Love and Olive Oil

Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews

Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews

Well wasn’t that a spicy week? But let’s end it with something mild. Cool off your burning palette with…

More peppers.

Wait, what?

Peppadews, if you’ve never encountered them before, are sweet little peppers from South Africa. They are most often sold pickled and brined in jars, much like olives, and have a sweet, briny flavor with an oh-so-subtle kick (there are hotter versions available if you’re game). But otherwise totally mild, sweet even, especially when compared with the piquant posts earlier this week.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews

This recipe comes from my friend Beth, who recreated the dish from a local favorite (RIP Rumba). I added garlic and used basil in place of chives (thyme would work well, too!), but the general concept is unchanged: Take pepper. Stuff pepper. Eat pepper.

They make a great, easy appetizer, made up to 2 hours ahead of time and stashed until ready to serve (just resist the urge to sneak one here, two there, or they will be gone before your guests arrive).

A word of warning: peppadews ‘aint cheap. Get ready to spend upwards of $11/jar for these babies. But I don’t think I need to tell you that they are well worth it.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews

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Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, chives, thyme, or other fresh herbs
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half (as needed)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 jar peppadew peppers (about 20-30 peppers)

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, combine goat cheese with garlic and herbs, stirring until evenly incorporated. Add cream as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin out filling if necessary (the amount needed will depend mostly on the softness of your goat cheese). The filling should be the consistency of buttercream frosting. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. Fill each peppadew with about 1/2 teaspoon of filling. I find it helpful to load the filling into a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip, which makes it very easy to neatly fill each pepper completely full.
  3. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours; let come to room temperature for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Adapted from Eat.Drink.Smile.

All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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29 Comments

  1. I stuff mine with Italian sausage, put them on an aluminum foil lined pan and bake them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Can stuff broken ones, too.  Delicious!

  2. My local grocery sells peppadews seasonally in the produce aisle. You can choose mild or hot. I prefer hot. They’re great stuffed with cheese, maybe salami and I also use them in sandwiches.

  3. Love these so much!  Had these at a party and they were served on a platter of beautiful buttery edamame! The peppers really popped against the vibrant green and it was two appetizers in one!

  4. These are fantastic!! I absolutely love goat cheese! I could probably polish off an entire plate of these ;)

  5. I just LOVE peppadews!  It took me forever to figure out what they were since I had only ever seen them in olive bars at grocery stores.  I make these sometimes filled with a garlic/herb boursin and sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs.  They’re always a big hit! My Mom had them with us while visiting and loved them, so she found a jar in a wine shop when she went home, but she said those were so hot, they lit her up like a Christmas tree!  The ones I’ve had have always been sweet/hot, but never too hot.  :)

  6. I just made this recipe for a potluck this past weekend.  Everyone liked them.  I found the peppers at Whole Foods- $5.99/jar.  I piped in the filling using a quart size plastic ziptop bag;; cut a small end in the tip and you don’t have to fuss with a regular piping tip.  Will definitely make these again.

  7. Lovely photos! They look wonderful!

  8. I love Peppadews, hmmmm yummie :)

  9. I love Peppadew peppers, they make a lovely salsa too

  10. I’ve never had a peppadew, but they sound yuumy, especially when stuffed with goat cheese!

  11. I picked up your new cookbook yesterday “Breakfast for Dinner”. Love it.

  12. I need these! But then again, I need anything stuff with goat cheese : )

  13. I love peppadews and have been making them for years. There are so many things you can do with them. I like to add a bit of Asian chili sauce, chives, and grated orange zest to my goat cheese then pipe them in for a little zip. They make the perfect appetizer.

  14. So funny- i just had these at a house party a couple weeks ago . . and have not forgotten about those wonderful, heavenly bites! Thanks for the recipe xx

  15. Oh man – my husband’s cousin makes these every time we visit them, and I’ve been meaning to look up a recipe. They’re soooo addictive! 

  16. Never tried them, but they look so fresh I’d love to try my hand at this recipe

  17. I love peppadews.  They’re great on a ham sandwich.  But this sound delicious. I would love to try them stuff with goat cheese.

  18. I’ve never heard of peppadews! Gotta try them out – these look great!

  19. I see these every time I’m at Whole Foods and they always call to me.  How easy is it to make them at home myself!!  Cool.  Thanks!

  20. These are the best!  I am hooked on them…not to sweet, not to spicy…but deliciously creamy and oozing with cheese.

  21. I’ve never had peepeappadawees! I’m so excited for this.

  22. I live in Franklin, TN and you can get peppadews at the olive bar at Whole Foods ($9.99 pound). I love them so much I have even ordered them online. 

  23. Goat cheese peppers are one of my favorite appetizers! I also love them with Mozzarella. 

  24. I’ve had peppadews stuffed with other cheeses, but never goat cheese..this sounds awesome! Now I just have to figure out where to find them near me!

  25. We have like, 10 million guests coming through our apartment in the next two months for the holidays, and these would be perfect as a quick and easy appetizer!  (Because everyone’s always hungry when they’re at my house for some reason! :) )  

  26. I love the simplicity to these! Delicious!

    • I know right? The only thing I’m troubled about, is that other websites tell me to cook the pep passes slightly to soften them in THEIR recipes but I don’t know whether you actually have to do that?

  27. I wanted to make these for a dinner party a couple of weeks ago – but I couldn’t for the life of me find the peppers anywhere!  I looked for either fresh (in the deli) or in a jar but couldn’t find either and I searched at several grocery stores. :( I had these at a party I attended over the summer and loved them.

    • In my grocery store, peppadews somehow ended up in the produce section – perhaps you’ll have luck finding them there? In my market, which isn’t fancy in any way – they’re on an end cap with some marinated artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes packed in oil. I always forget they’re there because my gut tells me to go look in the aisle with pepperoncini and everything else! Go figure : )

      Hope that helps!

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