Creamy and tangy with a hint of sweet and heat finished with a nutty crunch, Creamy Goat Cheese Bagel Spread with Honey and Pistachios is a sophisticated bagel topping guaranteed to wake up your taste buds.
This is a super sophisticated adult breakfast, especially for someone like me who is admittedly an eggs and bacon kind of girl. But every time I eat one of my favorite pizzas at Element Pizza in Minneapolis – the Fire Pizza (flavor profile: hot, sweet, and tangy; toppings: spicy sausage, roasted red peppers, goat cheese) – I am reminded how much I truly love goat cheese. So essentially, my love for a particular pizza inspired this recipe for Creamy Goat Cheese Bagel Spread with Honey and Pistachios.
That’s how my brain works folks, inspiration often strikes me in random fashion :).
So, this bagel spread. It features tangy goat cheese and luxurious cream cheese – dosed with a healthy amount of paprika and red pepper flakes for subtle notes of sweet and heat. Finished with a drizzle of honey and sprinkled with crushed pistachios, you wind up with one freakin’ flavorful breakfast bagel. Super easy to prepare, looks fancy, and guaranteed to light up those taste buds with complex, yet complementary flavors.
Did you know there are three different kinds of paprika? I used “regular” paprika, commonly known as sweet paprika (typically labeled “paprika” sans flavor descriptor). But you could also try using smoked paprika or hot paprika here to change up the flavor.
I recommend making the Creamy Goat Cheese Bagel Spread the night before to let the flavors meld. Plus, then it’ll be ready to go the next morning; just spread, drizzle, sprinkle and eat. Which is convenient especially if you’re in a hurry. Hey, we all hit the snooze button once in a while, right?
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces of goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- Drizzle of honey
- Sprinkle of chopped pistachios
- Add softened cream cheese, goat cheese, heavy whipping cream, paprika, and red pepper flakes to a bowl.
- Bust out your hand mixer and whip until all ingredients are combined. The resulting texture will be closer to that of goat cheese, light and slightly crumbly.
- Smear desired amount onto a bagel (toasted or untoasted, your choice).
- Drizzle the smeared bagel with a little bit of honey.
- Sprinkle with chopped pistachios for crunch.
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
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