Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (2024)

  • Cheese Dips
  • Feta Cheese

Versatile whipped feta cheese can be served as a dip, slathered on toasts and sandwiches, dolloped into soups, and more.

By

Daniel Gritzer

Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (1)

Daniel Gritzer

Senior Culinary Director

Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated February 25, 2023

Why It Works

  • Greek yogurt provides a smooth and creamy base for the feta, and has a flavor profile that complements the salty cheese.
  • Passing the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer makes it smoother and silkier.

Feta cheese is many things—salty, tangy, crumbly—all qualities that make it an excellent candidate for a dip or spread. But on its own, feta cheese isn't the least bit spreadable. Luckily, it's easy to change that with ablenderand a few basic ingredients.

Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (2)

The most important ingredient, aside from the feta itself, is what you'll use as the smooth and creamy base. Many recipes for feta dip turn to thick and mild cream cheese or some combo of mayonnaise and sour cream. But I decided to use Greek yogurt instead—not only did I have plenty of the stuff on hand after making several batches ofyogurt from scratch, it's also thick, smooth, and tangy enough to complement the cheese and temper feta's assertive edge.

Making this dip is as simple as combining feta with yogurt in a blender orfood processorand blitzing until it's smooth. (Note: A stand mixer is not able to break down the feta well and shouldn't be used for this purpose.)

Feta is crumbly, so even after lots of blending and processing, it's likely your spread will have a grainy texture. You can leave it like that, or you can pass it through afine-mesh strainerto work out most of those tiny feta bits and improve the texture.

To enrich the spread and layer in a little more Mediterranean flavor, I work in a small amount of olive oil and minced garlic, then season with salt as needed (though feta is salty, so taste the spread before adding salt).

Create Your Own Flavored Feta Dip

Optional ingredients like herbs (mint, oregano, dill); spices (black pepper is a sure bet); and more can be blended in, too. Keep in mind that if you work in wet ingredients, like roasted red peppers,harissa, oroven-dried tomatoes, you'll need to reduce the yogurt to prevent the dip from becoming too thin.

You should also feel free to adjust the ratio of feta to yogurt. Different brands of feta and yogurt have different consistencies, but beyond that, you may prefer a thicker or thinner spread depending on how you plan to serve it. It will thicken more after storing in the refrigerator.

Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (3)

How you use the spread, and whether you think of it as a dip or a spread in the first place, is your choice. Once it's blended to a spreadable consistency, the options are endless.

July 2019

Recipe Details

Whipped Feta Dip Recipe

Prep5 mins

Active5 mins

Total5 mins

Serves16 servings

Makes2 cups

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (225g) feta cheese

  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (6 ounces; 170g)

  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

  1. In a food processor bowl or blender jar, or using a tall and narrow vessel suitable for an immersion blender, combine feta, yogurt, and garlic. Blend or process until very smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Add olive oil and blend until incorporated.

    Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (4)

  2. If desired, pass spread through a fine-mesh strainer for a silkier texture.

    Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (5)

  3. Season with salt, if needed, and pepper, if using, then use as desired.

    Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (6)

Special Equipment

Food processor, blender, or immersion blender; fine-mesh strainer (optional)

Make-Ahead and Storage

The dip can be made up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. It will thicken up after refrigeration; whip in additional Greek yogurt to loosen if necessary.

Read More

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  • Fresh Mint, Feta, and Pistachio Pesto
  • The Best Smooth Hummus
  • Homemade Pita Bread
  • Delicious Dips to Pair With Vegetables, Pita, and More
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
51Calories
4g Fat
1g Carbs
3g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories51
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g5%
Saturated Fat 2g11%
Cholesterol 13mg4%
Sodium 152mg7%
Total Carbohydrate 1g0%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 81mg6%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 24mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Whipped Feta Dip Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my whipped feta dip runny? ›

While it's tempting to continue blending to achieve a completely smooth dip, doing so can damage the protein structure in the cheese and prevent it from holding the air that gives a whipped texture. To fix runny feta dip, simply add more feta cheese and blend until the desired consistency is reached.

What is feta dip made of? ›

All you do is blend feta, cream cheese, a smidge of garlic, lemon zest and olive oil in a food processor, then spread it on a plate and sprinkle/drizzle with toppings. It all just takes a lazy 30 seconds.

How to thicken up feta dip? ›

You'll notice here the consistency of the whipped feta, and it's your chance to thin it out with extra Greek yogurt and olive oil, or thicken it out with extra feta cheese. Keep processing your feta dip until it's fluffy and super creamy, and feel free to taste so you can adjust seasoning.

How to make whipped feta less salty? ›

While many whipped feta recipes use cream cheese or sour cream as the base of the dip, I like to use whole milk Greek yogurt, which is more in line with the Mediterranean way of eating. Greek yogurt balances and tames the saltiness of feta, while lending just enough tang and a smooth texture!

How do you make cheese dip more liquidy? ›

For dips, you'll want to use a tablespoon of cornstarch per pound of cheese, then add at least five ounces of evaporated milk. After that, you can use more evaporated milk to thin out your dip as much as you need.

What liquid does feta sit in? ›

Feta is a white crumbly cheese traditionally made of sheep's or goat's milk. It's cured and stored in brine (a solution of salt dissolved in water), but once opened, it can dry out or spoil quickly. To make it last longer, here's how to make your own brine.

What is the difference between feta and Greek feta? ›

French Feta is made with Lacaune sheep's milk (if you remember, that's the sheep breed used for Roquefort production). It has a softer and creamier texture that Greek Feta and a milder, less tangy flavor (though it's sharper than Israeli Feta).

How to whip feta without a food processor? ›

How Do You Whip Feta Cheese Without A Food Processor?
  1. Soften the Feta. Allow the feta cheese to come to room temperature, as this will make it easier to work with. ...
  2. Combine with Cream Cheese. If you're using cream cheese, blend it with the softened feta in a bowl. ...
  3. Mash and Stir. ...
  4. Add Lemon Juice. ...
  5. Continue Mixing. ...
  6. Season.
Dec 28, 2023

Is feta cheese good for you? ›

While feta cheese provides you with an excellent source of nutrients like calcium and protein, it also contains high amounts of sodium and saturated fat. Feta is lower in fat than many other cheeses, however, and is considered a reasonable option to eat in moderation.

Will cream cheese thicken a dip? ›

Cream cheese can also help to thicken cream-based sauces. It can act as a thickener for salad dressings, dips, and be used as a replacement for mayonnaise. It can also help to thicken pancake batters and be used as a base for cake icing when mixed with butter.

How do you fix watery cheese dip? ›

Flour or cornstarch can both thicken a liquid. In a small separate bowl, mix a tablespoon of either flour or cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cheese sauce until the mixture is smooth. Add the mixture back to the milky cheese sauce, and stir until combined and desired thickness is achieved.

Does feta melt in cheese sauce? ›

The feta cheese melts surprisingly well to create a creamy sauce when you make the cheese sauce from scratch with a roux. There will be small chunks of feta cheese throughout the sauce, but to me, that's half the fun!

Why is my whipped feta watery? ›

Why is my whipped feta dip runny? You probably added too much oil or milk. You can salvage the dip by adding more feta cheese.

Why is my whipped feta grainy? ›

Feta is crumbly, so even after lots of blending and processing, it's likely your spread will have a grainy texture. You can leave it like that, or you can pass it through a fine-mesh strainer to work out most of those tiny feta bits and improve the texture.

Why does my feta taste weird? ›

“So if the product starts to smell yeasty, like proofed bread dough, the product has gone bad.” Harsh, unbalanced flavors: Feta should taste like fresh, mildly tangy dairy. If your feta tastes overly piquant, bitter, rancid, or otherwise unbalanced, it's past its prime.

How do you thicken runny crab dip? ›

What if my cold crab dip is runny? This can happen sometimes when using crab- it just means it didn't get fully drained. No worries, just add a little bit of cream cheese at a time, stirring well each time you add more to check the consistency. When it's what you like, you're golden.

Why is my feta not melting? ›

Feta doesn't melt due to its low pH (~4.7). While the high amounts of acid means calcium is dissolved from the structure, a pH this low causes proteins to interact strongly with each other. Muenster cheese has a moderate moisture content with a good amount of fat and some acidifcation.

References

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