Air Fryer Goat Cheese Balls are an easy 5 ingredient recipe filled with creamy goat cheese and drizzled in honey for a decadent appetizer perfect for any holiday party!
Honey Goat Cheese Balls
These Goat Cheese Balls are a lightened up version of the spectacular creation that is Fried Goat Cheese! Instead of deep frying them in oil, we bake them in the Air Fryer where they crisp up to golden brown perfection without all the oil.
Goat cheese and honey is one of those amazing flavor pairings. It’s the savory equivalent of peanut butter and chocolate in my book. The salty goat cheese is complemented by the sweet honey for flavor perfection!
Honey Goat Cheese
Once they started selling honey flavored goat cheese in my local grocery store, I was hooked. It’s fantastic on most salads and this decadent Grilled Goat Cheese Pizza. If you are looking for something a little more indulgent, these Air Fryer Honey Goat Cheese Balls are absolute heaven.
We use plain goat cheese and drizzle the goat cheese balls with honey. You could also use honey goat cheese and skip the messy step of a honey drizzle. Or you can double down on the honey and use both!
Other fantastic goat cheese flavors in these goat cheese balls would be seasonal flavors like cranberry or cinnamon. It’s hard to go wrong with goat cheese in my book.
How to make fried goat cheese in the Air Fryer
To get started, unpackage your soft goat cheese. It is sometimes called chevre and is usually found in the specialty cheese aisle in the grocery store.
Divide the 8 oz. of goat cheese into 24 balls. Roll them into tight balls and place them on a plate and freeze for at least 20 minutes.
Panko Breaded Goat Cheese
Meanwhile, crack an egg in a small bowl and whisk it until beaten. Add the flour to a second small bowl and the panko breadcrumbs to a third small bowl.
When the goat cheese is frozen hard, one by one, dip the goat cheese balls into the flour, then the egg and lastly the Panko. Gently set them in the Air Fryer basket.
For the best effect, spray the goat cheese balls with a light mist of olive oil or pan spray. This will help them crisp up and brown better.
Once all of the goat cheese balls are assembled, cook on the highest temperature setting for 6-8 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown.
Serve the fried goat cheese balls with a drizzle of honey and enjoy!
Can I make Goat Cheese Balls ahead of time
Pockets of melted goat cheese are encompassed with a crispy Panko breading and finished off with a generous drizzle of honey. There really isn’t a better appetizer for entertaining guests.
For added convenience, you can make them ahead of time and keep them in the freezer. Bread all of the goat cheese balls and place them in a freezer container with a lid. Freeze until you are ready to use. They will freeze well for up to two weeks.
Take them out of the freezer when you are ready to serve. Pop them in your Air Fryer for about 8 minutes and they are ready to serve guests. Recipes that are both delicious and easy to serve for parties are the real MVPs!
Why do I freeze goat cheese balls?
Freezing the balls of goat cheese balls is an essential step in the process of making fried goat cheese. It keeps the cheese from oozing out of the crust while the bread crumbs have enough time to crisp up.
Once the breading is golden brown, the cheese will have melted just enough to be warm and soft, but not running out of the goat cheese balls.
Air Fryer Party Appetizer
This recipe would be a great way to enjoy tasting honey. If you are hosting a part, serve a platter of these Fried Goat Cheese Balls with a few glasses of honey and allow guests to drizzle honey over their own goat cheese balls.
If you watch trashy TV like I occasionally do, you will be familiar with the SUR goat cheese balls from Vanderpump rules. The girls were all obsessed with them and for good reason. These Air Fried Goat Cheese Balls are a great copycat recipe.
More honey and goat cheese recipes!
If you love the combination of honey and goat cheese as much as I do, be sure to check out some more of these decadent recipes!
- Blueberry Balsamic Goat Cheese Appetizer – This easy goat cheese dip is one of my most popular recipes!
- Air Fryer Squash & Goat Cheese Pizza – This easy lunch or dinner recipe make in the Air Fryer is a fall treat that you must try.
- Fruit & Goat Cheese Chicken Bowls – This is an easy meal prep lunch recipe with 5 simple ingredients and such amazing flavors!
- Caprese Whipped Goat Cheese Dip – If tomatoes are in season, you can’t pass up this seasonal recipe with fresh flavors.
Airfryer Honey Goat Cheese Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz. soft goat cheese
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Divide the goat cheese into 24 pieces and roll into balls. Place on a plate and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Remove the frozen goat cheese balls from the freezer and one by one, dredge them in flour, then dip them in the beaten egg and finish by coating them in the Panko bread crumbs.
- When all of the goat cheese balls are breaded, either return them to the freezer for up to 12 hours or proceed with cooking.
- Arrange the goat cheese balls in your Airfryer basket.
- OPTIONAL: Spray the balls with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil for a little added crisp.
- Cook at 390° for 6-8 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
- Serve immediately drizzled with a generous amount of Bee Harmony Honey.
Malinda says
These were amazing and they were so easy to make!!
Julie says
Oh my goodness these were perfect! Savory and sweet and perfectly flavored! Loved it!
Megan says
These were a huge hit! So much flavor and I loved that we could make them in the air fryer!
Alison LaFortune says
Almost ate the whole batch in one sitting! So yum. The perfect appetizer.
Karen Reynolds says
What if you don’t have an air fryer?
Danielle Green says
You can cook them in a skillet with a thick layer of oil until they are golden on all sides. They will certainly have a higher fat content that way though.
Valerie says
One of our local restaurants serves these amazing goat cheese balls. I’ve wanted to make them at home but didn’t have a recipe. I don’t own an air fryer. Have you ever cooked them in a skillet in oil? I’m thinking a cast iron skillet would work best for coming out golden & crispy. A suggested alternative cooking method in your would be helpful. Thanks.
Danielle Green says
Deep frying these would get you the closest results to what you likely had in the restaurant. A skillet with a 1/2 inch of oil should do the trick. Cook them just until golden brown.
Michelle says
This looks like great appetiser for a dinner party this week. My air fryer basket rotates like a rotisserie. Is that what you mean by placing the cheese balls into the basket? Won’t the crumbs fall off?
Danielle Green says
Most Airfryers don’t rotate so I am not familiar with that model. With my model, like most, it is a basket with wire mesh on the bottom so air can circulate around the food. A few of the crumbs come off, but not a significant amount.
Malinda Linnebur says
I have to make these for my next get together!! I love goat cheese!!
Malinda Linnebur says
I have to make these for my next get together!! I love goat cheese!!
Coleen Koehl says
Oh my goodness! This flavor combo was out of this world. I can’t wait to impress my family and friends with these over the holidays!
Julie Evink says
What a fun twist on cheese balls! These flavors melded together so great!
Coleen Koehl says
Oh my goodness! This flavor combo was out of this world. I can’t wait to impress my family and friends with these over the holidays!
Julie Evink says
What a fun twist on cheese balls! These flavors melded together so great!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
These look really tasty!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
These look really tasty!
Lindsay Cotter says
These are a must make appetizer for the holidays! Everyone will love them!
Lindsay Cotter says
These are a must make appetizer for the holidays! Everyone will love them!
Melissa Howell says
I never knew there were so many fun varieties of honey! I want to try them all! And these goat cheese balls sound amazing. What a great appetizer!
Melissa Howell says
I never knew there were so many fun varieties of honey! I want to try them all! And these goat cheese balls sound amazing. What a great appetizer!
Alida | Simply Delicious says
Oh my gosh! Fried cheese is my weakness so the fact that this is made in the airfryer is just so great!