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Leaning into appetizer season here with this quick and delicious Honey Whipped Feta with Garlic Herb Roasted Olives. Herby and garlicky, these roasted olives are served over sweet and creamy honey whipped feta cheese. This is the simplest of appetizers, yet so amazingly GOOD. Serve this dish at all of your upcoming fall parties, game days, and even into the holidays. This is the perfect appetizer for all occasions.
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We all know that when it comes to new recipes, I’m mostly about sharing delicious dinners, or something sweet for dessert. It’s just what I gravitate towards.
That said, I’ve been working to create more appetizer recipes for you guys. And with September here (Happy September!) and the fall entertaining season just ahead, I figured, why not get things started.
Which that brings me to this creamy, sweet, salty, and addicting honey whipped feta. Wow, I didn’t realize how much I would love this dish. But I really do, and I am so excited to share it! Plus, sharing it now will give us plenty of time to make it over and over again. This app is great for upcoming dinner parties, Sunday night football, and of course, the nearing holiday season.
This is really easy, let’s start with the olives
You want to start with the olives, which are truly just a simple two-step process.
Gather up a bunch of mixed olives. I usually pick up a few varieties from Whole
Foods for different colors and flavors. Then toss the olives together with really good olive oil, garlic, shallots, lemon, thyme, oregano, and as always, a nice pinch of chili flakes.
Throw everything into the oven to roast for a bit. As the olives roast, everything caramelizes down and you’ll have the aroma of garlic and herbs in the air.
It’s such a nice dish to have in the oven as guests are arriving.
Now, whip the the feta
While those olives are roasting, whip up the feta. It’s just feta cheese whipped together with cream cheese (for creaminess), honey, and a pinch of black pepper.
This is easiest to do in a food processor.
What’s great about the feta is that you can make it way in advance and just keep it in the fridge until serving time. I would recommend bringing it back to room temperature before you serve it for the very best flavor.
Serve everything up
When the olives have finished roasting, spoon the feta into a shallow bowl. Spoon some of the olives and oil over the feta.
Serve the dip with toasted bread or crackers…something with a little crunch is so nice!
Could not be easier, but don’t let the ease fool you, this recipe is always such a show stopper.
I’m excited to have this on rotation for everything coming up this fall. We all need effortless appetizers to help make entertaining stress-free. Whether it’s just with family, or a group of friends, easy entertaining is always appreciated!
Looking for other appetizer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Peach Burrata Crostini with Burst Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette
Charred Baby Bell Peppers with Burrata
Everything Ranch Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix
Baked Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
Lastly, if you make this Honey Whipped Feta with Garlic Herb Roasted Olives, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Honey Whipped Feta with Garlic Herb Roasted Olives
Ingredients
Roasted Olives
- 2 cups mixed olives pitted
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 shallot, quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- chili flakes
Honey Whipped Feta
- 1 cup (8 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. In a baking dish, combine the olives, olive oil, garlic, shallot, lemon, thyme, oregano, and a big pinch of chili flakes. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the garlic turns golden and the oil is sizzling. 2. Meanwhile, whip the feta. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. The feta can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. 3. Spoon the feta into a serving bowl and then top with the warm olives. Serve with bread or crackers.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This is beyond delicious and so pretty! My sister-in-law made this for Thanksgiving, and I could stop not eating it. So I made it today to bring to another event. Unfortunately, I tested positive for Covid while preparing it, so I can’t go to the event. I am enjoying it here on my own. I modified it slightly by adding sun-dried, tomato and pinenuts. That wasn’t really necessary. Also, my ratio cheese was a little different, as I used some spreadable goat cheese in the mix .
Oh no I am so sorry! I hope you are feeling better soon! 🙂 xT
Honestly, one of my facorite appetizers of all time. Serve with some warm Naan bread. Holy crap its good!
Thank you so so much! Sooo glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂 xT
It’s everything you say and more. Easy. Delicious. Show stopper. This one is a keeper!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for giving it a try! 🙂 xT
Hey Tieghan,
first of all, I love you so much!! Is there anything at all I can substitute for olives that you’d recommend? Please and thank you!
Hey Fern,
Dates would also be great in place of the olives, you might also like this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/baked-artichokes/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Fantastic! Easy Peasy to make and take. The sweet/briny dip with the umami of the roasted olives and garlic is a hit every time.
Hey Kellie,
I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your review! Happy Sunday! xT
Is there another way to make this without the food processor?
Hi Kelsey,
A blender, like a Vitamin, would also work for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
What kind of olives did you use for this recipe?
Hi there! I usually do a mix of black and green olives! xT
Could I replace the honey with maple syrup?
Hi there! That might change the flavor a bit so I’m not sure! So sorry! xT
This was excellent! Made the feta in the morning, then roasted everything just before guests arrived. Yum!
Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Have an amazing week! 🙂 xT
Can you use gorgonzola oa another cheese?
Thanks,
Vjcki
Hi Vicki! I haven’t tried this with gorgonzola but I’m sure it’s delish! xT
I love this dip! I added roasted eggplant and sundried tomatoes to the olive mix. After I added the olive mix over the feta/cream cheese, I heated it up a bit to make the cream cheese and feta softer. I served it with baguette slices. It was certainly a hit!
Ooooh yum! I bet the roasted eggplant and sundried tomatoes were a great addition! Thanks for trying out the recipe! xT
Do I bake the whipped feta so it is warm or is it served room temp?
I serve mine room temp and spoon the olives over it! xT
Step 2 says to put all ingredients in the food processor. Does that mean the olive mixture in the oven goes into the food processor with the feta and cream cheese?
Hi! The only ingredients that you combine in the food processor are the ingredients listed under the honey whipped feta section of the recipe! Hope this makes sense! xT
This dip is beyond amazing! Have made it 3 times now and it always gets such compliments!! A+++!!
Hey Wendy! So happy to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
I am reviewing this AGAIN because it’s so good. Made it last year and then just made it yesterday for a family gathering. It was the most talked about dish, and my picky father-in-law asked to take home the last bit left over. I even made the day before, refrigerated, and just baked for 10 minutes with foil day of. Perfection.
Wow thank you so so much! So happy you’re loving the recipe Meredith! xT