Baked Pumpkin Dip with Goat Cheese

🥘 Ingredients

• cream cheese
  2 ounces
• for serving: crusty sourdough or crostini or toasted pita wedges
• goat cheese
  10 ounces
• honey (plus more for drizzling)
  1 tablespoon
• pepper (twists of freshly ground black)
  10
• pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
  1/4 cup
• pumpkin spice blend
  1 teaspoon
• red pepper flakes (to taste) (optional)
  1/8 teaspoon
• salt (fine)
  1/4 teaspoon
• to-medium garlic clove (small, sliced into several pieces)
  1

🍳 Cookware

• food processor
• baking dish

1. 1

   Gather for serving: crusty sourdough or crostini or toasted pita wedges , to-medium garlic clove , pumpkin spice blend .

   for serving: crusty sourdough or crostini or toasted pita wedges, to-medium garlic clove: 1 (small, sliced into several pieces), pumpkin spice blend: 1 teaspoon
2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
3. 3

   In a food processor , combine the goat cheese , cream cheese , pumpkin purée , honey , garlic, salt , pepper , and red pepper flakes (if using).

   goat cheese: 10 ounces, cream cheese: 2 ounces, pumpkin purée: 1/4 cup (not pumpkin pie filling), honey: 1 tablespoon (plus more for drizzling), salt: 1/4 teaspoon (fine), pepper: 10 (twists of freshly ground black), red pepper flakes: 1/8 teaspoon (to taste)
4. 4

   Process until the mixture comes together completely and is lightly whipped, about ⏱️ 2 minutes , pausing to scrape down the sides and base as necessary. The mixture will ball up in the food processor and eventually smooth itself out. If in doubt, process a little longer.
5. 5

   Taste and adjust as necessary—add another pinch of red pepper flakes for more heat, or another teaspoon or two of honey if you’d like it sweeter (we will drizzle it with more honey next, so the finished dip will be a little sweeter than you’re tasting now).
6. 6

   Transfer the dip to a small oven-safe baking dish with a 3- to 4-cup (1 quart) capacity. Spread it evenly across the base of the dish, leaving some texture on top. Drizzle it with 1 teaspoon of additional honey.
7. 7

   Bake the dip on the upper rack for ⏱️ 13-15 minutes , until the top is turning lightly golden in places and bubbling and puffed around the edges. Drizzle it with another teaspoon or two of honey, and let it cool for about ⏱️ 5 minutes (it’s hot). Serve with your desired accompaniments.
8. 📝

   MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: The dip is gluten-free, so choose gluten-free accompaniments like crackers.

9. 📝

   CREAM CHEESE NOTE: The cream cheese makes this dip more creamy and luscious. Without it, the pumpkin and spice flavors taste bolder, which you might love if you’re a big fan. I did not need to let the cream cheese or goat cheese warm to room temperature before blending them in my Cuisinart food processor.

10. 📝

    LEFTOVER PUMPKIN? See the post for more recipes to make or store the rest in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.

11. 📝

    Nutrition: Fat: 13.3 g Calories: 178 calories Saturated Fat: 8.8 g Sodium: 344.8 mg Fiber: 0.4 g Cholesterol: 31.3 mg Carbohydrate: 5.6 g Sugar: 4.5 g Serving Size: 1/6th of dip (no accompaniments) Trans Fat: 0 g Protein: 9.5 g