Stuffed Apricots to Stuff Your Face

Apricot appetizers are a great way to use a delicious seasonal produce in an unexpected way. Apricots are a tart stone fruit that you’ll find in the grocery store in late Spring and early Summer that make for a great snack on their own, but pair really nicely with cheese and herbs for a warm-weather appetizer.

I love looking for new ways to use my favorite seasonal produce and pairing ingredients to create really interesting bites. By pairing a few pantry staples, this apricot appetizer has quickly become a favorite!

Tips for Making This Stuffed Apricots

If you plan on making this apricot appetizer, here are a few tips for making it delicious:

• I only recommend making this fresh apricot recipe during peak apricot season, which is in May through June in the U.S. The apricot is the key piece to making this appetizer delicious, so don’t rob yourself of a tasty experience with a less than stellar fruit.
• This is a great way to use up other leftover ingredients you might find in your fridge or pantry, such as extra pesto, cream cheese, or almonds.  
• The lemon squeeze at the end seems like an easy step to skip, but trust me it’s crucial! The lemon juice will brighten everything up and is the perfect finishing touch!
• If you are making this apricot appetizer recipe ahead of time, leave the lemon juice and chia seeds off until right before you serve it to your guests. The chia seeds will begin to absorb the moisture in the apricots over time and will still taste delicious, they just lose a bit of their crunch.

Cottage Cheese Stuffed Apricot Recipe Details

Each component in this apricot appetizer brings a perfectly balanced bite! The apricots bring a tart, lucious base to balance the creamy cottage cheese mixture, herby pesto, and crunchy almonds.  The chopped chives give a nice oniony component and the tangy lemon juice over the top is the ultimate way to finish this dish!

Most of this recipe is assembly, but before that can begin you’ll need to create a simple cheese mixture.  The cottage cheese is mixed with cream cheese in order to give it a bit more structure, so it stays nicely on top of the apricots.  Once the cheese mixture is prepared, the rest is scooping or placing the rest of the ingredients into the pitted apricot halves.

First, place a few almond slivers into the hallow center of the apricot, followed by the cottage cheese mixture.  On top of the cottage cheese, layer the pesto, chopped chives, and chia seeds.  Squeeze the lemon half over the entire thing and serve!

If you give this recipe a try, be sure to tag @laura.loves.to.cook on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook and let me know how it turned out. I can’t wait to see what you think!

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Cottage Cheese Stuffed Apricots with Almonds and Pesto

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: No Heat Cuisine: American Courses: Appetizer

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 15 mins

Servings: 12

Best Season: Summer

Dietary:

G Gluten Free V Vegetarian

Description

An apricot appetizer sure to impress your guests, but is easy to pull together. Tart apricots, cheesy filling, crunchy almonds, and herby pesto make these stuffed apricots a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 6 apricots, halved and pits removed
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 5 tbsp cottage cheese
• Slivered almonds
• 3 tbsp pesto
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• ¹⁄₂ lemon
• Chia seeds, optional garnish

Instructions

1. Mix the 2 ounces cream cheese with 5 tablespoons cottage cheese until evenly distributed.

2. To assemble the stuffed apricots, place two to three pieces of slivered almond in ieach apricot half. Dollop a heaping spoonful of the cheese mixture onto the center of the apricot.

3. To garnish, add a small dollop of pesto onto the center of the cheese mixture and sprinkle the chopped fresh chives.

4. Before serving, squeeze the lemon half over the plate of stuffed apricots and sprinkle chia seeds, if desired. Enjoy!