Jam & Goat Cheese Phyllo Cups (Easy, Fancy Appetizer)

CHEESE AND JAM!  Y’all who have been around here long enough know that this is a marriage made in heaven for me.  And add crispy phyllo cups??  Yep, I’m on board.  What’s even better is that these jam and goat cheese phyllo cups are super fast and literally dummy-proof.

(I’m not calling you a dummy.  You’re great.  Just sayin’ that even dummies can do this)

I was looking for something to bring to our Night to Be Much Observed dinner that would nicely complement what others were making.  I’d settled on some fancy phyllo cup appetizers, but it wasn’t until I found this goat cheese and jam version that I was totally on board.

I’d initially bought phyllo dough…then realized that phyllo cups were an actual thing and that made much more sense.  Literally zero effort. 

And while I was completely sold on the goat cheese and fig jam flavor combo, I couldn’t find the right kind of fig jam (Trader Joe’s is too dark and grainy).  So I pivoted to a chunky papaya lime jam that I bought in Jamaica last year.  Gives off a similar flavor profile (weirdly), and was perfect.  

It took me maybe 5 minutes to assemble these goat cheese phyllo cups and pop them in the oven…and that was with running upstairs in the middle to help my sister figure out what to wear. 

Once they’re out of the oven 10 minutes later, just dollop your jam on them and put them on a pretty plate!  VOILA!!!  

To make these, preheat your oven to 350 F.  Pull your mini phyllo cups out of the freezer while the oven preheats, just about 10 minutes for them to thaw slightly.

Spoon about a tablespoon of goat cheese into each cup.  I found that microwaving my goat cheese slightly in a bowl for like 20 seconds helped soften it slightly, and made it easier to spoon neatly into the cups.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the goat cheese slightly melts and the cups start to turn golden brown on the edges.

Remove from oven and then spoon about a teaspoon of the fig preserves on top of the goat cheese in each cup.

You can garnish them with a little crushed pistachios or something similar, if you’d like.  I meant to, but was running behind and decided it wasn’t worth the extra fuss.

I love that these delicious goat cheese phyllo cups seem so fancy and adorable, but they only take a few minutes to put together—to me, that’s a winning combination when you’re hosting a crowd!

Other delicious appetizers you’ll love:

• Brie & Jam Puff Pastry Bites
• Spicy Cheese Straws
• Grilled Sourdough Bread with Whipped Ricotta & Toppings
• The Best, Simple Burrata Caprese Salad
• Amazingly Addictive Marinated Feta Cheese
• Awesome Homemade Salsa

Adapted from Smiling Notes

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Jam & Goat Cheese Phyllo Cups (Easy Appetizer)

Yield: 15 tiny cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

These delicious jam & goat cheese phyllo cups make the perfect fancy but EASY appetizer! Very quick to make and great for any dinner party.

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Ingredients

• One 4-ounce log of plain goat cheese
• 1 package of mini frozen phyllo shells (usually 15 per package)
• Fig jam (see notes)
• Optional:  a handful of pistachios, finely ground/crushed

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Pull your mini phyllo cups out of the freezer while the oven preheats, just about 10 minutes for them to thaw slightly.
2. Spoon about a tablespoon of goat cheese into each cup. I found that microwaving my goat cheese slightly in a bowl for like 20 seconds helped soften it slightly, and made it easier to spoon neatly into the cups.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the goat cheese slightly melts and the cups start to turn golden brown on the edges.
4. Remove from oven and then spoon about a teaspoon of the fig preserves on top of the goat cheese in each cup.
5. You can garnish them with a little crushed pistachios or something similar, if you'd like.

Notes

The recipe calls for a lighter fig preserves (not like the super dark, grainy fig jam that Trader Joe's sells).  I went rogue and used a chunky papaya lime jam that I got in Jamaica, and it was a perfect pairing too.  You're basically looking for a quite sweet taste but ideally with a bit of tart, and these will pair well with the tangy goat cheese.