This Cranberry Goat Cheese Appetizer is a simple and elegant holiday starter. Made with 8 ingredients in 20 minutes, it’s a delicious appetizer to serve on Thanksgiving or at a Christmas party!

This Cranberry Goat Cheese Appetizer is a delicious starter perfect for the holidays.

A mixture of cranberries, pecans, balsamic vinegar and rich fall spices sit atop a log of creamy goat cheese for an appetizer that will keep you coming back for more.

Plus, it is made with 8 ingredients in 20 minutes so it’s perfect for last-minute guests.

Thanksgiving is a day-long event for us. My entire family gets up early to run a Thanksgiving day 5K. Then we drink hot chocolate and watch the parade while we start cooking (check out all my favorite Thanksgiving recipes). However, due to waking up early & running, we get hungry and need some appetizers while dinner cooks, and this recipe is a favorite.

Cranberry Goat Cheese Appetizer: Substitutions 

As always I recommend making this recipe exactly as written! However, if you must make some substitutions, here are a few possibilities!

• Maple syrup. Honey can be used in place of maple syrup.
• Pecans. Walnuts also taste amazing in this recipe.
• Butter. Olive oil can be used in place of butter, although I don’t suggest it.
• Granulated Sugar. I used organic cane sugar but any granulated variety can be used with great results! Coconut sugar and maple sugar are also great refined sugar free options.
• Goat cheese. Use an 8 oz log of goat cheese. You can choose a flavored variety, plain, or even one with a touch of honey.

How to make Goat Cheese Appetizer

Let’s walk through how to make this recipe, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Chop the pecans. If using whole peans make sure to chop them into small pieces so there are bits of pecans in every bite.

Divide the ingredients. Both the maple syrup and the cranberries are divided. This is because some of the cranberries are completely mashed, while others are left whole. The “saucy” mashed berries hold together the whole berries and pecans, so this is an important step.

Toast Pecans

Cook pecans, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt, stirring consistently until the pecans are coated and begin to become darker brown, about 3-4 minutes

Remove from heat and spread on wax paper to cool.

Make the cranberry topping

In a small saucepan over medium heat add 2 tablespoons maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and heat until combined (about 30 seconds).

Then, add ½ cup of fresh cranberries and cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes until you begin to hear them pop, stirring occasionally.

Once the cranberries begin to pop, mash them with a potato masher or fork.

Continue cooking until the mixture begins to thicken and resembles jelly.

Then, add the remaining 1 TBS maple syrup and ½ cup cranberries and stir to combine.

Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes thick and the cranberries just begin to pop (do not mash them this time).

Remove the mixture from heat and gently stir the toasted pecans into the cranberry mixture. Then, let the mixture stand at room temperature for 10 minutes or until ready to serve.

Assemble:

Carefully spoon the cooled cranberry mixture on top of the goat cheese log, spreading it evenly.

Serve

Serve with your favorite crackers!

Store

This recipe stores well! Keep it in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days! Snack on it after your guests have left, or use it on top of a salad like this kale salad or brussel sprouts salad (so good).

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