Goat Cheese with Honeyed Fruit and Nuts. Cranberries, apricots, dates, pineapple and walnuts, drenched in honey, then spooned atop creamy goat cheese! This is a perfect appetizer for the holidays. It couldn’t be easier or more delicious!
Beautiful food jewels. That’s what I think of every time I make this gorgeous dish.
Garnet red cranberries, citrine apricots, golden pineapple, topaz dates, all glistening and shiny from a thorough drenching in honey.
Oh, yeah, and walnuts. They aren’t gems but they are just as valuable in this sweet and savory Goat Cheese with Honeyed Fruit and Nuts appetizer.
This is an easy to throw together recipe that looks far more impressive than the little bit of time it takes to make.
Actually, this is another “non-recipe” recipe. The concept is simply chopped up dried fruits and nuts bathed in golden honey and then spooned atop creamy goat cheese.
Just choose your favorite fruits and nuts. I chose the fruits you see because I love the festive colors and the flavors work together beautifully.
I used walnuts because I often make this for Thanksgiving, and I usually have tapped pecans for other dishes or desserts.
With this recipe, there are no rules. Use whatever fruits and nuts you love. It’s all good. Just chop them up and pour on the honey.
There’s so much flavor from the fruits and nuts, I don’t go crazy with a specialty honey here. I love a good lavender honey or tupelo…maybe even black sage honey.
Today, however, I used clover honey. Nothing fancy needed for this fancy looking mix.
The goat cheese is tart and creamy and is balanced by the sweetness from the honey and fruit.
The nuts provide a wonderful texture and flavor and, depending upon what kind of nut you use, can add just a hint of salt.
Put it all on a crunchy cracker, sliced toasted baguette or your vehicle of choice and you have yourself one beautiful and delicious bite.
Cheese platters can sometimes be mundane depending upon how they are composed, but I always get a surprised, “Wow! That’s good!” from an unsuspecting friend when I serve this gem.
I think creamy cheese mixed with fruit always tastes like cheesecake. So, this is kind of a legal way to eat dessert before dinner. At least in my book of rules.
Oh, wait. I said there are no rules here. Which means you can eat the leftovers for breakfast….. because this stuff on a toasted bagel? (I don’t have a photo, just a yummy mental picture from the last time I made this.)
Oh yes. Toasted bagel. Definitely do that.
Goat Cheese with Honeyed Fruit and Nuts
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/4 cup chopped dried dates
- 1 ring of dried pineapple, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup honey
- 11 oz. goat cheese
Instructions
- Mix all of the fruits and nuts together with honey in a small bowl.
- Place goat cheese on serving platter and spoon fruit and nut mixture on top and around the cheese.
- Serve with crackers, toasted baguette, pita chips or your dipper of choice.
Notes
* This recipe makes about 2 cups of fruit and nuts. Adjust quantities up or down to work with your cheese quantity. I was very generous with the fruit/nuts to cheese ratio. You could easily halve the recipe if you'd like less.
*Definitely take advantage of the bulk section for this recipe. You don't need a lot of any of the individual fruits, so if you buy it from the bulk section, you can buy only what you need.
*Store covered tightly in refrigerator.
Margarette
Saturday 25th of February 2017
This is just amazing and delicious, especially when you can actually make it using different kind of fruits available. I'm surely gonna try this and invite friends to come over. thanks so much for always giving tips especially in making delicious and not so expensive desserts!
Angie
Monday 5th of December 2016
Can you make ahead of time?
Ramona
Monday 5th of December 2016
Yes you can. Just wrap well once assembled so that it doesn't dry out. I wouldn't do it more than a day in advance, though. Alternatively, I would just chop the fruit and nuts ahead of time. Then, all you have to do at serving time is combine the chopped fruits/nuts with the honey and spoon it over the cheese. That's what I do.
Cathy Eckelman
Tuesday 2nd of February 2016
I think my friend Shelia will love this one!
Ramona
Wednesday 3rd of February 2016
Cathy, this is, hands down, one of my favorite cheese appetizers! And so easy to make!
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
almost too pretty to eat!
Ramona
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
Almost, until you take a bite, then the priority on looks? Out the window! :)
Christy @TheMuddyApron
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
Cream cheese and crunchy goodness.
Ramona
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
Yes! So good!