Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles

Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles only take 15 minutes to make and are the perfect easy holiday appetizer.  Made with cranberries, pecans, rosemary and fresh orange juice, these festive mini cheese balls are the hit of every party!

Are you ready for the holidays? That’s a big fat NOPE from this me .. however… if there is one thing I am 100% prepared for, it has to be the easy holiday appetizer portion of our program.  What??  Yup!! I can honestly say I have NOTHING else planned (yet) but when it comes to an easy delicious munchible treat to serve up this season, I am soooo ready to rumble.  These Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles are my new favorite BFF.  These little mini cheese balls are so easy to make and pack so much flavor and crunch, they are impossible not to love.

DO I NEED TO USE ROSEMARY?

Rosemary is one of those herbs that really strike a person strong in one direction or the other.  Some people love it and others can’t stand it.  For this Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles recipe, it really plays nicely against the orange and cranberry flavors but if you are not a fan, leave it out and just add more parsley to substitute the difference.

ARE GOAT CHEESE TRUFFLES HARD TO MAKE?

No!! These Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles win the easy holiday appetizer award hands down.  All you need to do is to whip together some cheese, orange juice and spices, roll or scoop them into a ball and then roll them through their toppings.  Park your Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles in the refrigerator to chill and you are done. That’s IT!!!

HOW DO YOU MAKE ORANGE CRANBERRY PECAN GOAT CHEESE TRUFFLES?

Easy! To make your Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles, start by lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Next, add goat cheese and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and mix until light and creamy.  Add in the cinnamon, honey, orange juice and zest and then combine until well incorporated.

Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and set aside. Using a small food processor or cutting by hand, chop up the parsley, rosemary, cranberries and pecans. Mix well to combine and then add to a large bowl.

Grab a spoon or a cookie scoop and scoop out a round ball of the goat cheese filling and lightly toss it in the cranberry topping mixture.  Lightly roll it around until the entire mini cheese ball is coated in the cranberry herb topping.  Move the Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffle to the parchement paper lined baking sheet and continue until all the truffles have been made.  Move the cookie sheet to the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING ORANGE CRANBERRY PECAN GOAT CHEESE TRUFFLES

• Using a cookie scoop is such an easy way to make these Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles.  If you don’t already have one, they are very inexpensive and are a versitile time saver in the kitchen
• When grabbing up your goat cheese filling, make your Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles a bit smaller than you think you want them.  The outside topping bulks the mini cheese ball truffles up quite a bit.
• Be sure you refrigerate these Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles for at least one hour before serving.  The orange flavor needs time to come out.  These are a great make ahead appetizer as they can be made 1 – 2 days in advance but just be sure to store them in an airtight container if you do.

Looking for more easy appetizer recipes to share with your family and friends?  Check a few of my favorite appetizer recipes below.

MORE APPETIZER RECIPES

• Pepperoni Stromboli Ring
• Philly Cheese Steak Dip
• Easy Bean Salad 
• Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Dip

Enjoy!

IF YOU’VE MADE THIS, PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!

4.86 from 14 votes

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Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles

Prep Time

15 mins

Chill Time

1 hr

Total Time

15 mins

 

Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles only take 15 minutes to make and are the perfect easy holiday appetizer.  Made with cranberries, pecans, rosemary and fresh orange juice, these festive mini cheese balls are the hit of every party!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mini cheese balls, Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles

Servings: 24

Calories: 138.5 kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

• 8 - 10 ounces goat cheese
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 orange juice and zest
• 1/2 cup parsley small chopped
• 2 - 3 sprigs rosemary diced
• 6 ounces dried cranberries chopped
• 2 cups pecans small chopped

Instructions

1. To make your Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles, start by lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  

2. Next, add goat cheese and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and mix until light and creamy. Add in the cinnamon, honey, orange juice and zest and then combine until well incorporated. Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and set aside. 
3. Using a small food processor or cutting by hand, chop up the parsley, rosemary, cranberries and pecans. Mix well to combine and then add to a large bowl. Grab a spoon or a cookie scoop and scoop out a round ball of the goat cheese filling and lightly toss it in the cranberry topping mixture. Lightly roll it around until the entire mini cheese ball is coated in the cranberry herb topping. Move the Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffle to the parchement paper lined baking sheet and continue until all the truffles have been made. Move the cookie sheet to the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

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Nutrition Facts

Orange Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles

Amount Per Serving (24 g)

Calories 138.5 Calories from Fat 105

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11.7g 18%

Saturated Fat 3.4g 17%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 5.1g

Cholesterol 12.1mg 4%

Sodium 56.7mg 2%

Potassium 68.8mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 7.1g 2%

Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5%

Sugars 5.1g

Protein 3.3g 7%

Vitamin A 6.3%

Vitamin C 4.5%

Calcium 3.1%

Iron 3.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.