Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Peppers – Creamy goat cheese is mixed with fresh basil and garlic and then stuffed into a sweet peppadew pepper. The perfect appetizer for your next party!
I realize that St. Patrick’s Day hasn’t even occurred yet but I can’t help but want to jump straight to Easter! When I think of Easter I think of brunch and mimosas and my last chance to gorge before swimsuit season gets here. In other words, all my favorite things.
When I was living closer to home, I loved making fun and exciting things for Easter Sunday. I was going to college at the time so the only time I had to cook was when I was back home. I used these brunches to experiment on new recipes I saw on TV (Pinterest wasn’t a thing yet) and flex my culinary muscles, as I would say. A lot of these experiments are still my favorites today so keep a look out during this month and next month for some of my Easter favorites. I can’t wait to share them with you!
Today’s recipe isn’t one that I served during Easters-past, but it is a favorite at my house parties of the present and I think it would also work so perfectly for Easter because of the fresh flavors and gorgeous colors! Say hello to Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Peppers!
I served these stuffed sweet peppers for the first time during a cookie exchange years ago and it was a hit! It’s now a staple appetizer of mine for when we entertain. Every time I make them, people ask me for the recipe. They’re really that good. I particularly love the sweet heat in the pickled peppers that pairs perfectly with the creamy goat cheese. It’s so amazing.
These peppers aren’t your average pepper – no, no, no. They’re called peppadew peppers and they come pickled in a jar or in your grocery deli (that’s where I found mine). They taste a little like a banana pepper with a little more bite to them due to the thicker skin. They come whole so they are perfect for stuffing with amazing meats and cheeses.
Aside from the perfect size and flavor of these goat cheese stuffed peppers, another great thing about this recipe is that it requires no cooking whatsoever. NONE! All you’re doing is mixing the goat cheese with garlic, fresh basil, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and piping into each individual pepper. That’s it! Can you believe that such an easy recipe can pack such a punch of flavor?!
This is such a refreshing, fuss-free recipe, which is why I think it’s perfect for your Easter/Mother’s Day brunches this spring. And there’s no need to worry about keeping these cold or hot – they’re perfect at room temperature when serving. But you will need to make sure you have enough for everyone because these babies will go fast!
Before you get going on these stuffed peppers, check out my tips below to make sure they come out perfectly:
- As I mentioned above, the peppers used in this recipe are pickled peppadews so do NOT use fresh peppers for this since they will be too big and too crunchy. I found the peppadews in the deli section of the grocery store (near the hummus). They did not have them at Walmart when I checked so a specialty food store will be your best bet for find these peppers. Amazon also sells them here. If you buy them there, you’ll need a couple jars of them for this recipe.
- You’ll need to let the goat cheese sit at room temperature for an hour or so to let it soften up. If it’s too hard, (1) you won’t be able to mix in the basil and garlic and (2) you won’t be able to pipe it into the peppers because it will be too hard to push through the piping bag.
- And speaking of goat cheese…make sure you use the log of goat cheese, NOT the crumbles. The crumbles aren’t creamy so it won’t work as well as the creamy log of goat cheese does.
- The consistency of the goat cheese mixture needs to be similar to buttercream frosting. That way, we can easily pipe it into the peppers. The first time I made this, the mixture was too thick, which made it impossible to squeeze through the little piping tip. So make sure to add enough milk/cream to the mixture to smooth it out even more.
- And last but not least…as I mentioned above, we are piping the goat cheese into the peppers. I’ve done it with two different tips before: round tip and star tip. You can use either. If it’s your first time, use the round tip – it’s less fancy but easier to use.
That’s all there is to it, folks! Try this recipe out during all your brunches this spring. Everyone is gonna love you for it!
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Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 ounces creamy goat cheese room temperature
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil minced
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 20-30 peppadew peppers drained
Instructions
- Mix goat cheese, garlic, and basil together in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix together. The consistency should still be creamy but now it's easier to pipe into the peppadews.
- Place a small round or star piping tip into a ziplock bag. Snip one corner of the bag so the tip can slide into place without falling through. Place all of the goat cheese mixture into the ziplock bag.
- Take one peppadew and, using the piping bag, fill with goat cheese mixture until it fills up, about 1/2 teaspoon of mixture. Repeat with the rest of the peppadews until the goat cheese mixture runs out. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pin for later:
More party foods you’d enjoy:
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Skewers
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites with Fudge Frosting
Roasted Corn Guacamole
Great recipe. Try a drizzle of honey on each before serving and they go from great to OMG.
What a great idea! I love goat cheese and honey so I bet this is the perfect addition. Thanks for sharing!
Creamy goat cheese is my absolute favorite! I would adore it stuffed in sweet peppers. Love that it’s fresh and light appetizer idea for a party! Great for summertime!
I made these today for thanksgiving appetizer, did not have basil or cream so substituted Greek yogurt, chives and a little honey very good
Yay! Love this substitution!
My boyfriend and I buy these all the time, they are the best for parties! This one will probably much better though, since it is homemade!
xx nicole
http://www.nicoleparise.com
Creamy goat cheese and peppadew peppers are two of my favorite things. Love the garlic and fresh basil with this, it must not only taste awesome, but smell great too!
OMG! I love goat cheese! + how darling are these little peppers; definitely giving this a try!
http://thebbar.org/
These are so cute!
Everything you make turns to gold! This is no exception! YUM! I love this idea.
Aw you are too kind! That made my day 🙂
Such a pretty presentation and great appetizer! I am IN LOVE (obsessed maybe) with those peppadew peppers! I can’t wait to make and serve these beauties!
Thanks so much! I am so glad that you’ve tried peppadews before. They are so divine! I hope you like them with the goat cheese, too!
These are so cute! They are the perfect little bite-sized appetizer or snack. It’s awesome that you got the peppers at Publix! We have a Publix here, so that means I can easily find them.
Yay! I found them in the deli where they keep the hummus and other dips. Hope you have a chance to try them!
I’ve actually never had goat cheese, but these look pretty good! And perfect for springtime!!!
Oh man, you are missing out! It’s so creamy and slightly tangy. The best way to try it is on a salad since it’s just a taste of goat cheese. If you like it, you can opt for bolder options like these poppers!
YUM! I mean, honestly, I kinda love goat cheese – stuffed anything… but sweet peppers are one of my favorite things ever. Thanks for sharing this idea!
I love goat cheese anything! Peppers don’t love me, but I can eat the sweet ones, so this is a fantastic recipe for my next get together!
I am in the same boat. I’m not a huge fan of jalepeno poppers or any spicy peppers like that. But these are not spicy in the least so it’s perfect for me!
I love this so much. Looks delicious! Must pin for later.
Oh my yum! I had a version of these at a restaurant recently, and have been dying to have them again. I will just have to make them myself now:)
I first tried these at a restaurant too! That’s what inspired me to make theses the first time 🙂
These look delicious! I love stuffed peppers and goat’s cheese so much, I feel like they would be the perfect mixture!
I’m always on the hunt for delicious, low-carb appetizers. These stuffed peppers fit the bill!
You’re so right- this is a great low-carb (and gluten-free!) treat!
Garlic, cream, and goat cheese. I. Am. Sold. These LOOK GREAT!
I love goat cheese and these are the prettiest “pepper poppers” I’ve seen. Perfect for snacking or to serve as an appetizer.
Thanks so much! I love that…pepper poppers. Such a great name!
I am not a goat cheese person, but those look DELICIOUS! I am sure I could substitute with feta cheese or another soft cheese. Yummy! Thanks for sharing! Perfect for entertaining!
Yup you can used a mixture of feta and cream cheese! Feta is too crumbly to use alone but if you mix with cream cheese, it’s perfect!
Yum! These look and sound delicious. I’m going to be on the lookout for those peppers! 🙂
These look delicious. I have never used goats cheese before while cooking. Does it have the same constituency of regular cheese?
Not exactly. It’s similar to cream cheese but more tangy. It’s so amazing! You’ve got to try it!
This looks fabulous! I’ve not noticed those type of peppers in my grocery before. They are on my list – hopefully I can find them!