These Grown Up Ants on a Log are a unique hors d’ouerves, filled with a spiced goat cheese mixture, and topped with pecans and dried cherries.

Ants On a Log - The Beekman Bros Version Served on a White Platter

When you hear “grown up ants on a log,” what do you think of? The quickest guess my mind comes up with is some sort of alcohol-spiked peanut butter. But for this recipe, there’s no peanut butter in sight. No raisins either.

Earlier this year I went to an event at the Pinterest offices in NYC that celebrated the release of the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook, where the Beekman boys gave a presentation and we ate a bunch of the delicious recipes from the book.

To be honest, if I saw this recipe in the book just perusing through, it’s probably not a recipe I’d be inclined to try, but that night Alejandra and I cleared out a whole platter by ourselves.

Holding Up a Goat Cheese Celery Bite

In fact, everything I tried that night from the cookbook was REALLY good. And wow, if you have never heard of the Beekman Boys before or watched their TV show, they are SO inspiring and incredibly fun personalities. Love them!

Grown up ants on a log according to the Beekman boys is basically goat cheese celery bites, and I changed up some things in my own rendition. You can’t go wrong with either version.

To get started, combine a creamy goat cheese with mustard, ancho chile powder, honey, and salt:

Goat Cheese Honey Filling in Mixing Bowl

Stir together until creamy smooth:

Spiced Goat Cheese Filling In Mixing Bowl

Place into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe into celery bites:

Piping Spiced Goat Cheese Into Celery Pieces

Sprinkle with toasted pecans:

Garnishing Celery Bite with Nuts

And chopped dried cherries:

Adding Chopped Dried Cranberries to Celery Log

Place on a platter:

Ants On a Log Appetizer on White Dish

Then watch them disappear! Enjoy.

Grown Up Ants on a Log on White Platter

Grown Up Ants on a Log

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
 These Grown Up Ants on a Log are a unique hors d'ouerves, filled with a spiced goat cheese mixture, and topped with pecans and dried cherries.
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Ingredients

  • 5.3 oz tub mild goat cheese*
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 8 ribs celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans toasted
  • 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, stir to combine the goat cheese, ancho chili powder, salt, mustard, and honey.
  • Rinse the celery well, and pat dry. Cut into 1.5 inch pieces, and cut a small sliver off the bottom of the celery so it stands upright easily on a platter.
  • Place the goat cheese mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip, then pipe the goat cheese into each piece of celery. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and dried cherries, then serve. Enjoy!

Notes

*I used Chavrie brand goat cheese because I like how creamy and mild it is, but you can also do a standard 4oz log. Try not to use crumbly goat cheese, since it won’t pipe well.

Nutrition

Calories: 105kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 166mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas