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 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!
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.
Ingredients
- 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. In addition to plain goat cheese, you’ll see flavored versions like black pepper, herb and garlic, or cranberry goat cheese.
You’ll usually find goat cheese in or near the deli section. If there’s a specialty cheese section in your grocery store, be sure to check there too.
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! 🙂
Baked Goat Cheese Dip Appetizer
Ingredients
- 12 oz goat cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup parmesan shredded
- 2 tbsp olive oil top with more after baking, if desired
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes adjust according to how spicy you want this dip to be
- 2 tsp rosemary finely chopped, plus more for garnish if you'd like
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- 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!
Notes
Nutrition
Hope you love it as much as I do!
xo – C
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!
Chelsea, do you have a brand of goat cheese you like to use in your baked goat cheese dip?
Thank you,
Wanda
Hi Wanda!
Most any goat cheese will do. I usually buy the Signature Kitchens brand or the Sensations brand from Safeway.
Hope that helps!
Can I freeze this for emergency unexpected guests?
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!
This is my favourite appetizer of all time! It’s a sure winner to bring to a potluck, event or for entertaining!
10 stars
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!
Wow! Thank-you so much for sharing this with me. I’m SO happy to hear you enjoyed the dip — made my day!
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
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!
Thank you! I will let you know..
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!
So happy to hear that!!!! Thanks for letting me know.
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!!
Thanks so much for letting me know, Colleen! Very happy to hear this. Happy Thanksgiving!
Obsessed with this dip . If i wouldn’t be judged I’d eat eat the whole thing and then lick the bowl . sO good !!
I say go ahead and eat it all AND lick the bowl! I’ve done it 😉 Thanks Kels!!!! XO
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!!
This looks so good! What a quick and flavorful appetizer to bring to a party!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
I’ve made this twice and everyone loved it both times. It lasted several days and was always just as good when reheated.
I didn’t have rosemary but I had the goat cheese log rolled in herbs and served it with Rosemary Triscuit. It was amazing.
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! 🙂
So happy to hear that! Love the idea of adding the sun-dried tomatoes, that sounds so good!
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!
YUM! This was fabulous, definitely going in the Keeper’s File for my go-to dip recipes!
Woohoo! That’s awesome, so happy you loved it!
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!
That’s great, Susan! So happy you enjoyed it.
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
You made my day! So glad to hear you love it. XO
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!
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!
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.