Herb Goat Cheese Christmas Appetizer

Try this Herb Goat Cheese Christmas appetizer – a fun and festive way to serve dip at a party.

» For more irresistible appetizers try Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Appetizers and this Holiday Antipasto Wreath Appetizer.

I’ve always loved this herbed goat cheese log appetizer from Good Housekeeping. It struck me that it could make a fun Christmas appetizer, with its festive herbs that look like branches of a Christmas tree.

So glad I tried it, because this dip is a hit. The lemony herbaceous topping for the goat cheese adds just the right amount of zing to the creamy goat cheese. The pomegranate seeds give a nice sweet pop of flavor.

What You’ll Need

This festive appetizer doesn’t require many ingredients. It can be put together in about 5 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about it taking a long time to make.

• Goat cheese – If you can find a big enough log of goat cheese, great. Otherwise, you can buy two and mold them together. If you have a lot of people coming over, maybe 3 logs, even.
• Herbs – I use cilantro and dill for this recipe. It’s more traditional to use parsley though (I just don’t like it), so choose which you like.
• Pomegranate seeds – If you’re lucky enough to find just the seeds, that’s the easiest way. But it doesn’t take long to seed a pomegranate yourself.
• Olive oil – Try to use as high a quality of extra virgin olive oil as you can, because it adds to the taste. A low-quality one will detract from the taste.
• Lemon juice and zest – First zest the lemon, then squeeze the juice. The recipe calls for the juice of 1 full lemon.

Helpful Tips

• If you have a large tree cookie cutter or mold, you can use that as a guide when forming the tree.
• Don’t puree the herb mixture too fine. You want there to be some definition left to look like pine needles.
• You can use any combination of herbs that you like. Customize it to your taste.

How to Make an Herb Goat Cheese Christmas Appetizer

In a food processor or stick blender attachment, pulse together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, cilantro, and dill until just roughly chopped. You don’t want to puree it or make the herbs so fine that they don’t resemble needles on the tree.

Form the goat cheese into the shape of a Christmas tree on a serving platter. If you have a large tree cookie cutter or mold, you can use that as a guide. If not, just shape it the best you can with your hands (with gloves on for food safety).

Try this Christmas Charcuterie Board or Christmas Tree Rice Krispies Treats for more Christmas themed fun.

You can shape in some branches, or just keep it easy and go with a tall triangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect!

Pour the herb mixture over the top of the tree, making sure it covers the whole top. The olive oil and lemon juice will run down the sides and pool around the base of the tree. Sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds.

Serve the dip with crackers, crostini, and vegetables for dipping. I like to use cucumber slices, celery, sliced radishes, and cherry tomatoes.

Questions About Goat Cheese Appetizer

What kind of crackers go with goat cheese?

Really any type of cracker works well with this goat cheese spread. Triscuits and Ritz crackers are delicious. Anything with seeds or just plain butter crackers also work well.

How long does this spread keep?

This spread will keep for a day if kept covered in the refrigerator. It’s not something that you want to make too far ahead though because the herbs will begin to dry out. Typically, it’s best to eat the entire dip at one time, and not plan to keep it for more than a day.

What if I don’t like goat cheese?

You can still make this appetizer. Just replace the goat cheese with cream cheese. It’s really just as good! You can also use boursin cheese. It comes in many different flavors. Try shallot & chive or garlic & fine herb.

What can be substituted for pomegranate seeds?

Even though pomegranates are in season in December, it can be difficult to find them in some places. If you can’t find them or would rather use something else, the original recipe that this was fashioned on uses red peppercorns.

Other Appetizers to Make At Christmas

• Wreath-Shaped Cheesy Bread
• Festive Christmas Charcuterie Board
• Warm Citrus-Marinated Castelvetrano Olives

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