We really love the creative cheese recipes taking the world by storm. But many of these viral videos lean on the sweet side (for instance, air-fried Oreos, peanut butter cups, and crème brûlée), so having a savory option like the beloved whipped feta is a nice break. When we made and tested the recipe, it just took one bite, and we were hooked.
So what is whipped feta? There are a few variations out there (such as this one by the amazing Ina Garten). but a classic take on the dish comes from Jamie Milne of @everything_delish. It features a blend of feta, cream cheese, olive oil, honey, and lemon zest. From there, the whipped feta is topped with roasted tomatoes, for a super simple and delicious appetizer—and we’ve pulled together the perfect recipe so anyone can try whipped feta at home.
How to Make Whipped Feta
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (or mini heirloom tomatoes) (optional)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 8-ounce block of feta
- ¼ cup whipped cream cheese
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 lemon (zested)
- Fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Toasted or grilled bread slices, fresh vegetables, or crackers for dipping
When buying your ingredients, go for a block of feta, not the tub of crumbled feta (even though that might seem like the more convenient option). The crumbled cheese actually contains anti-caking agents, which make it less creamy, and therefore, not as easy to achieve the dip texture you want.
How to Make It
- Start by roasting one cup of cherry tomatoes, or mini heirloom tomatoes, in ⅓ cup olive oil with some salt and pepper in a 350ºF oven for 20 minutes. This is an optional addition, so if you're not into tomatoes, move right on to the next step.
- In a food processor combine one 8-ounce block of feta (crumbled by you), ½ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup whipped cream cheese, and ¼ cup of water. Blend two to three minutes, and as needed, scrape down the sides to keep everything combined.
- Add 2 Tbsp. honey, the zest of one lemon, some ground black pepper, and salt. (You can leave the salt out, since feta is already salty, or just add a little to taste.) Blend the ingredients another one to two minutes.
- Move your whipped feta to a serving bowl. Top it with roasted tomatoes and shredded fresh herbs (try thyme and oregano), then drizzle some of the olive oil from the tomato pan. For more heat, add some extra black pepper and/or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Enjoy your dip with toasted (or grilled) bread slices, fresh vegetables, or crackers.
If you love cheese (especially feta), this is going to be a new favorite appetizer or addition to your charcuterie board. The tanginess paired with the sweet roasted cherry tomatoes is wonderful, but you can also leave the tomatoes off and just drizzle the dip with olive oil. Milne has shared a few variations for the no-tomato crowd: One alternative is to top the dip with roasted garlic and onion, or roasted olives. For a lighter version, try the above whipped feta recipe using Greek yogurt instead of feta.
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