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Pecan Cranberry Goat Cheese Spread

November 26, 2019 By justalittlebitofbacon 10 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

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There is nothing like simple appetizer you can whip up for the holidays! In this case literally! Fresh cranberries, creamy cheeses, and toasted pecans get whipped together to make a festive cranberry goat cheese spread the whole family will love.

Holiday table set with bowl of cranberry cheese spread and crackers.

Hello, all!

Dips and spreads are awesome party foods, don’t you think? Cold dips, hot dips, thick spreads, they’re all good. Just make them up ahead and either pull them out of the fridge or pop them in the oven and get the party started.

With Thanksgiving this week (I’m here at my parent’s house cooking many things!!) and Christmas coming up soon, I think a new recipe for a simple spread is just what we need.

Fun Holiday Appetizer

Meet your new favorite holiday appetizer! I’m excited to share this recipe with you. 😃 I actually didn’t get a chance to take the photos until just a couple of days ago, but I knew I wanted to fast track the post and get out to all of you.

I mean, how can you go wrong with fresh cranberry sauce, goat cheese, and toasted pecans? It just says HOLIDAYS!

And the pink color? SPECTACULAR!

Add in simple to make, great to make ahead, and CREAMY and this appetizer has all my attention.

A bowl with cranberry goat cheese dip on a holiday platter with crackers.

What do you need?

  • Cranberry Sauce – For this you’ll use fresh cranberries, orange juice, balsamic, sugar (or maple syrup), and salt
  • Cheese – I like a mix of goat (for tang) and cream cheese (for creaminess)
  • Pecans – Toasted pecans to mix in the spread and to top it as well.
  • Crackers/Chips – For spreading upon!

How to make this

To make my cranberry goat cheese spread, make a quick fresh berry cranberry sauce. Then whip up the cranberry sauce with the cheese and mix in toasted pecans. Serve with crackers.

1. Make the cranberry sauce

Mix fresh cranberries with orange juice, sugar, balsamic, and salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer in a pot and let it cook until the cranberries have all burst and the sauce is thick.

2. Make the Spread

First up toast the pecans! You can do this while the cranberry sauce is cooking and that way both will cool at the same time be ready for the next step.

Then whip up the cheeses until they are smooth. Add the (cooled) cranberry sauce and pulse everything together. Your cranberry spread will now be seriously pink. šŸ™‚

3. Serve and Enjoy

Fold in half the pecans and move everything to a serving bowl. Then top with the remaining pecans and serve with your favorite crackers.

Step by step on how to make the recipe.

Ideas for Crackers

You want a firm cracker that can stand up to the texture of whipped cheese, but still one with a mild flavor which will be a good base. Some choices include:

  1. Rosemary Crackers – the rosemary would pair well with the cranberries
  2. Seedy Crackers – the nuttiness of these crackers brings in a lot of complementary flavors
  3. Pepper Water Crackers – a little spice wakes up the taste buds for the tang recipe
  4. Rice Crackers – great crispness and an excellent gluten free option

More Amazing Holiday Nibbles

  • Baked Brie in Puff Pastry and Jam
  • Crispy Potato Bites Topped with Pancetta
  • Caviar and Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip
  • Three Cheese Broccoli Bites

And check out my appetizer category for more tasty recipes!

A platter of crackers topped with cranberry spread and toasted pecans.

If you try my recipe for Cranberry Goat Cheese Spread, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Pecan Cranberry Goat Cheese Spread

My cranberry goat cheese spread is an easy make ahead holiday appetizer! This cold dip is made of whipped cheese, fresh cranberry sauce, and toasted pecans. Wonderful for Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, and more.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry dip, cranberry goat cheese
Servings: 10
Calories: 125kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

Cranberry Sauce

  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 3 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar, or maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Cheese Spread

  • 8 oz goat cheese
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup pecan halves

Instructions

Make the Cranberry Sauce

  • Combine the cranberries, orange juice, sugar, salt, and balsamic in a small saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Then lower the heat so the sauce simmers.
  • Cook until the cranberries burst and the mixture becomes thick and saucy, about 7-8 minutes.
  • Let cool to room temperature.

Toast the Pecans

  • Heat the oven to 350F.
  • Spread out the pecans on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until browned.
  • Finely chop the pecans and set aside.

Make the Spread

  • Add the goat cheese and the cream cheese to the bowl of a food processor.
  • Blend them together for ~30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and pulse a few more times.
  • Add the cranberry sauce and pulse until the cranberries are mixed in and as smooth as you like it.
  • Transfer the spread to a bowl and add 1/4 cup of the chopped pecans, folding them in with a large silicone spatula.
  • Serve the spread topped with more of the toasted pecans along with crackers or chips.

Notes

  • Make ahead: The spread can be made up to 2 days ahead if kept refrigerated in a sealed container. Make sure to top it with the pecans just before serving.
  • Cheese: You can change the ratio of goat cheese to cream cheese to match your tastes. From 50/50 to mostly one or the other. These will all work.
Close up of recipe on crackers with text overlay - Cranberry Pecan Cheese Spread.
Recipe in a bowl and on crackers with text overlay - Cranberry Goat Cheese Spread.

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  • Cold Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries and PecansCold Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
  • New Year's Eve Appetizer Party MenuNew Year's Eve Appetizer Party Menu
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Filed Under: christmas, fall, gluten free, holiday favorites, recipe, savory bites, thanksgiving feast, vegetarian, winter Tagged With: balsamic, cranberries, cream cheese, goat cheese, maple syrup, nuts

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Justalittlebitofbacon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Comments

  1. Chelsey says

    December 16, 2019 at 12:35 am

    5 stars
    This is so tasty!! I love goat cheese and the flavor combination in this spread is just heavenly!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      December 16, 2019 at 8:11 am

      Thanks for commenting! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Beth says

    December 14, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    5 stars
    I am in love with the color, flavors and how easy this comes together! We loved it! Perfect for these busy holiday weeks full of lots of holiday parties.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      December 14, 2019 at 6:47 pm

      Great! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  3. Irina says

    December 13, 2019 at 10:15 pm

    5 stars
    I am falling in love with your festive spread! Pecans + cranberries + goat cheese = deliciousness! Bookmarking for the upcoming holidays!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      December 14, 2019 at 10:26 am

      I hope you give it a try!

      Reply
  4. Jessica says

    December 13, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    5 stars
    I love your photography! Everything is better with goat cheese so I’m excited to try this new spin on cheese spread for the holidays šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      December 14, 2019 at 10:24 am

      Thank you! If you love goat cheese, you will love this spread. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Anjali says

    December 13, 2019 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never thought to blend goat cheese and cream cheese together to make a dip — it sounds like that would be incredibly well balanced! Love the idea of adding cranberries and pecans too to make it perfect for the holidays!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      December 13, 2019 at 7:23 pm

      Thanks! I love the creaminess of the two together especially with tartness of the cranberries.

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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