This Fig Jam Goat Cheese Dip has just 6 ingredients, and it's incredibly easy to make! It's the perfect fall and winter appetizer you'll love for anything from family dinners to fancy holiday parties. It's sweet, salty, creamy, and a little spicy. Roasted pistachios add a nice crunch, and the dip is sure to be a hit!
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Why You'll Love This Fig and Goat Cheese Dip
Easy and simple - If you're looking for a last-minute holiday appetizer, this is it! You'll need just 6 ingredients, and it takes about 10 minutes to make, and you only need 2 dishes! It's one of the easiest appetizers I've come up with, and so delicious for how simple it is!
Perfect balance of flavors - This dip has it all! It's salty, sweet, creamy, and crunchy. If you're not used to combining sweet and savory flavors, you should definitely give this recipe a try! Sweet fig jam goes perfectly with the creamy goat cheese and roasted pistachios.
Holidays or Friday night - This dip is both simple and restaurant-worthy, which makes it great for practically any occasion! It's perfect for the holiday season, but it can be great for a casual Friday night or a game day too! Serve it on its own or with other finger foods. Your guests will love it!
Ingredients
- Goat cheese - Look for soft, unripened goat cheese. It usually comes in small plastic packages in the shape of a log. It's very similar to cream cheese, just slightly thicker and without any cow's milk.
- Fig preserves - I use fig preserves, which have small pieces of dried figs and are generally thicker than fig jam, but either can be used here.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Olive oil adds flavor that balances the sweetness of figs. Use a good olive oil because you want the best flavor, and you don't need much of it.
- Honey - You can use regular honey or hot honey if you want to add some heat. If you don't have any or if it's too thick and not pourable, you can use maple syrup instead.
- Pistachios - I like buying pistachios that are already shelled and roasted to save time, but you can always roast them yourself as well. Details are in the recipe card.
- Flaky sea salt and black pepper - I add these at the very end, right before serving. Maldon sea salt looks pretty, but you can use freshly ground Himalayan pink salt or fine sea salt as well. Always use freshly ground black pepper if possible for the best flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different nuts - If you don't have pistachios, you can top the dip with roasted pecans, walnuts, or even toasted pine nuts. If you can't have nuts, try toasted sunflower seeds!
- Cream cheese - If you don't have soft goat cheese, you can use regular cream cheese or Boursin instead.
- Different jams - You could change things up with this dip by using a different jam. Try it with apricot jam or plum jam.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Spread softened goat cheese on a dinner plate or a small serving plate. I do this with a spoon and press it down on the plate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together fig preserves and honey or maple syrup. Pour the mixture over the goat cheese and spread evenly.
- Drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil.
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- Sprinkle the dip with chopped pistachios and finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Enjoy it with crackers of your choice or crostini.
Success Tips
- Prep it ahead - You can easily make most of this dip ahead of time. Spread the goat cheese on a plate, top it with fig jam, olive oil, and hot honey, cover with foil, and store it in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, top it with chopped roasted pistachios, freshly ground black pepper, and flaky sea salt. I do this right before serving to avoid the nuts losing their crunch in the fridge.
- Let it come to room temperature - If you're serving the dip right after you make it, it's not as important to wait because the cheese does soften as you're prepping it, but if you made it ahead, and it's cold from the fridge, give it 15 minutes at room temperature to make sure the cheese is soft and scoopable.
Serving Suggestions
The best way to serve this dip is with a variety of crackers (my favorite are Mary's Gone Crackers here!) or crostini (toasted baguette slices). You can also serve it with crusty sourdough bread slices or even pita or pita chips.
I like plain crackers or whole-grain ones with seeds. You don't want any that are super spicy or have a strong flavor that would overpower the dip. Garlic crackers are also delicious here!
If you want to make it healthier, serve it with sliced bell peppers and baby carrots!
Storing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If it's too hard to transfer into a container, just cover the plate with foil and store it in the fridge like that! I don't recommend freezing the dip because it would have a grainy texture once defrosted.
FAQs
The main difference is the consistency. Fig preserves are thicker and chunkier because they have pieces of dried figs, whereas fig jam is smooth and thinner.
Yes! You can use vegan cream cheese and add maple syrup instead of honey. Everything else can stay the same.
Other Goat Cheese Dips
If you like this dip, you should definitely check out the four dips below! They're some of my all-time favorites, and they're all made with the same creamy goat cheese! To see all the latest ones, head over to Dips, Dressings, and Spreads.
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Have you tried this Goat Cheese Dip? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Fig Jam Goat Cheese Dip
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-8 1x
- Category: Dip
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Fig Jam Goat Cheese Dip has just 6 ingredients, and it's so easy to make! It's the perfect fall and winter appetizer for anything from family dinners to fancy holiday parties. It's sweet, salty, creamy, and a little spicy.
Ingredients
- 10 oz soft goat cheese
- ⅓ cup fig preserves or fig jam
- 2 tsp honey (or hot honey, or maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup roasted shelled pistachios, chopped
- ½ tsp flaky Maldon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Spread soft goat cheese on a dinner plate or a small serving plate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together fig preserves and honey or maple syrup. Pour the mixture over the goat cheese and spread evenly.
- Drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil.
- Sprinkle it with chopped pistachios and finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy the dip with crackers of your choice.
Notes
Fig jam topping: Depending on the consistency of your fig preserves (or jam), you can either whisk it with the honey first, and then spread it on the goat cheese, or add everything separately to save the extra dish. If it’s thick, I recommend whisking it first to make it easiest to spread on the soft cheese.
Honey: If your honey isn’t pourable, you can either use maple syrup instead or warm it up in a small saucepan with the fig jam and olive oil.
Roasted pistachios: Preheat your oven to 375°F and spread raw, shelled pistachios on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Keep an eye on them, they like to burn quickly.
Storing: Store any leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days. You can transfer it to an airtight container, but that will mess up the layers, so I usually just cover the plate with tinfoil or plastic wrap and store it like that.
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