Whipped Feta Dip with Olives

This easy whipped feta dip with olives blends feta cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic, and olive oil into a creamy Mediterranean appetizer that tastes bright and savory in every bite. It works as a Greek feta dip you can serve with veggies, crackers, or warm pita for parties, holidays, or game day. You'll get simple tips to help you turn cold dips and appetizers for parties into healthy crowd pleasers that fit Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, summer picnics, or football food for the Super Bowl. Pin this yummy dip recipe now so you always have one of your best entertaining staples ready to go.

Pin

Why is this the best whipped feta dip with roasted olives recipe

This whipped feta dip with roasted olive recipe is absolutely delicious! The combination of creamy feta cheese with a hint of lemon and garlic, and then the herb-infused roasted olives, is irresistible. This feta dip is absolutely divine!

This recipe makes the best dip! Every bite is filled with smooth feta cheese dip, topped with a roasted olive and herb flavor that will delight both kids and adults alike. No one will want to stop devouring this dip!

This is a quick and easy dip or holiday gathering recipe. Start by making your cheese layer with a block of feta and creamy Greek yogurt. Roast the olives with fresh herbs and a hint of spice, then spread them on top of the whipped cheese dip. Just a few simple ingredients and a few easy steps - that's all there is to it.

The ingredients for the dish are common and easy to find. You likely already have most of the simple ingredients for this easy whipped feta dip recipe in your pantry. If you need an ingredient or two, you can easily find them in most local grocery stores or on Amazon!

This whipped feta cheese dip with roasted olives recipe tastes amazing! This creamy dip is absolutely delicious. Pair it with your favorite crackers, crostini, pita bread, pita chips, or fresh veggies, like cucumber slices or carrot sticks. This is a delightful cheese dip any time of the year!

Pin

What you'll need to make Whipped Feta Dip with Olives

Equipment

• 1-quart baking dish - This dish is small enough for the olives to sit in a single layer in that puddle of herby olive oil. A smaller dish keeps everything cozy and well-marinated.
• Food processor - If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender, but you may need to stop and scrape down the sides more often.
• Shallow serving bowl - Having a shallow bowl means you can spread the dip out and spread all those delicious olives on top. If you put it in a deeper, narrower dish, the olives will be all sitting on top in a clump. You don't want that.

Ingredients  

Pin

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Mixed olives - I buy a small square container of marinated mixed olives for this dish. Then, instead of adding new olive oil, I use the olive oil and spices that come in the olives and add the ones in the recipe below. I didn't write the recipe like that because I didn't know if all grocery stores would carry my specific marinated olives, and because you can really use any olives you want. A mixture of green and kalamata olives is best, in my opinion.
• olive oil - You will use this several times. Buy the best extra virgin olive oil that you can afford. Quality matters a lot in this recipe.
• fresh rosemary - Rosemary is potent, so don't be tempted to use more than the recipe calls for without tasting the mixture first.
• fresh thyme - I just use the leaves and not the stems for this recipe. If you scrape the stem from top to bottom, the leaves pull off very easily and quickly.
• lemon zest - You can use as much lemon zest as you want. I zested the entire half lemon I used for the juice below.
• crushed red pepper flakes - These olives are not spicy; they have just enough red pepper flakes to be flavorful without heat. If you want spicy olives, taste my recommendation and then add a little at a time to achieve your desired level of heat.
• feta cheese block - This should be full fat, and you should drain it. You canNOT use crumbled feta in this recipe if you want that smooth, whipped consistency. Crumbled feta will make drip grainy because the crumbles won't break down in the food processor. I can't explain this, but I tested it several times. Crumbled feta makes a grainy dip.
• Greek yogurt - You want plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. Make sure you buy Greek yogurt and not plain regular yogurt. (I made this mistake once.) If you somehow end up with plain regular yogurt, use sour cream instead. You don't want to use plain regular yogurt because it will make your dip runny. Sour cream and Greek yogurt have very similar flavors, so you won't be able to tell the difference between the two in this recipe.
• lemon juice - This is less than the juice of half a lemon. If you use all the juice from the half, your dip will be very lemony. If you like that, go right ahead and use that much juice, but I think you will like your dip better if you don't use more than recommended.
• Fresh clove garlic - This needs to be peeled, but you're putting it in the food processor, so there's no need to smash or press it ahead of time. I do pick off the little brown piece at the bottom that connects it to the bulb.
• crackers or crostini - This is for dipping. I really like this dip with Parmesan garlic pita chips, but any chips, crackers, crostini, or pita will be great.
• cucumbers - I like to buy baby cucumbers and slice them into rounds for this dip. Cucumbers, Greek yogurt, and feta go together perfectly. Tzatziki sauce, probably the most famous Greek condiment, is made from cucumbers, Greek yogurt, and garlic (plus a couple of other things).

How to make Whipped Feta Cheese Dip with Olives

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Place the olives in a small baking dish and toss them with 3 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper flakes. Roast until the olives are warm, fragrant, and slightly wrinkled, about 20-25 minutes or maybe longer, depending on your oven.
   Pin
3. While the olives roast, add the block of feta, Greek yogurt, remaining olive oil, lemon juice, and peeled garlic clove to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and airy, scraping the sides as needed until the mixture becomes thick, creamy, and spreadable.
   Pin
   Pin
4. Spoon the whipped feta into a shallow serving bowl, making a shallow well in the center. Spoon the warm roasted olives over the top, allowing the herby oil to drizzle over the olives and feta.
   Pin
5. Serve immediately while the olives are warm with crackers or crostini and cucumbers.
   Pin

Cook's Tips

Use a block of high-quality, full-fat feta (not crumbles) for the smoothest creamiest dip. If you use pre-crumbled cheese, you will not achieve the soft, creamy, whipped consistency of the dip. If you use reduced-fat feta, your dip will be less creamy and will taste flat.

Roast the olives a bit longer for deeper, more concentrated flavor.

Use kalamata, castelvetrano, or a mix of olives for varied texture. You can use jarred marinated olives. If they're stored in brine, drain and pat them dry with paper towels to avoid making your dip watery. If they're stored in oil, use that oil instead of olive oil in the recipe.

Blend the feta longer than you think. This creates the whipped, cloudlike texture you're looking for.

We topped the dip with fresh herbs for added color, aroma, and flavor.

Substitutions & variations

Feel free to increase the garlic and/or the lemon juice and zest for a stronger flavor.

Substitute sour cream for Greek yogurt to make a richer dip.

Add a drizzle of honey or hot honey on top for a sweet contrast to the salty feta and olives.

For a spicier dip, increase the red pepper flakes.

For a richer, slightly smoky flavor, add a pinch of smoked paprika to the olives.

Serve whipped feta dip with warm pita triangles, pita chips, crackers, crostini, or raw vegetables like cucumbers and carrots.

Pin

Storing leftovers

If you have any leftover dip, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If desired, you can pick off the olives and warm them before serving. I personally eat them cold the second day, and I think they are still delicious.

Prep the whipped feta in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. Roast the olives right before serving.

It's best not to freeze feta dip; store it in the refrigerator, and eat it all in a few days or discard it.

Pin

Check out more delicious savory dip recipes

• 25+ Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks
• Hot Pepperoni Dip
• Italian Hoagie Dip
• Cream Cheese Veggie Dip
• Cream Cheese Garlic Dip
• Spicy Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Dip
• The Best Hot Swiss Onion Dip
• Creamy veggie dip

Recipe