This warm goat cheese appetizer is perfect for entertaining! Just 4 ingredients make this tasty dip for crostini or crackers.

Our favorite recipes for easy entertaining? Those that have minimal ingredients and prep time, but achieve maximum flavor. There’s no better example of that than this warm goat cheese appetizer! It’s got just 4 ingredients, takes just 10 minutes to bake, and tastes like an absolute dream. The tangy, gooey goat cheese against the citrusy marmalade and herbaceous thyme is pure bliss. It’s become a total go-to in our house: and we know it will be for years to come.

Ingredients in this goat cheese appetizer

Guests are coming? Quick, grab these four ingredients for a crowd-pleaser that will have everyone parked around the dish. The simplicity here is magic: the creaminess of the cheese with the sweet tart marmalade is the perfect combination. Here are the only ingredients you’ll need for this goat cheese appetizer:

• Goat cheese log (aka chevre)
• Marmalade or jam or any kind
• Pistachios
• Fresh thyme

Throw the goat cheese into the oven with the marmalade and bake 10 minutes, then top with chopped nuts and fresh thyme sprigs. The oven warms it so it’s spreadable on crackers or crostini. It’s so simple and perfect for any occasion: dinner parties, Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and everything in between.

Variation ideas

There are endless variations on this goat cheese appetizer idea! I sent this to my mother and she made it the same day using blueberry preserves! Here are some ideas:

• Preserves and jam: Use orange apricot marmalade like we do, or any type of preserves. Good flavor pairings with goat cheese are blueberry, blackberry, fig, and tomato jam.
• Nuts: Use any type of chopped nuts! Instead of pistachios, use almonds, pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts.
• Herbs: The fresh thyme has a distinct flavor here that we highly recommend! You can substitute dried thyme if desired. Chopped chives, rosemary or sage would also work.

Serving this goat cheese appetizer

Pull this goat cheese appetizer out of the oven, and you can serve it immediately! Baking the cheese is key, because it makes it warm enough to be spreadable. Here are a few ideas to use for dipping in:

Tip for making in advance and taking to a party

Taking this goat cheese appetizer to a party? Here’s what to do:

• Bake first. Bake it your house, then cover the dish in foil and warp it a towel to keep it warm. It should stay warm for about 20 minutes this way.
• Bake at the party. Or, have the host preheat the oven for you in advance! Pop it in right when you get to the party.

More goat cheese recipes

This goat cheese appetizer is one in a long list of favorite recipes starring this ingredient! (We’re goat cheese fanatics, in case you couldn’t tell.) Here are some great goat cheese recipes to try: