Fresh Apricots with Goat Cheese and Lavender Honey

The flavours of Provence! Fresh apricots, stuffed with goat cheese, topped with toasted walnuts and drizzled with lavender honey make delicious summertime finger food appetizers. 

These fresh apricot canapés with goat cheese and lavender honey are my latest favourite summertime appetizer!

If you’ve been following our travels in France on Instagram lately, you’ll know that I’ve been somewhat obsessed with the amazing lavender fields in Provence. Apricots were in season and they were plentiful in the markets. While in France, we ate locally-made creamy chevre almost every day.

So when I returned home and found fresh apricots in my local market and lavender blooming in my garden, I was stoked to make this apricot appetizer for  summertime snacking.

We have favourite appetizers that I make regularly, like these Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Walnuts and Mint and Lemon Ricotta Crostini with Honeyed Peaches. But when I spotted the apricots, I knew right away I wanted to create something a little different. Savoury appetizers made with stone fruit never disappoint!

Do I need to make my own Lavender Honey?

No! You can often buy lavender honey in specialty stores. However, it’s not difficult to make your own. You can follow the traditional instructions for How to Make Herb-Infused Honey (which takes 5 days) OR you can do like I did and use a fast infusion using heat.

It’s so delicious! Lavender gives the honey delicate floral notes that pair perfectly with slightly tart apricots.

Ready to get started? Here’s what you’ll need.

Ingredients for Fresh Apricots with Goat Cheese and Lavender Honey

• apricots:  fresh, not dried. Look for ones with no blemishes. They’ll be best in this recipe if they are perfectly ripe and naturally sweet. To tell if an apricot is ripe, look for those that have a deep orange-gold colour and avoid those that are pale orange or yellow. The best apricots will be plump and firm, but slightly soft. You don’t need to peel apricots.
• goat cheese:  look for a mild creamy goat cheese or chevre.
• lemon zest:  adds another layer of fresh flavour
• walnuts:  toasting brings out their flavour and it also improves their texture, so they’ll stay crisp on top of the goat cheese. While I usually prefer to toast nuts in the oven, you need such a small amount for this recipe that I suggest toasting them in a skillet on the stove top instead. Watch carefully as they may scorch. Use your nose to tell you when they’re ready to be removed from the heat.
• honey:  see notes above about how to make infused lavender honey

This fresh apricot finger food appetizer is easy to make.

1. Slice the apricots in half, remove the pit and stuff with a small amount of creamy goat cheese.
2. Sprinkle a little lemon zest on top of each one, then press toasted walnuts on top.
3. Finish by drizzling with lavender honey and serve to your appreciative friends!
4. You can make these a few hours ahead of time. Follow steps 1 and 2 above, cover and refrigerate, then add the honey just before serving.

Fresh Apricots with Goat Cheese and Lavender Honey

A finger food appetizer with the flavours of Provence! Fresh apricot halves, stuffed with goat cheese, topped with toasted walnuts and drizzled with lavender honey make delicious summertime party food.

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, French

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 14 minutes

Servings: 12 pieces

Calories: 55kcal

Author: Flavour & Savour

Ingredients

• 6 fresh apricots halved, stone and stem removed
• 4 oz chevre or soft goat cheese
• 2 tsp lemon zest finely grated
• 2 tbsp walnuts finely chopped, toasted
• 2 tbsp lavender-infused honey

Instructions

• Finely chop walnuts, toast by heating over medium-low heat in a small skillet.
• Slice apricots in half and remove pit and stem.
• Fill cavity with 2 teaspoons soft chevre or goat cheese.
• Sprinkle each apricot with a pinch of lemon zest.
• Press 1/2 teaspoon toasted chopped walnuts into the cheese.
• Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon lavender honey and serve.

Notes

To make your own lavender-infused honey, follow the instructions from The Kitchn: How to make Herb-Infused Honey

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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Looking for more finger food ideas? You might like 20 Easy Finger Food Appetizers for your next party.

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