Description
This Whipped Goat Cheese and Calabrian Chile Oil Dip is a creamy, flavorful appetizer featuring smooth whipped goat cheese layered beneath a fragrant, spicy Calabrian chile infused olive oil with roasted garlic and fresh herbs. It’s perfect for serving with crunchy vegetables, crackers, or bread and offers a delightful balance of heat, herbaceousness, and creamy texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Calabrian Chile Oil
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 to 3 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chile peppers, to taste
- 14 garlic cloves, peeled
- Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Fine pink Himalayan salt, pinch
Whipped Goat Cheese Dip
- 10 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Fine pink Himalayan salt, to taste
To Serve
- Basil leaves
- Crunchy vegetables, crackers, or bread
Instructions
- Make the Calabrian chile oil: Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a small baking dish, combine the olive oil, crushed Calabrian chile peppers, peeled garlic cloves, fresh thyme leaves, fresh oregano leaves, freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of fine pink Himalayan salt. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the garlic turns golden and the oil is hot and sizzling. Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic cloves to a cutting board, finely chop or mash them, then stir back into the infused oil.
- Prepare the whipped goat cheese: While the oil is baking, add the room-temperature goat cheese, cream cheese, and honey to a food processor. Pulse the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides with a flexible spatula, until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and fully combined. Taste the whipped cheese and season with fine pink Himalayan salt as needed.
- Assemble and serve: Spoon the whipped goat cheese into a serving bowl, spreading it evenly. Pour the Calabrian chile oil with roasted garlic and herbs over the top of the goat cheese. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately with crunchy vegetables, crackers, or bread for dipping and spreading.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of Calabrian chile peppers according to your preferred spice level.
- For best results, use room-temperature cheeses to make whipping easier and smoother.
- The infused oil can be stored refrigerated and used later as a flavorful topping for other dishes.
- Substitute fresh thyme and oregano with dried herbs if fresh ones are unavailable, but reduce quantity since dried herbs are more concentrated.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: goat cheese dip, Calabrian chile oil, whipped goat cheese, appetizer, Mediterranean dip, spicy cheese dip
