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These Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles make an easy, make-ahead appetizer, perfect for topping a cracker, crostini or wedge of warm pita. Everyone goes crazy over these goat cheese truffles!
Recently, I helped co-host a baby shower for a sweet friend. There were lots of delicious "small bites", but it seemed that these fun, little Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles were the "belles of the ball" that day. Well... not really; the mom-to-be and baby-on-the-way were the true stars at the festive event, but everyone did seem to love these delicious miniature cheeseballs.
Easy to put together
The combination of sweet and spicy pecans, fresh rosemary, bits of dried fruit (I used golden raisins, dried cranberries and currants, but other blends would also work) and goat cheese is quite heavenly.
Lots of options
The pretty little balls of deliciousness are perfect for topping a cracker, crostini or wedge of warm pita, but these Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles are also great served all on their own, for a low carb appetizer.
I love that these little nibbles can be made earlier in the day, which means less stress at the last minute. I'm all for that! Oh, and they're not only wonderful for entertaining, but they'd be perfect for picnics and potlucks, eliciting lots of oooohs and aaaahs!
How do you make these Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles? It's fun! First, toast a handful of chopped pecans with a bit of olive oil, honey and a tiny splash of Sriracha for a touch of heat. Once they're cooled, combine them with finely chopped fresh parsley (for color), rosemary and any combination of chopped, dried fruit. That's your coating mixture. All that's left is to scoop and roll chilled goat cheese (I use a small cookie scoop), then roll the small balls in the pecan mixture. If you're making them in advance, just place the "truffles" on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till about 30 minutes prior to serving.
Are you planning a brunch, lunch or dinner party? Got a picnic or potluck coming up? How about that next get together at work? Pin this Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles recipe, pick up the ingredients next time you're at the market and have a blast scooping and rolling! They just might be "the belles of the ball", well at least in a culinary sense!
- 6 ounces plain goat cheese softened for an hour at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened for an hour at room temperature
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon Sriracha
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons currants*
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries*
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins*
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
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Combine softened goat cheese and cream cheese in a medium size bowl. Whisk together until smooth and creamy, then refrigerate for at least one hour or place mixture in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
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While cheese is chilling, preheat oven to 325˚F. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Combine pecans, oil, honey and Sriracha on the prepared pan. Bake for 3 minutes then remove pan from oven and stir well. Return to oven and bake another 3-5 minutes or until pecans are golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss and set aside to cool.
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Combine cooled pecans, dried fruit, chopped rosemary and chopped parsley on a dinner plate. Set aside.
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Scoop up 1 tablespoon size portions of the chilled cheese mixture** and roll into balls (the balls will be a bit sticky, but chilling helps make it less sticky). Drop the ball onto the plate with the pecan coating and gently roll the cheese ball around in the mixture, patting it into the cheese, until it is fully coated. At this point you can reshape your balls into nicer circles, if they have become misshapen. Place on a clean dinner plate and place in the refrigerator until 30 minutes prior to serving. Serve with crackers, crostini or pita wedges or on their own for a low carb appetizer.
Adapted from Amy in the Kitchen
Makes about 24 truffles
* Use any combination of dried fruit that you like or all the same kind. Dried cherries are wonderful too!
** I use this cookie scoop for making the truffles. It makes the job really easy and the truffles all uniform size.
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