This creamy whipped feta dip is smooth and tangy, with just the right amount of sweet thanks to a touch of honey. It’s topped with bright lemony marinated olives, crunchy toasted pine nuts, and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper. This is one of those quick back-pocket appetizers you’ll be making on repeat!
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About This Recipe
This creamy whipped feta dip is about to become your new go-to appetizer! It comes together in minutes, yet tastes like something you’d find on a mezze platter at your favorite Mediterranean spot.
The base is a super smooth blend of feta cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon, olive oil, and just a touch of honey to balance the salty, savory flavors. Then it’s topped with bright, herb-marinated olives that add the perfect briny contrast. A handful of toasted pine nuts brings buttery crunch, and a pinch of Aleppo pepper adds a gentle warmth.
Serve it with anything you love to dip! Wedges of warm pita, crisp veggies, or baked pita chips. It’s also a fabulous addition to a larger mezze spread with your other favorite nibbles. Either way, whipped feta is always the first to disappear!
📋 Ingredients
- Feta Cheese: Look for a block of feta packed in brine. It whips up so much creamier than pre-crumbled feta, which tends to be drier.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt gives the feta dip a delicious tang without thinning it out. Full-fat or low-fat both work, just avoid fat-free because it won’t be as creamy.
- Lemon: Both lemon zest and lemon juice are in this recipe. Lemon zest adds a fragrant, bright citrus flavor without being as sharp as lemon juice. I love using a microplane for zesting.
- Castelvetrano Olives: These are mild and buttery green olives and I like to call them a “gateway olive” if you’re unsure what olives to try first. Roughly chop or gently smash the pitted olives, so they’re rustic but still bite-sized.
- Toasted Pine Nuts: Pine nuts toast quickly and bring a delicious buttery crunch. Toast them in a small skillet with just a splash of oil, watching closely. They can go from golden to burnt fast!
- Aleppo Pepper: Aleppo pepper is milder and fruitier than traditional crushed red pepper flakes. It’s lovely sprinkled over the top, but you can omit it if you prefer no heat.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is incredibly versatile. A few fun swaps:
- Yogurt: Labneh is a Middle Eastern strained yogurt cheese and is an excellent substitute for Greek yogurt. It’s thicker, tangier, and extra creamy.
- Citrus: Try replacing the lemon with orange zest + a splash of orange juice, or a combination of both. Both the feta and olives pair beautifully with orange.
- Olives: A mix of Castelvetrano + Kalamata adds a deeper, brinier flavor. Use half-and-half and marinate the same way.
- Nuts: Swap pine nuts for toasted sliced almonds, pistachios, or walnuts.
⏲️ Instructions
Make the Whipped Feta: Add the feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and honey to a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Make the Marinated Olives: Add the chopped olives to a bowl, along with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, chopped parsley and mint and toss to combine. Marinate for a few minutes before assembly.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Use a food processor for the creamiest texture. It helps everything whip up super smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the processor as needed, so everything blends and is as smooth as possible.
- Toast pine nuts carefully. Keep the heat on low to medium, moving them around frequently. Once they turn golden, remove the pine nuts from the heat, as they can continue to darken slightly as they cool.
- Marinate the olives briefly. Even 10–20 minutes helps the flavors develop, but it’s not essential if you’re short on time.
- Make-ahead: Both the whipped feta and marinated olives can be made 3 days in advance, but keep them separate until you’re ready to assemble.
- Bring to room temperature: Bring both the whipped feta and olives to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. This softens the dip and lets the flavors open up.
Serving Suggestions
Whipped feta dip can go with just about anything! Here are some favorite ways to serve it:
- Add it to a mezze spread or falafel platter with hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, or baked pita chips.
- On a Mediterranean charcuterie board with cheeses, marinated vegetables, nuts, and spreads.
- With grilled meats such as chicken shawarma, kofta kebabs, or Mediterranean spiced lamb burgers, use it as a creamy feta sauce.
- Serve with warm pita bread, pita chips, crackers, mini bell peppers, cucumber spears, cherry tomatoes, or your favorite raw vegetables.
More Dip Recipes to Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Whipped Feta with Olives
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
Whipped Feta
Marinated Olive Topping
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives smashed and roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 –2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 2 –3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- Aleppo pepper for garnish
For Serving
- Cut bell pepper
- Crackers
- Baked Pita Chips
- Pita Bread
Instructions
- Make the Whipped Feta: Add the feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and honey to a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Transfer to a shallow bowl and create swoops on the surface.
- Make the Marinated Olives: Add the roughly chopped olives to a bowl, along with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, chopped parsley and mint.
- Toss gently and let sit for a few minutes so the flavors combine.
- Assemble: Spoon the marinated olive mixture over the whipped feta and top with toasted pine nuts and a pinch of Aleppo pepper.
Notes
- Use a food processor for the smoothest texture. Scrape down the sides as needed so everything blends evenly.
- Toast pine nuts carefully. Keep the heat low and remove them once golden—they darken quickly.
- Marinate the olives for 10–20 minutes if you can, but it’s optional.
- Make ahead: Prep the whipped feta and olives up to 3 days ahead; store separately until serving.
- Bring to room temperature: Let both sit out for 15–20 minutes so the dip softens and the olive oil loosens.
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