Goat Cheese Appetizer with Puff Pastry & Jam
This simple Goat Cheese Appetizer with puff pastry and jam is sweet, salty, and tangy all in one. The perfect flaky, elegant dish comes together in just a few minutes and is perfect for any occasion! My biggest tip for this recipe is to follow the instructions for preparing the puff pastry so it takes the right shape!
You don’t have to go all out to add a dash of elegance to your hosting. Sometimes the simplest appetizers are the ones made with just a few ingredients that blend flavors in unexpected ways. I love a good puff pastry appetizer, like these Brie Puff Pastry Bites, and I knew I wanted to try a variation that used tangy goat cheese instead of gooey brie!
I tried this Goat Cheese Appetizer a few different ways, starting off with just puff pastry, goat cheese and jam. And while they were delicious, they felt like they were just… missing that pizzazz.
Finally, I decided to add some prosciutto into the dish to add some depths and variation of flavor. And it did the trick! They are now the PERFECT appetizer, touching on every taste bud!
You’ll start with light and fluffy puff pastries, pile on some creamy goat cheese, savory prosciutto and sweet apricot jam. By the end you’ll have an appetizer that looks impressive but with hardly any fuss! Whether you’re hosting brunch, bringing a dish to a party, or just craving something savory-sweet and sophisticated, these little pastries are guaranteed to disappear fast.
Matt, my sweet husband, ate almost the entire batch in one day, and has now requested a SECOND batch for dinner. Oh and already texted his mom to tell her we are bringing them for Thanksgiving. I’m cracking up 😂
Why Make This Recipe
- Effortlessly Elegant: These little bites look like something you would see in a fancy French restaurant, but the secret is how easy it is to put together with pre-made puff pastry!
- Perfect Balance of Flavors: Each ingredient adds a new layer of flavor to the dish from the buttery pastry, to creamy and tangy goat cheese, salty prosciutto and sweet and subtle jam.
- Versatile for Any Occasion: These are perfect for a fancy dinner party but also easy enough to bring to a potluck as your dish to pass.
Ingredients for Goat Cheese Appetizer
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Puff pastry sheets: You can absolutely make your own if you’re an over-achiever, and it will probably end up being fluffier and crispier than a store bought version! But if you are prioritizing time and simplicity like me, frozen puff pastry sheets work perfectly!
- Apricot jam: You could use a different jam if you prefer. I like the sweet and tart combination that apricot jam provides. If you want something more sour, try raspberry jam or for something with a more distinct fall flavor, you can try apple butter!
- Prosciutto: I used a package of prosciutto and simply ripped the meat with my hands to make small enough pieces to place in each appetizer. Ripping instead of cutting gives rustic edges that crisp beautifully in the oven.
- Goat cheese: A soft, creamy goat cheese like chèvre is ideal. I used plain goat cheese for a neutral flavor, but you can also experiment with different types of goat cheese! Honey flavor would be great to bump up the sweetness, or garlic and herb would be good if you wanted to up the savory element to complement the prosciutto.
- Fresh thyme: Optional, but adds a fragrant, earthy note that balances the sweetness of the jam. Plus the way the green color looks on the top of the pastry and the orange jam makes your appetizer even more beautiful.
Tools
- Circular cookie cutters: I used a 2¼” and a 1¾” circular cookie cutter but you can use different sizes or even just a knife or circular drinking glasses if that’s what you have!
- Parchment paper: This keeps any runoff jam from burning onto your cookie sheet and also protects the bottom of the appetizers from burning!
How to Make this Recipe
Step One: Cut the puff pastry sheets out into circles.
Step Two: Use a smaller cookie cutter to mark a circle in the center of each pastry. Then use your thumb to press down the dough in the center of each puff pastry piece. Leave the edges untouched.
Step Three: Place about 1 tsp of apricot jam into the center of each puff pastry circle along with about ⅓ of each prosciutto slice and top with about 1 tsp of goat cheese.
Step Four: Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the puff pastry begins to puff up. About halfway through, use a spoon to make sure the center is pressed down while the edges stay puffed. Top with fresh thyme leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- The secret to getting truly puffy edges is to separate the edges from the filling in the center. This is why I suggest actually cutting the circle in the center of your pastry, rather than just pushing it down.
- The recipe is designed to have the jam on the bottom to keep it from bubbling over the edge of the pastry too much. It still might, but placing it underneath the rest of the ingredients helps a lot.
- You can also drizzle honey (or even hot honey!) on top if you want some extra sweetness or spice.
- You’ll know they’re done when they are puffed up and golden on the top!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can assemble them up to a day in advance and refrigerate them until ready to bake. They’re best served warm, so pop them in the oven just before guests arrive.
This shouldn’t happen but if you find the center of your puff pastry is a little more soggy than you would like, you can try pre-baking the pastry slightly before adding your toppings. If you do this, be sure and separate the edges from the center well so there is a space for your cheese and jam to sit. Alternatively, you can try adding less jam.
If you have leftovers and want to enjoy them the next day, heat in a 350F oven for 5 minutes to warm them up.
Did you enjoy this Goat Cheese Appetizer Recipe If so, check out these other recipes I’ve selected just for you:
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Goat Cheese Appetizer with Jam
Equipment
- Circular cookie cutters
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 17.3 oz package puff pastry sheets, thawed according to package instructions
- 1 cup apricot jam
- 1 3 oz pack prosciutto
- 8 oz goat cheese
- Fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use a 2¼” circular cookie cutter to cut the puff pastry sheets out into circles. I was able to get 9 circles per sheet. Then use a 1¾” circular cookie cutter to press a circle into the center of each larger circle. Press the smaller cookie cutter about halfway through the dough, do not press it all the way through
- Use your thumb to press down the dough in the smaller circle of each puff pastry piece. Leave the edges untouched.
- Arrange your puff pastry circles on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Place about 1 tsp of apricot jam into the center of each puff pastry circle. Then tear up about ⅓ of each prosciutto slice and arrange the pieces on top of each dollop of jam.
- Finally, top the prosciutto pieces with about 1 tsp of goat cheese.
- Put the appetizers in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the puff pastry begins to puff up.
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and use a spoon to make sure that the filling in the center is pushed down while the edges continue to puff up. You may need to separate the center dough from the edge dough to make this happen.
- Return the appetizers to the oven and continue baking for about 5 more minutes until golden brown.
- Top with fresh thyme leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Puff pastry sheets: You can absolutely make your own if you’re an over-achiever, and it will probably end up being fluffier and crispier than a store bought version!
- Apricot jam: You could use a different jam if you prefer. If you want something more sour, try raspberry jam or for something with a more distinct fall flavor, you can try apple butter!
- Goat cheese: A soft, creamy goat cheese like chèvre is ideal. I used plain goat cheese for a neutral flavor, but you can also experiment with different types of goat cheese!
- The secret to getting truly puffy edges is to separate the edges from the filling in the center. This is why I suggest actually cutting the circle in the center of your pastry, rather than just pushing it down.
- The recipe is designed to have the jam on the bottom to keep it from bubbling over the edge of the pastry too much. It still might, but placing it underneath the rest of the ingredients helps a lot.
- You can also drizzle honey (or even hot honey!) on top if you want some extra sweetness or spice.
- You’ll know they’re done when they are puffed up and golden on the top!
