in a grilled cheese or as a pasta sauce!
Ingredients
I recommend buying the highest-quality ingredients you can find for this dip recipe. Since there aren't a ton of ingredients, I find the better quality the ingredients are, the better the goat cheese dip tastes!
- Goat cheese log
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Minced garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Rosemary
Where to buy goat cheese
Almost every big grocery store will sell goat cheese! When you're shopping for it, you’ll typically find it in or near the deli section, among a bunch of other cheeses on display.
If your grocery store has a specialty cheese section, be sure to check there as well. It's often in those sections rather than the usual dairy section that has shredded cheddar, etc These sections often feature a much broader selection of gourmet cheeses, including goat cheese in various flavors.
For this goat cheese dip, you'll see it calls for plain goat cheese. But there are tons of different variations that would work really well with the other ingredients in this recipe
Here's a few ideas:
- Black Pepper Goat Cheese: The addition of pepper adds a subtle kick. It won't overpower the red pepper flakes in the recipe, but it's still a nice touch!
- Herb and Garlic Goat Cheese: Herbed goat cheese is one of my favorite foods on the planet, and you can buy a log of herb and garlic for this recipe and it will work really well!
- Honey Goat Cheese: Want a little touch of subtle sweetness? Thanks to the addition of honey, that's what this gives you! It's perfect for balancing savory elements of the recipe with a touch of sweetness. It also pairs wonderfully with fruits and nuts!
How to make goat cheese dip
- The first thing you'll want to do is set out your cream cheese and goat cheese and let them come to room temperature, or at least warm up a little bit. Otherwise, it'll be really tough to mix everything together.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Then, you'll combine all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir well until all the seasonings are mixed in and well-combined.
- Next, you'll spread the goat cheese dip mixture into your baking dish. I wipe the edges down with a paper towel so little bits don't get burned onto the dish.
- Once your oven is ready, you'll bake your goat cheese appetizer for between 15-20 minutes. Baking time could depend on the size of your baking dish and how brown you want the top to get. I bake mine for 18 minutes.
When it's ready, it'll be the perfect texture for dipping bread, crackers, or vegetables!
You can top it with a bit more rosemary, red pepper flakes, or olive oil if you'd like.
Other easy appetizers
I've been known to use goat cheese in a lot of dishes and it's definitely one of my all time favorite ingredients!
But if you're looking for other easy appetizers without goat cheese, I've got options for that too!
- My cucumber cream cheese toasts could practically be made by a toddler. And they're SO good!
- Crispy baked buffalo cauliflower bites are a GAME CHANGER! As of 2020, they're my most popular recipe.
- These baked tomatoes stuffed with parmesan and panko crumbs are great as an easy appetizer OR a vegetarian side dish.
Okay — now back to the goat cheese dip!
A quick note
I've always had amazing feedback about this recipe! Someone on Pinterest mentioned this dip had a thicker texture than they expected so they added marinara sauce (sounds yummy!).
Depending on the moisture content of your goat cheese, it can have a more "grainy" or drier texture. But this is a thick dip/spread, not a sauce so it's thick like you see in pictures.
Just wanted to give you a heads up before you make this incase you're looking for something really saucy! 🙂
📖 Recipe
Baked Goat Cheese Dip Appetizer
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 F.Combine the goat cheese and all other ingredients (either by hand or with a food processor) until everything is well-incorporated, and transfer to an oven-safe dish.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. The top will start to brown slightly & get nice and bubbly. (I bake mine for 18 minutes every time)
- Top with a bit more rosemary and/or olive oil, if desired. Serve hot with crackers, chips, pretzels, vegetables, bread, or anything else you can use for dipping!
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Hope you love it as much as I do!
xo - Chelsea
PS. If you've tried this goat cheese recipe, I'd love to hear what you think of it in the comments below! Please go ahead and use the rating option if you'd like as well! I really appreciate it.
If you want another easy holiday appetizer, my whipped feta with cranberry sauce, pistachios, and honey is awesome. And bonus: it doesn't require any baking!
Other dip recipes
Looking for other great goat cheese recipes?
- GOAT CHEESE GRILLED CHEESE WITH HONEY AND RED PEPPER FLAKES
- SAVORY BREAD PUDDING WITH GOAT CHEESE & HONEY
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC & CHEESE WITH GOAT CHEESE
Get to know more about me, (Chelsea Kram) and XO&So here: About Me.
By the way, I also have a new page on my site with a bunch of helpful links. It has links to my social profiles, LTK, Amazon Storefront, etc. There's NO pressure to shop from any of these links. But if you're curious about the products I use, etc., that's where you'll find them. As always, I appreciate your support SO much!
Wanda Hartter
Chelsea, do you have a brand of goat cheese you like to use in your baked goat cheese dip?
Thank you,
Wanda
chelseaxoandso
Hi Wanda!
Most any goat cheese will do. I usually buy the Signature Kitchens brand or the Sensations brand from Safeway.
Hope that helps!
Laura Collins
Can I freeze this for emergency unexpected guests?
chelseaxoandso
Hi Laura!
Thanks for your question!
I've never tried freezing it so I can't say for sure. You CAN freeze goat cheese on its own (as long as it's tightly wrapped) but I am not sure about freezing all of the ingredients once they're combined.
Luckily, this can be thrown together in a couple minutes so hopefully that comes in handy for unexpected guests! I will let you know if I ever try freezing it.
Thanks again for your question and for reading this post!
Marlee
This is my favourite appetizer of all time! It’s a sure winner to bring to a potluck, event or for entertaining!
10 stars
Jene
Goat cheese is my favorite cheese! And this is my new favorite dip! So easy to throw together and can be made ahead of time. I threw it together Friday night and baked it last night for a game night and served with crackers and sliced French baguette. I didn’t make any changes and added the red pepper flakes. One of our guest said he doesn’t know what I put in it because he doesn’t normally like goat cheese but really liked this dip. My husband loved the dip too! Thanks for an easy and delicious recipe. It will be my new go to!
chelseaxoandso
Wow! Thank-you so much for sharing this with me. I'm SO happy to hear you enjoyed the dip — made my day!
Terrie
Chelsea,
I’m going to try your recipe but want to add artichokes and sundried tomatoes. Which cheese would I I need to increase so it’s not too dry?
Thank you.
Terrie
chelseaxoandso
Oooh, good question — maybe a bit more cream cheese? If the sundried tomatoes are in a bit of oil that will help keep it from getting too dry as well. Please let me know how it turns out. Those sound like yummy additions!
Terrie Wilson
Thank you! I will let you know..
Twilsom
This was a hit! It definitely had a little heat but everyone liked it. Next time I’ll try diced tomatoes instead of sundried. Will fix again for sure!
chelseaxoandso
So happy to hear that!!!! Thanks for letting me know.
Colleen
Easiest dip ever and it was so delicious! I made this for a Thanksgiving appetizer and served it with a sliced baguette. Everyone loved it!!
chelseaxoandso
Thanks so much for letting me know, Colleen! Very happy to hear this. Happy Thanksgiving!
Kelsey R
Obsessed with this dip . If i wouldn’t be judged I’d eat eat the whole thing and then lick the bowl . sO good !!
chelseaxoandso
I say go ahead and eat it all AND lick the bowl! I've done it 😉 Thanks Kels!!!! XO
Kayley Lewis
This dip is to die for!
I’m not normally a big goat cheese lover, but the addition of the cream cheese, rosemary, and red pepper flakes etc compliment each other exceptionally! I’ve made this on quite a few occasions and it’s a sure hit every time. I love that you can play around with adding a little more spice to the mix depending on your guests preference. Drooling just thinking about the next time I get to make this!!
Suzanne
This looks so good! What a quick and flavorful appetizer to bring to a party!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
THW
I’ve made this twice and everyone loved it both times. It lasted several days and was always just as good when reheated.
Kellie
I didn’t have rosemary but I had the goat cheese log rolled in herbs and served it with Rosemary Triscuit. It was amazing.
Patty
Made this last night for guests. I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil. There was not one bite left - I think it was a hit! This one is definitely a keeper! 🙂
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
So happy to hear that! Love the idea of adding the sun-dried tomatoes, that sounds so good!
Eileen M
Can this be made with Garlic and Herb goat cheese? If so, would I leave out or cut down on the other ingredients? Just curious if you have ever done this. Thx!
Amanda
YUM! This was fabulous, definitely going in the Keeper's File for my go-to dip recipes!
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
Woohoo! That's awesome, so happy you loved it!
Susan
All I can say is WOW!! I made this dip for a birthday party family get-together. Family members who normally don’t eat appetizers or don’t care for goat cheese couldn’t stop eating this! I did make some slight changes. I used herb/garlic goat cheese so I only used one large garlic clove but then followed the rest of the recipe. I also cut back a little on the salt. Served with cubes of baguette, sliced apples and celery sticks. There were no leftovers! I will definitely be making this again!
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
That's great, Susan! So happy you enjoyed it.
Katie
I make this at least once a month! I love goat cheese and this is an amazing appetizer that’s full of flavor and simple
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
You made my day! So glad to hear you love it. XO
Marti Lee
I plan to make this for a large family brunch this weekend after my granddaughter's baptism. What size casserole dish did you use (I have to pack implements to go to my brother's house so I want to be prepared). Thanks - this sounds delicious!
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
Hi Marti! I honestly use any small oven-proof dish I have around! Usually something that fits at least about 3 cups. Pretty much anything will work and if you use a really big baking dish, you can just reduce the baking time if the dip is more shallow. I hope that helps!
Deanna
I have to friends with an aversion to rosemary, but they love goat cheese. What other herb/s would be good to replace the rosemary. Thank you.
Janice
I love this too and use thyme instead of rosemary because my family prefers it.
Taylor
This was AMAZING! Loved the little kick from the red pepper flakes. I added some sautéed cherry tomatoes on top. Cooked them with olive oil, balsamic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and they were the perfect addition. The acidity was nice to break up the creaminess.
Wonderful recipe and I will definitely be making it again!
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
So happy you enjoyed it!!!!
Tegan
I have never had a more successful potluck contribution. Every single person was asking me to send the recipe after they tried it. This was last Christmas and I still get asked about it.
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
You 100% made my day!!!! Thank you Tegan xoxoxo
Ellen
Goat cheese has always been a personal favourite for me, but this dip took it to the next level. PURE HEAVEN. Pairing with those little naans from Costco is absolutely responsible for multiple over-eating hangovers because it’s just so good I cant stop! Do yourself a favour and make this dip ASAP
daphne
I love to use a small crock pot for appetizers during a card party. Is this dip a good choice to make in that manner?
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
You know, I'm not sure! I haven't tried it that way, please let me know how it turns out if you do 🙂
Cindi Moore
Thank you for this recipe. It received such great raves from my guests and it was gone quickly. This will definitely be a new go-to recipe!
Cindi Moore
This is delicious. I served it at a dinner party and it was devoured. Thank you for the great recipe!
Melinda Prescott
I’m planning on making this for a surprise birthday party and am thinking of drizzling a little hot honey on the top before baking. Thoughts?
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
Absolutely!! Go for it.