These mini goat cheese balls are made with a mixture of honey goat cheese and cream cheese that has been rolled in chopped cranberries and pistachios. They’re simple, elegant, and are the ultimate party food!

Mini cheese balls with pistachios and cranberries on cutting board

One of my favorite appetizers is a cheese plate with a nice variety of hard and soft cheeses with toasty bread, crackers, a nice fig jam, spiced nuts, or something to that effect. Heaven!

I’m new to the cheese ball game, and come to find out, it’s the best game in town! Not only are cheese balls very easy, but they’re also huge crowd pleasers. What’s not to love?

Since I was new to this whole cheese ball thing, I did a bit of cheese ball scouring on Pinterest. I looked at photos only, and when I spied some mini cheese ball bites from Samantha at Five Heart Home, I knew that was the direction I wanted to go.  

You know how I love my mini desserts and bite sized morsels around here, don’t you?  Well, mini cheese balls are just too dang cute.  And pop-able!

I thought that the perfect way to serve them was slightly smashed down on some nice round crackers with a little drizzle of honey.  

You’re only minutes away from a fun, delicious, and sophisticated appetizer that everyone will love!

Mini goat cheese balls with with pick inserted in center

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • If goat cheese isn’t your thing, pick another! You get to customize these mini cheese balls to suit your taste buds.
  • The chopped pistachios and dried cranberries add tons of texture and flavor to the cheese ball bites.
  • This is a great recipe to assemble in advance and chill until you’re ready to serve.

Recipe ingredients

I made these mini homemade cheese balls with just five main ingredients. How easy is that?!

Ingredient notes

  • Cream cheese. Since goat cheese is so strong, I mixed it with cream cheese to tame it down a bit.
  • Honey goat cheese. If you can’t find honey goat cheese, simply use plain goat cheese and add some honey when beating the cream cheese and goat cheese together.
  • Cayenne pepper. Just 1/4 teaspoon adds a slight kick, which pairs nicely with the sweet goat cheese.
  • Dried cranberries. Chop them finely to make coating the goat cheese balls easier.
  • Pistachios. I recommend buying roasted, salted, and shelled pistachios.
Laura Chenel honey goat cheese

How to make this recipe

Putting this appetizer together took all of 30 minutes with a bit of chilling time in there. No oven, no nothing. Just a mixing bowl and beaters and a bit of rolling that the kids can even help you with.

  1. Place the cream cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth.
  2. Add the goat cheese and cayenne pepper, and beat until combined.
  3. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
  4. Place a sheet of waxed paper over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the cranberries and pistachios in a small bowl and toss to combine.
  5. Roll the cheese into teaspoon-sized balls and place on the waxed paper.
  6. Roll the balls in the cranberry pistachio mixture and place back on the waxed paper.
  7. Cover and chill until time to serve.

FAQs

Can mini cheese balls be made in advance?

Yes, you can make this mini goat cheese balls recipe up to 24 hours before you plan on serving them.

Can you freeze cheese balls?

Yes, wrap them in a couple layers of plastic wrap and then seal inside a freezer bag.

If you’re planning to freeze this recipe, it’d be easier to make it into one large cheese ball and then freeze that. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.

Goat cheese ball spread on a cracker

What to serve with this recipe

I like to serve these mini cheese balls with crackers and a drizzle of honey. You could also pair them with veggie sticks, pretzels, pita chips, and / or apple slices.

Recipe notes

  • I made this goat cheese ball recipe into mini bites, but you can also make one large cheese ball and let people scoop individual servings onto their plate.
  • You may substitute the honey goat cheese with plain goat cheese and add a drizzle of honey to the cheese mixture, if needed.
  • Chop the cranberries and pistachios finely to make rolling the cheese balls easier.

More cheesy appetizers:

Did you try this recipe?

If so, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below, and don’t forget to tag @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram!

Mini goat cheese balls with pistachios and cranberries

Mini Goat Cheese Balls with Cranberries and Pistachios

Servings: 28 cheese balls
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
These mini goat cheese balls are made with a mixture of honey goat cheese and cream cheese, then rolled in cranberries and pistachios!
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Ingredients

  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened (I used 1/3 less fat Neufchatel)
  • 5.4 ounce log of honey goat cheese*
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped fine
  • 1/2 cup roasted salted shelled pistachios chopped fine
  • crackers and honey for serving

Instructions 

  • Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the goat cheese and cayenne pepper, and beat until combined. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
  • Place a sheet of waxed paper over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the cranberries and pistachios in a small bowl and toss to combine.
  • Roll the cheese into teaspoon-sized balls and place on the waxed paper. Roll the balls in the cranberry pistachio mixture and place back on the waxed paper.
  • Cover and chill until time to serve.
  • Serve with crackers and a drizzle of honey, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Not a goat cheese lover? Substitute the goat cheese with feta.
  • *If you can’t find honey goat cheese, simply use plain goat cheese and add some honey when beating the cream cheese and goat cheese together, or just drizzle more on when serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 53kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 25mg, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
Keyword: goat cheese balls, mini cheese balls, mini goat cheese balls
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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