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Creamy Olive Dip
Cream cheese-based dips are pretty much guaranteed to be delicious, so you know this Creamy Olive Dip has a lot of potential.
Made with tangy sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and both black and green olives, this tasty chopped olive spread is briny, salty, cheesy goodness! Best of all, you only need 8 ingredients and 15 minutes to pull it off.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
I don’t know about you, but olives are one of my favorite snacks. They’re salty and rich, with a lovely nearly sweet flavor that makes them downright addictive. Whether you put them on pizza, turn them into a tapenade, or stuff them with blue cheese and drop them in a martini, I’ll eat ALL the olive appetizers.
This olive dip recipe is yet another delicious way to get all that goodness in my mouth, and I’m a big fan of it. Aside from being completely craveable, this black and green olive dip is:
- Quick & Easy. All you need is 15 minutes to prep a big ol’ bowl of deliciousness.
- Budget-Friendly. A big batch won’t set you back more than $6-7, making it the ideal appetizer for when you’re hosting a party. Every penny counts!
- Perfect for Meal Prep. Whip up a batch whenever you find the time; it’ll keep in the fridge for up to a week!
Ingredients For Creamy Olive Dip
As promised, you only need 8 easy-to-find ingredients to make this tasty olive cream cheese dip. Here’s what to gather:
- Cream Cheese – I’m always a proponent of using full-fat dairy, but you can swap in Neufchatel cheese or plant-based cream cheese if needed.
- Sour Cream – For added richness and a delightful tang. Feel free to swap in plain whole milk Greek yogurt instead.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – You’ll definitely want to use sharp cheese to stand up against the brininess of the olives.
- Green Onions – For a bit of color and piquancy. Feel free to use shallots instead.
- Worcestershire Sauce – For a dash of much-needed umami. You can also swap in soy sauce with a touch of sugar or ketchup, coconut aminos, or fish sauce if needed.
- Canned Sliced Black Olives – I love that they come pre-sliced; all you have to do is open and drain the can!
- Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives – Having the pimentos in the mix adds some sweetness and bright bits of red that make the dip look like confetti.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper – For seasoning.
How To Make Cream Cheese Olive Dip
Be sure to check the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions.
As promised, this olive cream cheese spread comes together in a jiffy. Here’s how it’s done:
- Combine the base. Cream the Cream Cheese & Sour Cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
- Mix. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Taste and season as desired.
- Serve. Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and a few sliced olives. Enjoy!
FAQs
Can capers replace green olives?
While you technically could replace the green olives with capers in this cream cheese olive spread if you wanted, you’d miss out on the sweetness of the pimento peppers if you did.
What can I do with a can of black olives?
Why, make this green and black olive dip, of course! As a bonus, you can use the whole can, so you won’t have any leftovers kicking around in the fridge waiting to be used.
Serving Suggestions + Pairs Well With
One of the great things about this cream cheese and olive spread is how versatile it is. It goes great with:
- Butter crackers
- Pita chips
- Crunchy crostini
- Crusty bread
- As a spread on sandwiches or wraps
- A charcuterie or cheese board
Variations
Since I’m sharing the recipe with you, you know I think this olive cheese dip is pretty much the bee’s knees. That said, there’s always room for customization here at EasyAppetizers.com! Here are a few ways to tweak the recipe to your needs:
- Vegan Olive Dip. Swap in your favorite plant-based cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar shreds for a totally vegan and dairy-free dip!
- Kalamata Olive Dip. If you have a jar of kalamatas that need using, feel free to pit and slice them and use them in place of the canned black olives.
Storage
Any leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Due to the high dairy content, freezing is not suggested.
Expert Tips
Making this cream cheese and olive dip is pretty self-explanatory. That said, I’ve learned a few tricks along the way:
- Make sure your cream cheese is nice and soft. If you’ve ever tried to beat cream cheese with any other ingredients when it’s colder than room temperature, I’m sure you’ve experienced how it has a tendency to resist full incorporation. Let the block sit out overnight to ensure it’s nice and soft so you have a completely uniform base for your dip.
- Feel free to buy pre-shredded cheese to cut back on prep time. Normally, I advocate that you always shred your own cheese because the pre-shredded bagged kind is coated in starch that prevents proper melting. However, since we’re not cooking this olives dip recipe, you needn’t worry about it!
More Savory Dips
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Olive Dip
This Olive Dip is creamy, briney and full of flavor. Made with cream cheese, sour cream, olives, and a few seasonings, it's super simple too!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2.25 ounce sliced black olives canned, drained well and chopped
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pimento stuffed green olives
- Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sour cream with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
- Stir in shredded cheddar, green onions, Worcestershire sauce and olives. Until well combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with fresh black pepper and a few sliced olives.
Notes
- Any leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Due to the high dairy content, freezing is not suggested.
Nutrition
Calories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 11gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 776mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 516IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 312mgIron: 0.4mg
