Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
These cranberry goat cheese truffles are an easy no-cook appetizer with the perfect mix of creamy, tangy, sweet, and crunchy. Soft goat cheese and cream cheese are mixed with honey, brown sugar, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh rosemary, then rolled into bite-sized little truffles.
They’re one of those appetizers that look much more impressive than they actually are to make- much like my sugared cranberries.
I made this the last time I was hosting a late fall get-together, and paired them with some honey walnut cream cheese and my favorite crunchy cinnamon sugar tortilla chips, and the were all such a hit.
If you love entertaining and like experimenting with easy appetizers and snacks, you've definitely got to give these a try.
Quick Look: Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
- 🔪 Prep time: 10 minutes
- ❄️ Chilling time: None.
- 🍽️ Servings: 6
- 🧀 Main ingredients: Goat cheese, cream cheese, dried cranberries, pecans, honey, and rosemary.
- 🥣 Cooking method: Chop → mix → fold → roll → drizzle → serve.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥨 Best served: With crackers, pretzel sticks, or as part of a charcuterie board with candied dates.
Jump to recipe
- Quick Look: Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
- What You'll Love About this Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
- Tips and Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
- Troubleshooting & FAQs
- More Festive Sweet Treats
- Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
What You'll Love About this Recipe
- There’s no cooking or baking involved. All you'll need is 10 minutes and a few simple ingredients to put these together.
- Toasted pecans give the truffles a delicious crunchy contrast and the creamy cheese and tart cranberries work so well together.
- These are perfect to serve as bite-sized snacks for a party- much like my condensed milk truffles.
Recipe Ingredients
Goat cheese: The tangy, creamy base that gives these truffles their distinctive flavor.
Cream cheese: For the richness and to make the cheese mixture extra smooth and creamy.
Honey: Adds sweetness and balances the tangy cheese. I like using orange infused honey whenever I have it at hand.
Brown sugar: Adds a subtle caramel-like sweetness to the mixture.
Dried cranberries: Bring chewy texture and bursts of tart, fruity flavor.
Toasted pecans: Add crunch and rich, nutty flavor. You can also use brown sugar walnuts if you don't have pecans.
Fresh rosemary: Adds a fragrant herbal note that complements the cranberries and cheese.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap the pecans for walnuts or almonds (try my orange sugared almonds) if you prefer a different nut.
- Use dried cherries instead of cranberries for a slightly different fruity flavor.
- Try fresh thyme instead of rosemary for a milder herbal note.
- Add a little orange zest for a bright citrusy variation.
- Use maple syrup instead of honey for a slightly deeper sweetness.
How to Make Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
Step 1: Finely chop the dried cranberries.
Step 2: Add goat cheese, cream cheese, and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
Step 3: Add the chopped dried cranberries, toasted chopped pecans, finely chopped rosemary, and honey. Gently fold everything together.
Step 4: Using your hands, gently scoop out portions of the mixture and roll them into balls. Each truffle should be approximately 2 tablespoons in size.
Tips and Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Let the goat cheese and cream cheese soften before mixing. Finely chop the cranberries so they distribute evenly throughout the mixture.
- Use toasted pecans for the best nutty flavor. Don't overmix once the cranberries, pecans, and rosemary have been added.
- Try to keep the truffles roughly the same size so they look uniform on a serving platter.
- Keep the truffles refrigerated until you're ready to serve them. I always do this when I make my no bake carrot cake bites too.
How to Serve Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
These truffles are perfect for serving on a wooden board or appetizer platter alongside crackers and pretzel sticks. They also make a lovely addition to a charcuterie board along with cheese Christmas trees (if you're making these during Christmas), a nice pecan pie dip and some pecan snowball cookies.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Store leftover truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Because these truffles are made with soft cheese, keep them refrigerated until you're ready to serve them.
Yes. Since the finished truffles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, they're a convenient make-ahead appetizer.
More Festive Sweet Treats
If you tried this cranberry goat cheese truffle recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cranberry Goat Cheese Truffles
Ingredients
- 8 oz soft goat cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup dried cranberries finely chopped
- 1 cup toasted pecans chopped
- 2 tablespoons rosemary finely chopped
Instructions
- Finely chop the dried cranberries.
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened goat cheese, cream cheese, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the chopped pecans, cranberries, rosemary, and honey.
- Gently fold until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls, approximately 2 tablespoons each.
- Arrange the truffles on a serving board or platter.
- Drizzle with extra honey and serve with crackers, toothpicks, or pretzel sticks.
Notes
- Bring the goat cheese and cream cheese to room temperature before mixing for a smoother texture.
- Toast the pecans before chopping for extra flavor.
- If the mixture is too sticky to roll, refrigerate it briefly before shaping.
- Pecans can be substituted with walnuts or almonds.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
