whipped goat cheese with sticky maple bacon and cranberries

Easy last-minute holiday appetizers to the rescue!

I’m sure some of ya’ll are sounding the alarm on your Thanksgiving menus for Thursday, and honestly, with the pace life moves nowadays, I begrudge you not. I’ve been BUSY and thus it’s been hard to keep track of days and dates and agendas, and I’m barely keeping my pants up with all I need to get done.

If you’re on snack duty this holiday, or just need something quick to scare up before your guests arrive, look to this Whipped Goat Cheese with Sticky Maple Bacon and Cranberries. The bacon here is tofu bacon, as per usual around here, but you can modify with regular bacon as desired! Maple syrup is our flavor hero as it kisses both the goat cheese itself and the topping.

15 minutes and you’ve got a gorgeous and tasty app on your table. All you need to complete the scene is a big toasty loaf of bread for dipping. Crackers work too! You can even set it on your Holiday Harvest Cheeseboard for a special centerpiece.

The GOAT of Cheese

The recipe card calls for pre-cooked tofu bacon. The process of crisping raw tofu is much longer than if you were using raw pork bacon – the directions for doing so are in the “notes” section if you want to bake up a batch. If using animal bacon, it does not need to be pre-cooked and you can bake it just as you would the pre-cooked tofu, as the directions suggest.

I don’t think that sentence made a lot of sense so I might need to come back to it later.

At any rate, crumble up the tofu bacon and toss with a little maple syrup and brown sugar. Toast at 425 for 5 minutes, then stir in the cranberries, a bit more maple syrup, and a touch of flaky salt. This process candies the tofu bacon a bit more and adds a delightful sweetness that’ll compliment the goat cheese beautifully.

Next, whip up your goat cheese. Combine a big fat log of plain cheese with softened cream cheese, a bit of maple syrup, and salt. Blitz in your food processor until smooth and creamy, adding more maple syrup if you desire a sweeter finish.

FYI, I mistyped maple as maply and was tempted to keep it there…But nah.

Plop your pile of cheese onto a platter or a bowl, sprinkle the bacon and cranberries overtop, and finish with extra swirls of maple syrup and pinches of salt. Don’t forget to toast up your baguette or sourdough to complete the experience. I brush slices of sourdough with olive oil and broil 1-2 minutes per side until nice and golden.

Hope this helps ease your holiday week stress! Of course, my entire 2025 Thanksgiving menu is here to guide you through prep, cooking, and cleanup. And, if you don’t need this dish now, perhaps it’ll find a place on your Christmas list.

Ho ho ho, bitches.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Holidaze:

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Cranberry Brie Crostini

Cheddar Ranch Pumpkin Cheeseball

Honey Whipped Feta and Cranberry Crostini

whipped goat cheese with sticky maple bacon and cranberries

A 15 minute appetizer that screams Christmastime.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup tofu bacon, pre-cooked, crumbled
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 4-5 tbsp maple syrup, divided
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 10 oz goat cheese, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• flaky sea salt, to serve
• 1 loaf baguette or sourdough, sliced and toasted, for serving

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Toss the crumbled tofu bacon with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and the brown sugar. Toast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the cranberries, another tablespoon of maple, and a kiss of flaky sea salt.
• In a food processor, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and a pinch of flaky salt. Blitz until very creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. Taste and add more maple syrup as desired.
• Swirl the goat cheese onto a bowl and sprinkle the bacon and cranberries overtop. Drizzle with extra syrup. Serve with toasted bread or crackers, as desired.

Notes

*Tofu bacon:

• Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.

Keyword appetizer, appetizers, bacon, cheese, christmas, cranberries, goat cheese, maple, thanksgiving, tofu bacon, vegetarian