’Tis the season to bring a dish like this Cranberry and Orange Goat Cheese Dip to the holiday potluck. While many foods for the holidays can be heavy or overly sweet, this dip is a refreshing change. It has a light and airy texture thanks to whipped goat cheese and a tangy finish from the cranberries. Pomegranate seeds and pistachios add an extra crunch on top. The red and green colors from the ingredients are reminiscent of Christmas, making it the perfect addition to a holiday spread.
This Cranberry and Orange Goat Cheese Dip is an easy yet show-stopping appetizer. It’s a layered dip with whipped goat cheese as the base and cranberry orange sauce as the star. You can make the jam-like cranberry sauce a day in advance, so it’s ready to assemble before your guests arrive.
Cranberry and Orange Goat Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries (about three cups)
- 1 orange zest and juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 10 oz goat cheese
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 pomegranate
- 1/4 cup pistachios chopped
Instructions
Make the Cranberry and Orange Jam
- Add 12 oz cranberries to a medium saucepan over high heat.
- Add the zest of 1 orange to the cranberries. Then, cut the orange in half and squeeze in all of its juice.
- Add 1/4 cup maple syrup.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes until the cranberries have popped to create a jam-like consistency. Using the back of a spoon, crush any cranberries that didn't pop and need an extra nudge.This step can be done a day in advance.
Whip the goat cheese
- While the cranberry orange sauce cools, whip the goat cheese by adding a 10 oz goat cheese log into a food processor with 1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt. Pulse until creamy. You can use a hand mixer or even a blender if you don't have a food processor.
Assemble the dip
- Transfer the whipped goat cheese onto a plate with a spoon or spatula. Smooth it out so it covers the entire bottom of the plate.
- Add the cranberry orange sauce on top of the whipped goat cheese.
- Cut open 1 pomegranate to remove its seeds. Add about 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds or more on top, covering the cranberry orange sauce.
- Chop 1/4 cup pistachios and sprinkle on top as a finishing touch to add a crunch and extra pop of color.
- Serve with table water crackers and enjoy.
Serving the dip
Serve the Cranberry and Orange Goat Cheese Dip with simple table water crackers. This dip serves more people (and crackers) than you’d expect. Buy at least three 5 oz boxes of crackers.
Goat Cheese v. Feta Cheese
Goat cheese can be a polarizing ingredient at a gathering. But, when you whip it with whole milk yogurt, its strong flavor becomes less intense. (Believe me, I’ve tested this dip with real goat cheese haters.)
You can substitute the goat cheese for feta but be mindful that it will change the flavor profile, making the dip more tangy. If you do substitute with feta, you’ll likely need to add more yogurt when whipping the cheese in the food processor since feta isn’t as naturally soft as goat cheese. You can lean into the tanginess or add a bit of maple syrup to your feta.
Pomegranate seeds
Don’t let the pomegranate seeds deter you from making this dish. But, there is no need to overpay for pomegranate seeds or arils that have been de-seeded from the fruit.
To seed a pomegranate, cut a square around the top bulb-looking area known as a calyx. Pop the skin off where you cut the square to reveal the natural grooves and sections of the fruit. From here, you can carefully open the pomegranate along each section with your hands and remove the seeds into a bowl.
Be careful, pomegranate stains, so make sure you’re not wearing your party attire while you cut into one.
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