This creamy goat cheese caprese dip uses a mix of Greek cream cheese and goat cheese for a unique twist on a classic. Top it off with juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic glaze to create a beautiful party-ready appetizer.
What is caprese?
Caprese is traditionally a salad consisting of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. I've decided to mix it up and create a caprese-inspired dip highlighting goat cheese for a unique flavor. I love using goat cheese on everything from avocado toast to bruschetta.
How do I make this goat cheese caprese dip?
This dip is perfect for the holidays because it's so simple to whip up. Plus, it's red and green from the tomatoes and basil!
First, roast the baguette and tomatoes
Slice the baguette into ½ inch thick slices and place on one baking tray. Then, place sliced tomatoes on another baking tray, cut side up. Bake these for a few minutes, just until the baguette is slightly toasted and the tomatoes have released some of their juices.
If you can't find a baguette, you could also use sourdough or italian bread slices.
Then, mix together the cheeses
Make sure your cream cheese and goat cheese have set out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soften. Then, stir the cheese together with a fork, hand mixer, or stand mixer until smooth. The consistency will be slightly thick like icing.
In this recipe, I chose Greek cream cheese because it has 4x the protein and ½ the fat of regular cream cheese. If you can't find Greek cream cheese, use reduced fat cream cheese for a healthier option.
Finally, put it all together
Top the cheese mixture with the roasted tomatoes and serve with the crostinis (toasted baguette slices). Then, finish off with basil and balsamic glaze. It can be helpful to serve the dip with a spoon or knife for spreading onto the crostinis or other dippers.
If you don't want to serve as a dip, you could also serve it finger food style by spread the cheese mixture onto the toasted crostinis and top with all other ingredients.
What else should I serve with this dip?
You can serve the dip with the crostinis alone or add in other dippers like crackers and vegetables. Some of my favorites to serve alongside this dip are pita chips, pretzel chips, carrots, celery, and sweet peppers.
Add this healthy goat cheese caprese dip to your holiday or New Years' party menu. Looking for other easy appetizers to make? Check out some of my favorites:
Goat Cheese Caprese Dip
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Ingredients
- 1 - 10 ounce pint cherry tomatoes, about 2 cups, halved
- 1 baguette, cut into ½ inch thick slices
- 8 ounces log plain goat cheese, softened
- 8 ounces Greek cream cheese, softened*
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- ¼ cup basil leaves, chiffonade or thinly sliced
- Other dippers of your choice (pita chips, pretzels, celery, carrots, peppers, etc)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place baguette slices and tomatoes, cut side up, on separate baking sheets. Roast in the oven for 8 minutes, or until baguette slices are slightly toasted. Be careful not to overbake the baguette slices or it will become overly hard.
- Meanwhile, mix goat cheese and cream cheese together with a fork or mixer until smooth. Top with roasted tomatoes, basil, and a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze.
- Serve with toasted baguettes brushed with olive oil along with any other crackers or vegetables of choice.
- Store dip up to 5 days in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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Carol Milnar says
Can you use another cheese other than goat cheese?
Mackenzie Burgess says
Hi there! I have not tested this with another cheese but you could likely use mascarpone or feta cheese - I would then make sure to use a stand mixer or food processor to mix with the cream cheese to ensure a smooth consistency 🙂