With tangy goat cheese, sweet cranberries and crunchy walnuts, these nutty cranberry goat cheese shots are an appetizer or treat that your whole family can enjoy this Christmas. They may be served in shot glasses for fun, individual portions, but they are non-alcoholic. They only take about 10 minutes to prepare and can be made in advance!
Ingredients
This recipe makes 12 appetizer shots.
- goat cheese
- honey
- dried cranberries
- walnuts
- mini crispy breadsticks - to serve
- extra dried cranberries and chopped walnuts - for topping
*Check ingredient amounts in recipe card.
Goat cheese is a popular ingredient for appetizers because of its mild but tangy flavor. In a lot of ways, it offers a blank palette that you can customize however you like. We also use walnuts, cranberries and honey to add sweetness and texture to this versatile cheese.
Instead of the typical dessert bowl, we've decided to change it up by offering our delicious cranberry goat cheese appetizer in shot glasses. So make sure you have some of those on hand, either disposable or glass ones, to make this recipe.
I used 2 ounce dessert shots for this recipe, but you can use any size you like. Just divide the goat cheese mixture evenly into each shot. Note that this might change the number of servings.
Variations
If you're looking to experiment, one good way to change this appetizer up is to serve it with pecans instead of walnuts. Toast them for some extra crunch and deeper flavor.
You could also use mini dessert spoons in place of the breadsticks. They taste amazing with or without the bread component!
You probably won't find a better match for the Christmas holiday than dried cranberries: they're sweet and tangy and go perfectly with the delicious goat cheese and honey mixture we've used as the base of this appetizer.
That being said, there are dried cranberries that are flavored with different fruit juices such as strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, cherry, or orange. I would recommend the orange flavor since it also goes well with the holiday theme.
How to Make Them
The shot glasses make this the perfect appetizer to carry around and enjoy all night while visiting with guests. Plus, they're pre-portioned, so all you have to do is mix up the goat cheese, scoop it into the glasses and everyone can enjoy this perfectly-sized treat!
- Mix together the goat cheese, honey, dried cranberries and chopped walnuts in a bowl until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into shot glasses.
- Sprinkle with extra cranberries and walnuts. Add a mini breadstick to each shot glass.
- Serve!
Serving Suggestions
The white goat cheese and red cranberries will immediately put your guests in the holiday spirit. Add some crunchy breadsticks, and these shots are ready for dipping and munching all night long.
Serve them as an appetizer before your Christmas dinner, or pair them with your favorite wine for a delicious after-dinner treat.
Not only are these great for Christmas parties, but they can be served on holidays like Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve as well.
Storage
They will taste best served fresh but you can store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
Make Ahead Tip
If you want to make them in advance, it is best to leave the toppings/breadsticks until just before serving so that they remain crunchy.
Have you served appetizers in shot glasses before? Let me know and if you loved this Christmas recipe, please share it!
📋Recipe
Nutty Cranberry Goat Cheese Shots
Ingredients
- 2 cups goat cheese
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup walnuts - chopped
- mini crispy breadsticks - to serve
- extra dried cranberries and chopped walnuts - for topping
Instructions
- Mix together the goat cheese, honey, dried cranberries and chopped walnuts in a bowl until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into shot glasses.
- Sprinkle with extra cranberries and walnuts. Add a mini breadstick to each shot glass.
- Serve!
Equipment
Notes
- I used 2 ounce dessert shots for this recipe, but you can use any size you like. Just divide the goat cheese mixture evenly into each shot.
- They will taste best served fresh but you can store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
- If you want to make them in advance, it is best to leave the toppings/breadsticks until just before serving so that they remain crunchy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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