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Whipped Goat Cheese Candied Bacon Dip. It’s that quick and easy holiday appetizer that’s addictive, festive, and perfect for entertaining! Everyone loves this creamy goat cheese dip with spicy-sweet candied bacon and warm rosemary honey. Bacon tossed with a little sugar and spice is completely delicious. There never seems to be enough of this creamy dip. Perfect for holiday entertaining!
This week between Christmas and New Year’s is my second favorite week of the year. Of course, my first favorite is the week leading up to Christmas!
But this is that lazy week that everyone is chilling at home, out skiing/snowboarding, playing board games, and binge-watching holiday movies. Tis the best!
With New Year’s approaching, I said I wanted to share one recipe this week, and I knew it was going to be either a cocktail or an appetizer. Well, the appetizer won because I made this dip last week, and we all became addicted to it.
So simple, yet so DELICIOUS!
These are the details
Ingredients
- bacon
- maple syrup
- fresh rosemary
- smoked paprika
- chipotle chile powder
- chili powder
- honey
- goat cheese
- cream cheese
- salted pretzels – for scooping
Special Tools
A food processor is ideal for whipping the goat cheese.
Step 1: the bacon
Get the bacon crispy in a skillet. Once it’s crisp, add a drizzle of maple syrup. Use real maple syrup with no added sugars.
Now add rosemary, smoked paprika, chipotle, and chili powder. Let the maple coat and caramelize around the bacon.
Step 2: the honey
Pull the bacon out of the skillet. Add the honey and just let it warm through.
Step 3: whip the cheese
While the bacon is cooking, mix up the goat cheese. Add the goat cheese to a food processor with cream cheese and salt. Then whip everything together until the cheese is light and creamy; it’s easy.
Step 4: serve
Spoon the cheese onto a plate or into a bowl. Add the bacon and top with the warm honey. I love to serve this dip with the most un-fancy side, salted pretzel twists. Give them a try and you’ll be hooked for life.
Pretty close to being the perfect holiday appetizer. But I’m definitely making this for the Super Bowl, too!
Looking for other easy holiday appetizers?? Here are my favorites:
Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates
Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders
Lastly, if you make this Whipped Goat Cheese Candied Bacon Dip, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Whipped Goat Cheese Candied Bacon Dip
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 192 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- salt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 log (10 ounce) creamy goat cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the maple, rosemary, paprika, chipotle, and chili powder. Allow the bacon to become "candied". Remove the bacon. To the skillet, add the honey and set over low heat to warm, about 2-3 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, and a pinch of salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. The goat cheese mix can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, but bring to room temp before serving.3. Spoon the goat cheese into a serving bowl and then top with the warm bacon and honey. Serve with pretzels, bread, or crackers.
I made this last night for a holiday party I was hosting but didn’t serve it. You need to drain the bacon grease before adding honey. I followed the directions questioning this and I should have listened to my gut. The final product was so greasy, actual puddles of just grease. Not appetizing and when it starts to cool the bacon grease/fat congeals. It’s a good idea in theory, but not as it is written.
Hi Laura,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xx
I made this last night for a neighborhood potluck and it was a smash hit. One caution though–2 teaspoons of maple syrup is not enough to “candy” the bacon. I assumed that this was a typo and used 2 tablespoons instead. Also, my bacon was pretty fatty so I drained some of the grease from the skillet before I added the syrup and seasonings. Again, totally delicious plus quick and easy!
Hi Donna,
Wonderful! Thank you for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! Happy New Year!🎆 xT
I’m not sure I would call this a new recipe. Looks like this recipe that you just included in your favorite NYE recipe list yesterday just without the dates: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/goat-cheese-with-warm-candied-bacon/
Tieghan, I post this as a sincere comment, not a criticism. It’s become very obvious that your food blog is not what you want to be doing anymore. And that’s fine. It’s your life and your career. You very clearly want to be an NYC fashion influencer and possibly a runway model. So just commit to that. You post so many photos of you in designer fashions, you with who apparently are close friends who are young NYC fashion and lifestyle influencers. You get invites to NYC fashion week shows. You clearly have connections in that field. So just take the leap. Move to NYC. Lean on your influencer friends and designer fashion house contacts and move on to what you obviously want to do. Life is a journey. Just take a deep breath, realize that you’ve moved on and take the leap. You will be happier and healthier for it.
Don’t keep us in suspense, give us a peek about Austria! You’ve been talking about it for awhile and now radio silence! As a self-proclaimed Christmas dork, you have a lot of restraint to say absolutely nothing! At any of your other travels you’re posting pics! Happy Holiday!!
Why didn’t you go to Austria?
If I wanted to bring this to a potluck, how would you advise I store and reward everything? Sounds like the cheese is easy enough but is there a way to reheat the bacon topping? Is it as simple as reheating slowly in the microwave?
Hi Alix,
I would keep the topping separate, pop it in the oven on low real quick and then add to the whipped goat cheese when you are ready to serve. I hope this helps! xx