Name: Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 15
Ingredients: 15 mini phyllo shells; 2 ounces goat cheese, softened; 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons pesto; 2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; Toasted pine nuts, basil and extra sun dried tomatoes for topping

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Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites are an easy to make appetizer that’s sure to be a hit at your next party!

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites on a white plate with a spoon of pesto and a bowl of pine nuts behind the plate.

Every New Year’s Eve my husband and I have a tradition of making appetizers instead of a fancy dinner. We usually end up with about 4 different ones, plus something bite sized for dessert like these pistachio chocolate chip cannoli cups.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites on a white plate.

In the past some of our favorite appetizers to make have been baked buffalo chicken wonton cups, skinny green chile chicken enchilada dip and spinach and artichoke dip phyllo cups. They’re all easy to make and everyone loves them. This year I’m adding to the collection of phyllo cup appetizers and making these sun dried tomato pesto goat cheese bites!

Ingredients for the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites on a sheet pan.

Ingredients Needed to Make Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites

mini phyllo shells
goat cheese
plain Greek yogurt
pesto
pecorino romano cheese
sun dried tomatoes
basil
pine nuts (optional)

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites in phyllo shells on a sheet pan.

How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites

Making these phyllo bites is effortless, which is exactly how making appetizers should be. In a bowl combine the softened goat cheese, Greek yogurt, pesto, and chopped sun dried tomatoes. Whisk them together and then divide the filling evenly into the mini phyllo shells.

Bake the goat cheese bites for 12-15 minutes or until the filling is warm. Remove them from the oven and top each bite with a few toasted pine nuts, extra sun dried tomatoes and chopped basil. That’s all there is to it!

Hand grabbing one of the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites off of a plate.

Tips for Success

Don’t fill and bake the phyllo shells until you are ready to serve them. The longer the filling sits in the shells the softer they get.
To save time make the filling ahead of time. You can do this 24-48 hours in advance.
Use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, but pat them dry so the filling doesn’t get too oily. Sun dried tomato oil has a lot of flavor, so a little bit in the filling is great. Too much though and they will be a greasy mess.
If you can’t find pecorino romano cheese substitute with shredded Parmesan. The flavor is similar. One plus to using romano cheese is that it’s less expensive.
Taste the filling before adding extra salt to it. Since there is salt in most of the ingredients you may not need any additional.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites on a white plate topped with pine nuts and basil.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Can I Use Instead of Goat Cheese?

If you don’t like goat cheese replace it with the same amount of softened cream cheese.

Do the Phyllo Shells Need to Be Baked Before Adding the Filling?

No. The phyllo shells should be pre-baked so you can just put the filling in right away and then bake them until it’s warm.

One Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites in a mini phyllo shell.

Where Do I Find Phyllo Shells?

the mini phyllo shells should be located in the frozen section of the grocery store where they keep puff pastry and frozen pie shells. This brand of phyllo shells is widely available throughout the United States.