Garlic Whipped Goat Cheese Dip

The tangy bite of whipped goat cheese is tamed by savory roasted garlic and fresh rosemary in this dip to create a stunningly creamy and decadent appetizer that might honestly have you licking the bowl clean.

This is one of those appetizers that’s incredibly easy and perfect for throwing together in a pinch if you have people coming over. It can be served as a dip, as a spread on crusty bread or even used to top (and elevate) a juicy steak.

The deep flavors from the roasted garlic and fresh herbs elicit restaurant quality vibes while in reality, it’s an incredibly simple recipe that takes minimal effort.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE

• plain or herbed goat cheese
• cream cheese
• whole head of garlic
• sprig of fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

GOAT CHEESE – Also known as chèvre, the goat cheese should be brought to room temperature so it’s nice and soft before whipping. This helps bring a fluffy texture to the dip.

CREAM CHEESE – For this recipe, you can use either block/brick cream cheese or whipped cream cheese in a container. It should also be softened by leaving it out to come to room temperature for the same reasons as the goat cheese.

GARLIC – Roasted garlic is a whole different flavor profile from raw garlic. Roasting an entire head in the oven tames the pungent bite and creates a savory caramelized depth to the taste that’s perfect for adding into dips (try this roasted garlic white bean dip) or honestly, just spreading directly on some bread! Don’t be tempted to skip this step and use something like minced garlic, it won’t at all be the same and will overwhelm the dip.

ROSEMARY – Any fresh herb you like will do here but I’m partial to rosemary. Dill, thyme, basil and sage are good swaps. Fresh is best but dried forms of any of thees herbs can be used in a pinch.

HOW TO MAKE WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE

The ingredients are incredibly simple and so is the method to make this dip.

Start by preheating the oven to 400°F to roast the garlic.

Cut off the top of a head of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil then wrap up in some aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Place directly into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully open the foil to let the garlic cool.

Meanwhile, add the goat cheese, cream cheese, rosemary leaves, salt and pepper to a food processor. Once the head of garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out into the food processor.

Process until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with some additional olive oil and garnish with coarse salt and pepper.

OTHER WAYS TO MAKE IT

If you don’t have access to a food processor, you can also whip the goat cheese in a large bowl with a handheld mixer or use a blender.

Alternatively, if you’re up for some work, you can whip the mixture by hand using a heavy duty whisk.

TOPPINGS TO CONSIDER

While a drizzle of olive oil and some coarse salt and pepper is all that’s really needed, you can certainly jazz up this dip with some toppings.

• minced fresh herbs
• additional roasted garlic
• red pepper flakes
• crumbled bacon
• chopped dates (this is sort of a play on goat cheese stuffed dates – try these ricotta honey stuffed prunes for a similar recipe)
• chopped nuts
• chopped olives

HOW TO SERVE THE DIP

Here’s where the fun begins! There are so many options for serving the whipped goat cheese.

Easy favorites include all sorts of fresh vegetables like carrots, peppers, jicama, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.

Even fresh fruit works with this dip, especially if you add the sweet chopped dates as a topping.

Crackers and crusty bread are the perfect carb-centric dipper.

In fact, if you’d prefer to make crostini, the texture of the whipped goat cheese is perfect for that too.

Whipped Lemon Burrata Crostini and Cheesy Edamame Crostini are great recipes for that sort of appetizer too.

Love a good tapenade instead? Try this kalamata olive tapenade, it’s divine!

MORE WAYS TO ENJOY WHIPPED CHèVRE

There are plenty of other ways to enjoy this recipe outside of a dip.

Some delicious ideas include:

• as a base for a white pizza
• in the place of a compound butter on top of steak like this air fried filet mignon.
• tossed into pasta for a creamy sauce (try this easy lemon ricotta pasta recipe too)
• spread on a bagel (add some everything seasoning sprinkled on top for extra garlic flavor!)
• use in a sandwich – my mom used to make us cream cheese and tomato sandwiches in the summer and this would be the perfect upscale swap for the cream cheese.

HOW LONG WILL THIS KEEP?

Like other dips, whipped goat cheese will stay in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before serving, make sure it comes to room temperature so it softens for the best taste and dippable texture.

MORE DIPS LIKE THIS TO TRY:

Butternut squash goat cheese dip
Pumpkin goat cheese dip with caramelized onions
Whipped pumpkin ricotta dip – a sweet option!
Vegan spinach artichoke dip