The Dip That Wasn’t Supposed to Be a Recipe
Whipped Honey Goat Cheese Dip
Okay, this is one of those recipes that wasn’t really supposed to become a recipe. 😂 It started with a very glamorous and exciting culinary question:
What in my fridge needs to be used?
I had honey goat cheese. I had onion & chive cream cheese. And somewhere along the way, I decided they clearly needed to meet. There was no grand plan. No carefully curated grocery list. Just me standing in the kitchen thinking, I feel like these things would taste really good together. A little heavy whipping cream went in. Then honey. Garlic and onion powder. Parsley. A little lemon juice. Black pepper. And red pepper flakes because apparently I’m incapable of leaving well enough alone. 😂
And… ohhhhh my, this was good. Creamy and tangy. A little sweet. Savory and herby. And just enough heat sneaking in at the end to make you immediately go back for another bite. Then there’s the honey drizzled over the top. That might be my favorite part. Or maybe it’s the little pops of red pepper.
Thankfully, this is dip, and no one is making us choose favorites!
This Is My Kind of Cooking
This is exactly the kind of food I want Tend & Gather to be about. Not complicated. Not precious. Not a recipe that requires 17 specialty ingredients, three pans, and a grocery store scavenger hunt before you can even start. Just good food that fits into real life.
Sometimes cooking is following a recipe perfectly. Sometimes it’s standing in your kitchen thinking, “I already have these things, and I feel like they would taste good together…” I’m increasingly convinced we need more of the second kind. So, in the spirit of using what we have, getting a little curious, and occasionally discovering something delicious completely by accident, here’s the recipe.
Whipped Honey Goat Cheese Dip
Creamy. Tangy. A little sweet. Just enough heat.
Ingredients
8 oz honey goat cheese, softened
8 oz onion & chive cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, plus up to 1 additional tablespoon as needed
1 tablespoon honey, plus more for drizzling
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for topping
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons dried parsley, plus more for garnish
Small pinch of salt, if needed
Let’s Make It
1. Whip the cheeses.
Add the softened honey goat cheese, onion & chive cream cheese, and 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream to a food processor. Blend until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
2. Add the flavor.
Add the honey, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and dried parsley. Pulse just until everything is evenly incorporated.
3. Taste & adjust.
This is an important step! Give it a taste. Want a little more brightness? Add more lemon juice. More heat? Grab those pepper flakes.
Since the cheeses already contain salt, taste before adding any extra. For a softer, more scoopable dip, blend in additional heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 1 tablespoon.
4. Spoon & swirl.
Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl and use the back of a spoon to create some swoops and swirls.
Do they need to be perfect? Absolutely not. We’re about to cover them in honey anyway. 😂
5. Finish it.
Drizzle generously with honey and top with a little parsley and a light sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
This is the point where something that started as “I need to use this goat cheese” suddenly looks suspiciously fancy.
6. Serve & enjoy.
Enjoy immediately, or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. If chilled, let it soften slightly before serving for a creamier, more scoopable texture.
What Are We Dipping?
The short answer? Whatever sounds good! That is the fun in it! Fresh veggies, crackers, pretzels, bread or crostini, apples, pears, and pita chips are all fair game. Basically, if it can reasonably transport whipped goat cheese dip to your mouth, I think it deserves consideration. 😂
Put several options around a bowl of this dip and suddenly your random snack situation looks like you planned a whole spread. No one needs to know how easy it was.
Make It Yours
Please don’t feel like you have to make this exactly the way I did. The recipe is the starting point. This is where you get to play.
Want it sweeter? Add more honey, try hot honey, or experiment with maple syrup.
Want more zing? Try extra lemon juice, lemon zest, or a splash of balsamic glaze.
Want more heat? Add extra red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne, or hot honey.
Have fresh herbs that need to be used? Try parsley, chives, dill, or thyme.
Want to take it in a completely different direction? Roasted garlic, caramelized onions, everything bagel seasoning, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or crumbled cooked bacon could all be fun additions.
Taste. Play. Adjust. Make it yours.
After all, that’s how this recipe happened in the first place. Sometimes the best thing you can bring into the kitchen isn’t a perfectly planned recipe. It’s a little curiosity, whatever you already have on hand, and the willingness to think...
“I wonder what would happen if I put these together?”
Every once in a while, you end up with something worth writing down!
Tend & Gather
Food • Garden • Home • Connection • Wellbeing
A life well tended.
