This 5-Ingredient Honey Goat Cheese Appetizer is one of my favorite kinds of recipes: it looks a little fancy, tastes incredible, and takes about five minutes to put together. Creamy goat cheese sits over sweet apricot preserves, then gets topped with crunchy pistachios, honey, and fresh basil for the perfect sweet, savory, creamy, and crunchy bite. I originally made this with raw honey, which is delicious, but regular honey works beautifully too — so use whatever you have!
The combination of goat cheese and honey with some nuts has been my favorite quick appetizer for forever. I would simply put a little goat cheese log on a plate, drizzle it with some honey, top it with some nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecan halves) and then set it out with some crackers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together in about 5 minutes.
- You only need 5 ingredients.
- It looks impressive with almost no effort.
- Sweet apricot preserves and honey balance the tangy goat cheese perfectly.
- Pistachios add crunch while fresh basil keeps everything tasting bright.
- You can make it with raw honey, honeycomb, or regular honey.
- It’s perfect for parties, holidays, happy hour, or those times when people are coming over and you suddenly realize you need an appetizer.
- Readers have called this one of the best appetizers they’ve made and love that it takes almost no time to assemble.
Do You Need to Use Raw Honey?
No! I originally created this recipe with raw honey and loved the little bits of honeycomb and almost candy-like texture, but regular honey works perfectly too.
If you happen to have raw honey or honeycomb, definitely use it — it makes the appetizer feel extra special. But if there’s a bottle of regular honey sitting in your pantry, there is absolutely no reason not to make this recipe.
Tips for Success
- Let the goat cheese soften slightly. Ten or fifteen minutes at room temperature makes it creamier and easier to scoop onto crackers.
- Don’t bury the goat cheese in preserves. A thin layer underneath gives you sweetness in each bite while still letting the tangy goat cheese shine.
- Add the pistachios shortly before serving. That keeps them crunchy.
- Drizzle the honey over everything at the end. You want little pockets of honey rather than completely coating the cheese.
- The visual cue is easy: when the goat cheese is topped generously with pistachios, glossy honey, and fresh basil, you’re done. There really isn’t much that can go wrong here!
Variations and Substitutions
- Use regular honey instead of raw honey.
- Try fig preserves, cherry preserves, or peach preserves instead of apricot.
- Substitute chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for the pistachios.
- Use fresh thyme instead of basil for a more savory flavor.
- Add a little flaky sea salt over the top for even more sweet-and-salty contrast.
- Serve it over toasted baguette slices instead of crackers.
- Spread the leftovers onto toast for breakfast — one reader did exactly that and loved it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use regular honey instead of raw honey? Absolutely. Raw honey is delicious and adds a slightly different texture, but regular honey works beautifully.
- Can I make this ahead of time? You can assemble the goat cheese over the preserves a few hours ahead and refrigerate it. Add the pistachios, honey, and basil closer to serving so everything stays fresh and crunchy.
- What kind of goat cheese should I use? A plain 4-ounce goat cheese log works perfectly. You can use another soft goat cheese if that’s what you have.
- Can I use a different jam? Yes. Fig, cherry, peach, or another fruit preserve would all work well, although apricot is still one of my favorite combinations with goat cheese.
- Can I serve this warm? This version is meant to be served at room temperature, but goat cheese also works beautifully warm if you want to experiment with a baked variation.
Storage
- Store: Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Serve again: Let the goat cheese sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so it softens slightly.
- Refresh: Add a fresh drizzle of honey, a few more pistachios, and fresh basil before serving leftovers.
- Do not freeze: Goat cheese can change texture after freezing, so this appetizer is best enjoyed fresh.
More Easy Appetizers You’ll Love
- The Best Easy Baked Brie AppetizerHam and Brie Crostini
- Antipasto Skewers
- 5-Ingredient Jalapeño Cheddar Dip
This is exactly the kind of appetizer I love having in my back pocket because it proves that “easy” does not have to mean boring. Five ingredients, five minutes, and somehow you end up with something that looks beautiful and tastes like you put real thought into it. I’ve made this for family and friends for years, and it’s still one of those appetizers that disappears quickly every single time.
5 Ingredient Raw Honey and Goat Cheese Appetizer
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 4 oz goat cheese I just buy the plain little logs, but you could use 4 oz of any kind of goat cheese
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 2 tablespoons raw honey I like to include little bits of the honeycomb
- 3 leaves basil chopped
Instructions
- On a small plate or shallow bowl spoon apricot preserves.
- Lay goat cheese on top of apricot preserves, then sprinkle pistachios on top of goat cheese.
- With a knife or spoon drizzle raw honey over the goat cheese, then top with chopped basil.
- Serve with baguette slices or crackers and enjoy!
Nutrition
This post has been sponsored by Best Food Facts. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Sweetphi blog possible, as always, all thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
Aysel says
This is such a great idea! I tried it out a few days ago – luckily, I happened to have a jar of raw honey in my pantry ? – for a special family dinner, and it turned out absolutely amazing! Hands down one of the best appetizers I’ve ever made.
Christina says
I absolutely can not wait to make this!!!!! My Aunt makes apps like this and now I can show her up a little with my new dip! Woohoo Thanks Phi!?
Sweetphi says
Hahah, I love that story about your aunt! You will definitely show her up with this 😉 I make this one all the time for family and friends, and seriously everyone loves it!
Jessica says
Yum! I just love how this deliciousness comes together with only 5 ingredients! This appetizer would make me look fancy when I’m completely not! Thanks for sharing!
Sweetphi says
This appetizer is definitely one of my all time faves in terms of something that looks fancy, tastes great, but only takes a few seconds to put together! And seriously, everyone always eats this one right up!
Shawnna Griffin says
hey girl- this looks really good! I’ve never had real honey! Looks delish! have a great weekend!
Sweetphi says
I had never had raw honey either, it’s so different and delicious, if you ever come across it i’d highly recommend it. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
Bethany says
How wonderful does this look!?! I will definitely be making this as my next party app! : )
Sweetphi says
I think you’d love it Bethany, it comes together in a flash and everyone always is so pleasantly surprised and how addictingly delicious the flavor combination is 🙂
Sarah says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I had friends coming over last night and had some goat cheese hanging around so I tried it. AWESOME! Plus it took almost no time to make. I had the leftovers for breakfast on toast this morning. Mmmmmm.
Next time I think I’ll try it warm.
This is going in my “keeper” pile.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for the awesome feedback Sarah! So glad you liked it – and totally GENIUS idea to have it on toast this morning!!
Emanuele @ guyslovecooking says
Goat cheese, honey and pistachio work very well. The texture and the different flavor work perfectly.
I like that you use raw honey!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much Emanuele. I had never had raw honey and now I’m totally hooked 🙂
manda2177 says
This recipe looks so delicious, I love how simply it comes together!
Sweetphi says
My favorite thing about this appetizer is that it comes together in less than 5 minutes – perfect for when I’m running short on time…which is always lol 😉
Lynn Lovejoy says
Stunning. Simple deliciousness… well done my lovely friend… I wish we were sitting around drinking wine enjoying this right now!
Sweetphi says
Awe, thank you so much lovely lady, your comment made me smile – definitely wish we were together eating this app and drinking wine 🙂
Shawnna says
Yummy!! This looks good!! I’ve never had raw honey!
Sweetphi says
I think you’d love raw honey – there is the gooey honey in the middle, but then the honeycomb tastes like candy almost, it’s amazing. Thank you for commenting Shawnna, i always appreciate it 🙂
Suné Moolman says
I love every single thing in this appetizer – eating it together might just be the best thing ever! Brilliant idea, Philia! Love it! 🙂
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much! This is one of my all time favorite appetizers to serve because everyone loves the flavor combination and it only takes mere minutes to prepare 🙂
Little Cooking Tips says
Wonderful idea Phi! Serving fresh goat/sheep cheese with honey (like myzithra) is very common here, especially in the island of Crete. Adding nuts and jam is a different excellent approach though and we can’t wait to try this!
Regarding honey Panos’s great-grandfather was a local beekeeper in the north of Athens (back then those suburbs were practically small villages around Athens). So, his grandparents taught him lots o f stuff regarding honey. And frankly, there’s something in his DNA left, ’cause he’s devouring it in large quantities (he’s looking with a guilty smile as I type those lines and read what I commented on your recipe).
If you can find any Greek honey give it a try. Almost all Greek production is organic and free of chemicals, as pure as it gets, you’ll really appreciate it.
Your appetizer will be served tomorrow, we’ll be at Evia island for the weekend, at Panos’ parents house which is located between pines and olives, in a wonderful country setting.
Have a wonderful weekend, full of joy and smiles!
Lots of greetings from both!
Panos and Mirella
xoxoxo
Sweetphi says
I most definitely will have to try Greek honey now, it sounds delicious! I hope you enjoyed the addition of nuts and jam 🙂 I always love your comments because they’re so full of amazing information, so thank you!
Have a wonderful week,
Phi
Little Cooking Tips says
Hi Phi,
we did try it this weekend at Evia. AND IT-WAS-AMAZING! We served it as a late afternoon snack and we honestly enjoyed this soooo much! It was the perfect treat for the country setting around us:)
Thanx so much for another delicious idea dear!
Panos and Mirella
xoxoxo
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
This would be perfect to serve up at a dinner party. I also love that you have put pistachios on this as well, they are my favourite nut at the moment and I want to put them on everything.
Sweetphi says
I’m right there with you, I want pistachios on everything! I had pistachio ice cream and I think I swooned lol. Thanks for stopping by and commenting