- August 23, 2019
- Appetizers
Italian Style Goat Cheese Balls
“Savory, rich, and delicious… these keto friendly and gluten free oven fried goat cheese balls are an amazing addition to a charcuterie board, pair well on top of a salad, or are great as a snack!”
Have you ever heard of goat cheese balls before? They’re a fairly new concept to me too but I have a serious love for all things charcuterie, cheese, and well goat cheese.
I often enjoy a Friday evening cocktail (as seen over on the Bon Appeteach “Book Club” …. hint… we don’t read books), and often like to have a lower carb snack to pair with my keto friendly drink.
These were a seriously huge hit, are so rich and savory too so a little goes a long way to feeling satisfied.
I prepared my goat cheese balls on the grill because it’s summer and I enjoy being outside and not heating up my kitchen. But, these will work in the oven as well.
Be sure to read through the post for all my helpful tips and tricks for making these Italian Style Keto Goat Cheese Balls a huge treat for your next charcuterie board, party appetizer, or tailgate snack! Check out the video for these below as well.
“School” Supplies:
- Mixing Bowls
- Rubber Spatula
- Cookie Scoop or Spoon
- Baking Rack
- Baking Sheet
“Class” Notes:
I love that these goat cheese balls kind of feel like a guilty snack, but are so keto friendly! They are super easy to make but it is important to note a few things first before making them so they come together nicely.
First, goat cheese is strong stuff. I like to stretch this recipe by adding cream cheese to it to not only help produce more for a larger group but to also reduce the intensity of the flavor.
I wanted to do these with more of an Italian style flavor to them and added in some chopped dried tomatoes (the kind not in the oil), some fresh oregano and a little Parmesan cheese as well. You could omit some, all or none of these ingredients and as long as your base of cream cheese and goat cheese remains the same, they will come out great.
I bet they would even be delicious with a crispy prosciutto or even bacon. Because bacon…
I mixed all my ingredients mentioned above very well until combined and refrigerated it again to allow the softened cream cheese to harden back up a bit. This makes them easier to roll into a ball shape and not end up with your hands coated in goat cheese.
Once chilled, I used a small cookie scoop to make 1 inch sized goat cheese balls, rolled them out, and set them aside. To keep these keto and gluten free, I opted to roll them in pork rind “bread” crumbs.
You can find these pre-ground or just grind your own (which is cheaper) in a food processor. I rolled the balls into the pork rind mixture and pressed them into the outside as much as possible. Because the cheese is naturally a little sticky, it works well.
I found one coating was ok, but I really wanted these to hold up well on the grill or in the oven, without turning into an ooey gooey mess. So I opted to dredge them in some egg wash and then coat for a second time. I really found this a crucial part to getting these nice and crispy as well in the final taste test!
After dredging is done, I place them on a wire baking rack and popped em in the freezer for about 30-40 minutes. THIS IS A MUST. Again, without the insides being chilled, the entire ball could turn into a puddle on your baking sheet when cooking.
Freezing allows the inside to heat through while the outside bakes and gets crispy. So don’t skip this!
I preheated my grill to about 425-450 F and moved my keto goat cheese balls to indirect heat. I cooked them until crispy and served on a charcuterie platter with other meats and cheeses and my Keto Tortilla Chips as crackers. These would pair perfectly with my low carb Berry Basil Rose Sangria recipe too! Check out the full video and the recipe below.
Bon Appeteach,
-L
Italian Style Keto Goat Cheese Balls
"Savory, rich, and delicious… these keto friendly and gluten free oven fried goat cheese balls are an amazing addition to a charcuterie board, pair well on top of a salad, or are great as a snack!"
Ingredients
- 4 oz. Goat Cheese
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup Sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), minced
- 2 tbsp. Fresh Oregano sub with dried use half the amount, minced
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1.5 cups Pork Rind Crumbs
- 1 Egg beaten
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, oregano, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well combine. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up for easier rolling.
- Roll into 1" size balls and then roll into the pork rind crumbs. Once the first roll is complete, dredge the ball in the egg wash and roll a second time in the pork rind crumbs to gt a nicer coating to the ball.
- Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 30-40 minutes. This is crucial so that outside cooks and gets crisp but the the balls won’t melt during grilling or baking.
- Preheat your grill for indirect heat or your oven to 425 F. If grilling, place the baking sheet on the side of the grill that’s not over a direct flame and cook for 10-12 minutes. The outside should be crispy and the cheese should be soft and heated through but not be falling apart. Remove from the heat or from the oven and allow them to rest about 5 minutes before plating. Serve with charcuterie and your favorite wine if desired.