Goat Cheese Balls Recipe
Pumpkin seed crusted crispy goat cheese balls with arbol honey drizzle
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Ingredients
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Goat Cheese Balls
Method
Goat Cheese Balls
- 1
Prep and preheat
Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 2
Prepare crust components
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Cool briefly, then pulse in a processor to a coarse crumb. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- 3
Make cheese filling
In a large bowl, blend the goat cheese and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the egg until fully incorporated.
- 4
Season and bind
Taste and adjust salt if needed. Mix until the cheese mixture is cohesive and workable.
- 5
Form balls
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture and roll between your palms to form roughly 1-inch balls. Chill 10 minutes if the mixture is too soft to shape.
- 6
Crust the balls
Roll each ball in the prepared crust mixture to coat completely, pressing gently to adhere.
- 7
Arrange and oil
Place coated balls on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush or spray with olive oil to help crisp the crust.
- 8
Bake
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the coating is golden and the cheese is set around the edges.
- 9
Arbol honey drizzle
In a small saucepan, warm the honey with the dried arbol chile over low heat for 1–3 minutes to infuse. Remove and discard the chile.
- 10
Serve
Drizzle the warm arbol honey over the baked goat cheese balls and serve immediately.