Our deliciously creamy baked goat cheese dip is topped with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil and served with crusty, garlicky crostini! Great for holidays and parties, this goat cheese dip is always a hit!
This baked goat cheese dip recipe is one of my favorites for parties – it’s irresistibly smooth, deliciously creamy and probably one of the easier things you can whip up for a small crowd. Plus, you can make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven for 15 minutes before serving!
Recipe ingredients
This baked goat cheese dip recipe consists of three components: baked goat cheese, the tomato basil topping and crostini for dipping.
- Goat cheese
- Cream cheese
- Grated parmesan
- Dried oregano
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic
- Fresh basil
- French bread or baguette
Recipe Note: While this recipe calls for plain goat cheese, I often substitute goat cheese that already has spices and herbs mixed in. Garlic and herb goat cheese is my absolute favorite, but really any variety will work well. As long as you’re using a soft goat cheese it will be perfect for this recipe.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Goat Cheese Dip. Mix all ingredients for the goat cheese dip using an electric mixer and place in a small baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
Step 2: Make the Tomato Basil Topping. When it comes to the topping, you have two options. You can spoon it over the goat cheese once it’s finished cooking or even add it during the last five minutes of baking to warm it up a bit. Honestly, I can’t decide which I like better so it’s usually a last minute decision!
Step 3: Make the Crostini.
Start by slicing your bread and toasting it in a dry skillet over medium heat. The bread should be crispy and slightly browned, which generally takes about a minute or so on each side.
Now the most important part of this baked goat cheese dip recipe: smash a piece of garlic and rub it all over the toasted bread. It’s unbelievable how much flavor this little step adds! And to finish off the appetizer, you can either serve the toasts as-is or even drizzle them with a bit of olive oil!
Storage and reheating
If you have leftover baked goat cheese dip, allow it to come to room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat leftovers, place the dip in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil and bake at 350°F (180°C) until heated through.
Recipe variations
Looking to take this baked goat cheese dip recipe in a different direction? Try these ideas:
- Use flavored goat cheese. Try herb infused goat cheese or even something like sundried tomato and basil goat cheese!
- Add fresh herbs. Instead of dried oregano, mix in some fresh oregano or thyme.
- Switch up the topping. Caramelized onions would make an excellent topping!
- Serve with crackers or fresh vegetables. No time to toast the crostini? Buy some crackers or use fresh veggies like carrots and celery as dippers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Goat cheese doesn’t melt in the same way as many other cheeses. When heated in the oven, it will get a super creamy and spreadable texture.
Yes! I like to mix up the goat cheese dip a day ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bake it when you’re ready to eat. Just add a few minutes to the cook time if going straight from fridge to oven. The tomato topping can also be mixed up in advance, but I recommend adding the salt right before serving.
We love to serve this as the centerpiece of a larger charcuterie board! Here are some of our favorite charcuterie picks to accompany the star of the show: salami, roasted red peppers, olives, dried figs, fruits (apples, pears, grapes) and mixed nuts. In addition to the crostini, chips and crackers are also excellent for dipping.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
And if you need a few more appetizers to accompany your baked goat cheese dip, give these a try!
- Smoked Deviled Eggs
- Charcuterie Board (or check out our ALDI charcuterie board)
- Baked Brie With Jam
- Spicy Salmon Cakes
- Walnut And Caramelized Onion Yogurt Dip
- Easy Mango Pico De Gallo
- Provoleta Recipe
Baked Goat Cheese Dip Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: appetizers
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: global
Ingredients
Baked Goat Cheese Dip
- 8 ounces (220 grams) goat cheese
- 4 ounces (110 grams) cream cheese
- ⅓ cup (30 grams) grated parmesan
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
Tomato Basil Topping
- 1 cup (200 grams) cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- kosher salt to taste
Crostini
- 1 loaf french bread
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together all ingredients for the baked goat cheese until creamy and smooth. Place in a small baking dish* and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are beginning to brown.
- Make the tomato topping. Mince two cloves of garlic and tear the basil into small pieces. Place the chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, oregano and salt in a small bowl and mix well.
- Slice the bread and slightly smash the last clove of garlic. Heat up a skillet over medium heat and toast each slice of bread (about 1-2 minutes on each side). Rub each slice of toasted bread with the garlic.
- When the goat cheese is cooked, top with the tomato mixture and serve with crostini.
Notes
Baking dish size: I used a 6-inch (15 cm) cast iron skillet to make this dip, but any small oven-safe dish will work well.
Storing: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This post may contain affiliate links through which we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products that we genuinely love and would use ourselves.