Roasted Goat Cheese with Lavender Honey

For Christmas of 2017, a dear friend who lives in Texas sent me a fabulous gift pack. In it was a jar of lavender honey.

The gifts came from Los Poblanos Farm Foods in New Mexico. The honey is “derived from bees that pollinate a unique blend of regional plants, including our very own Grosso variety of lavender.”

As soon as you open the honey jar, you smell lavender. It is utterly fragrant and delightful.

So how better to showcase this floral honey than to top it on a roasted log of goat cheese?!!

Which is what I did to start off a special meal for my one and only.

Roasted Goat Cheese with Lavender Honey
Slightly adapted NYT Cooking recipe by Sara Dickerman

1 – 8-12 ounce log or slab of a firm goat cheese, chilled
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons lavender honey, or honey of choice
Bread, toasts, crackers

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Select a small oven-to-table earthenware dish or a small ovenproof sauté pan lined with aluminum foil to help transfer the cheese to a plate after roasting.

Place the log in the dish and cover with the olive oil.

Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 8 minutes.


Preheat the broiler.

Heat the honey in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water until it is fluid enough to be spread with a pastry brush.

Paint the surface of the feta with it. Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. (As you can tell I opted to dropper the warm honey onto the soft cheese.)

Serve immediately with breads, toasts, or crackers.

You can also include pickled or roasted vegetables, according to the recipe author.

Alternately, add fresh fruits like strawberries and peaches, or dried fruits like dates and figs.

I might do this in the future, but this time, just the crackers with the roasted goat cheese, and the sweetness of the floral honey were just a perfect combination, topped with edible flowers for some prettiness!

note: A pretty oven-to-table gratin dish would have been a better choice than messing with a piece of foil, which did not help with sliding/moving the molten log of goat cheese to the serving platter!

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

55 Comments

  1. Ron February 13, 2018 at 6:09 AM - Reply

    I love your addition of the eatable flowers. This would make such a beautiful appetizer. We often roast Chèvre cheese with honey, but never lavender honey. Must try it with the flowers, such lovely presentation.

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 7:36 AM - Reply

      I was afraid it might be too floral, but it wasn’t, at least not to the taste. I love those flowers!

  2. Bill February 13, 2018 at 8:03 AM - Reply

    This both looks and sounds lovely. We have some lavender farms nearby, I’ll have to check for the honey when the markets open in April. I love the flower too — they add a something special to it.

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 12:00 PM - Reply

      Thanks so much Bill!

  3. canelakitchen February 13, 2018 at 8:45 AM - Reply

    Mimi this looks really lovely and delicious !!

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 12:00 PM - Reply

      Thank you! It was really good.

  4. Healthy World Cuisine February 13, 2018 at 8:48 AM - Reply

    Love this idea Mimi! Will have to check out that Lavender Honey. One day dreaming of going back to France during the lavender season and just enjoying the aroma and view.

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 12:00 PM - Reply

      I’ve never been there at that time. Need to plan better next time!

  5. Gerlinde February 13, 2018 at 9:39 AM - Reply

    Lavender essential oil’s are my-all time favorites. I will have to check out your lavender honey and I like the idea of serving it with goat cheese.

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 12:01 PM - Reply

      It worked really well with the goat cheese.

  6. cookingwithauntjuju.com February 13, 2018 at 9:52 AM - Reply

    What a perfect recipe as I love goat cheese and lavender is my favorite herb. Making your own lavender honey is very easy when you run out… I use to have 15 plants but now that I have downsized to a condo I will have to visit a local farm. Edible flowers are always a nice touch!

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 12:02 PM - Reply

      My lavender plants are touch and go, depending on the amount of rain we get, sadly. But that is a good idea to make my own!

  7. Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons February 13, 2018 at 10:02 AM - Reply

    What a lovely dish on for valentines day, it talks spring to me. I adore goat cheese, great combination.

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 12:02 PM - Reply

      Thanks so much Liz!

  8. Greedyeats -Neha February 13, 2018 at 10:21 AM - Reply

    Oh this looks so appetizing and I am just loving those edible flowers on top. Just want to top it on my crackers!! <3

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 11:45 AM - Reply

      It was really good and pretty!

  9. Jodi February 13, 2018 at 10:38 AM - Reply

    oh this sounds and looks soooo divine!

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 12:03 PM - Reply

      Divine is a perfect word for this hors d’oeuvres!

  10. anotherfoodieblogger February 13, 2018 at 10:39 AM - Reply

    What a gorgeous appetizer Mimi! Perfect use for your lovely gift, and the edible flowers are the perfect touch.

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 11:45 AM - Reply

      Thank you so much!

  11. Angela@grapegravy​ February 13, 2018 at 10:50 AM - Reply

    So pretty and delicious looking

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 11:06 AM - Reply

      Thank you Angela!

  12. Tasty Eats Ronit Penso February 13, 2018 at 12:34 PM - Reply

    The perfect appetizer for me! Love your presentation, with the added edible flowers. :)

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 1:57 PM - Reply

      Thanks so much Ronit!

  13. AJ February 13, 2018 at 8:29 PM - Reply

    Thanks for giving me my new appetizer! My parents have just sent me a couple of different types of honey such as fireweed honey. This will be a great way to showcase them:)

    • chef mimi February 13, 2018 at 8:44 PM - Reply

      COOL! Wonderful. You’ll love them!!!

      • AJ February 13, 2018 at 10:29 PM

        I hope so!

  14. kitchenriffs February 14, 2018 at 10:01 AM - Reply

    This looks terrific! Love roasted goat cheese. And although we don’t (usually) grow lavender, we have friends who have TONS of it. We’ll borrow some of theirs. :-)

    • chef mimi February 14, 2018 at 10:13 AM - Reply

      Any honey would work well, really!

  15. Our Growing Paynes February 14, 2018 at 1:05 PM - Reply

    This is so pretty and I love goat cheese.

    • chef mimi February 14, 2018 at 4:49 PM - Reply

      Thank you! I’d never baked goat cheese before. It’s good, too!!! (Not surprisingly.)

      • Our Growing Paynes February 14, 2018 at 4:55 PM

        I haven’t either unless it’s in a pastry with something.

  16. The Healthy Epicurean February 14, 2018 at 2:12 PM - Reply

    Love goat cheese. So pretty too…

    • chef mimi February 14, 2018 at 4:49 PM - Reply

      Ugh – I know! So so good!!!

  17. olivesandfeta February 15, 2018 at 3:47 AM - Reply

    I had to have a close look at your recipe. It sounds so intriguing. The addition of Lavender honey would be sublime.

    • chef mimi February 15, 2018 at 6:28 AM - Reply

      I don’t like foods terribly floral, but this was a fabulous pairing of flavors.

      • olivesandfeta February 15, 2018 at 9:28 PM

        I know what you mean. Yes I agree perfect.

  18. Debbie Spivey February 15, 2018 at 12:00 PM - Reply

    How beautiful! I still have yet to use lavender in cooking.

    • chef mimi March 1, 2018 at 9:18 AM - Reply

      I don’t like everything botanical or floral. But this was good.

  19. Debra Eliotseats February 15, 2018 at 8:06 PM - Reply

    Love roasted goat cheese but we’ve never done it with honey. I often wonder how they can really guarantee that the bees are exclusively going to one particular flower or another…. :) But, if it smells like lavender, it must be so.

    • chef mimi February 15, 2018 at 9:31 PM - Reply

      No idea. Seriously. But it did smell good!

  20. Abbe@This is How I Cook February 15, 2018 at 9:32 PM - Reply

    Yum Yum! I love anything that is decorated with gorgeous flowers and lavender makes anything better!

    • chef mimi March 1, 2018 at 9:18 AM - Reply

      Thanks, Abbe! I keep the flowers in my freezer – I hope that keeps them safe! They weren’t cheap, so I use them sparingly!

  21. David February 16, 2018 at 11:19 PM - Reply

    Wow, Mimi! That looks incredibly delicious! And, happily, all ingredients I have in the house!

    • chef mimi February 17, 2018 at 6:47 AM - Reply

      Yay! yeah, I’ve had baked cheeses at home, like Brie of course, but never goat cheese.

  22. Marie February 17, 2018 at 10:37 AM - Reply

    What a delicious appetizer! That lavender honey sounds heavenly.

    • chef mimi February 17, 2018 at 11:15 AM - Reply

      Thank you Marie!

  23. Jeff the Chef February 17, 2018 at 7:40 PM - Reply

    I’ve breaded and fried goat cheese, of course (who hasn’t?), but I’ve never heard of roasting it. What a great idea. I bet it was delicious with that honey.

    • chef mimi February 17, 2018 at 8:17 PM - Reply

      It truly was, Jeff Chef!

  24. chezlerevefrancais February 18, 2018 at 12:58 AM - Reply

    My neighbours brought me some back from Provence last year. Perfect with cheese!

    • chef mimi March 1, 2018 at 9:19 AM - Reply

      Oh how nice!

  25. Greg Henry (@sippitysup) February 22, 2018 at 5:17 PM - Reply

    That’s certainly a lovely start to a romantic meal. I’m sure it was delicious. GREG

    • chef mimi February 22, 2018 at 7:39 PM - Reply

      It truly was. Thank you.

  26. Emma March 2, 2018 at 10:22 AM - Reply

    That honey sounds amazing! And what a great idea pairing it with goats cheese.

    • chef mimi March 9, 2018 at 3:44 PM - Reply

      Thank you! It worked really well! Although baked goat cheese is a bit on the messy side if it’s not contained.

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