Creamy Whipped Feta Dip
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Similar to htipiti, the salty and tangy Mediterranean mezze spread, this feta dip is fabulous with toasted pita or veggies.
This creamy whipped feta dip is an American riff on htipiti, the salty and tangy Greek feta spread typically served as part of a Mediterranean mezze. It’s super easy to make. You simply combine feta cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon zest, garlic, and spices in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve the dip with sliced vegetables and toasted pita wedges, and garnish it with crushed red pepper flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of olive oil.
What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Whipped Feta Dip
Step-by-Step Instructions
In food processor, combine the feta cheese, sour cream. mayonnaise, lemon zest, garlic, and spices.
Process until smooth.
To make the toasted pita, brush the bread with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Cut into wedges.
Arrange the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.
To toast the sesame seeds for the garnish, simply place them in a small pan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until golden.
Serve the dip drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with crushed red pepper flakes and toasted sesame seeds.
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Creamy Whipped Feta Dip
Similar to htipiti, the salty and tangy Mediterranean mezze spread, this feta dip is fabulous with toasted pita or veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz block feta cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellman's or Duke's
- Zest from 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon, packed)
- 1 small clove garlic, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
For Serving
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Extra virgin olive, for drizzling
- Toasted pita wedges (or pita chips) and/or sliced vegetables
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and use a small spoon to create a swirl on the surface of the dip. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
- MAKE AHEAD: This dip can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will stiffen up in the fridge to a spread-like consistency, so be sure to let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
- To make the toasted pita wedges: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the pita bread on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cut into wedges, then arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted.
- To make the toasted sesame seeds: In a small pan over medium heat, cook the sesame seeds, stirring frequently, until golden, a few minutes. Watch carefully as they are quick to burn.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 137
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 233 mg
- Cholesterol: 26 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
Easy and delicious!
Took this to a party yesterday and it was a huge hit. I substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream and pistachios for the toasted sesame seeds. It is such an easy recipe; I can’t believe I’ve never made it before. The Mr. wants this in the football snacks lineup – high praise indeed!
So easy to make and full of flavor. The saltiness of the feta is really enough salt so I would suggest either not adding salt or be sure it’s truly a pinch if you do. Delicious served with good crackers for dipping!
I made this exactly as stated in the recipe and it is lovely and popular with anyone I shared it with.
Always popular when I bring to cookouts. I like substituting the herbs in the recipe with an equal amount of Za’atar.
I just made this dip for the first time and my husband and I agree that it makes any vegetable taste delicious. I will make this again, for certain. Thanks for the recipe!!
Outstanding! I also served with roasted red peppers and it was a delicious combination – the sweetness of the peppers with the savoriness of the dip,
Another EASY and DELICIOUS recipe by Jenn. This is going on the “make again” list for sure!! I’m glad I toasted the pita bread and didn’t use store bought in the bag. Next time I’ll serve with cukes and peppers too. Love that it can be made ahead of time.
Made this today for a wedding shower! Everyone loved it. Super easy to put together with the help with a food processor. Adding it to my entertaining recipe list, easy to put together and can be made ahead of time. Thanks for another great recipe.
Delicious. I used plain Greek yogurt to replace Mayo and Sour cream. I used crumbled feta because that is what I had on hand and simply stirred the ingredients together by hand using no blender.
Mine also came out gritty. I used 1/2 a block of a 16oz Feta. Wish I halved the recipe, but it sounded like the recipe I was looking for. I processed it so much to get the grit out that the oregano/thyme/dill aren’t even noticeable. Still end up w/grit. I feel like this needs lemon juice. Also think only Feta, SC, and Mayo need to be processed together, and hand mix the other spices in to get a more rustic look perhaps even transforming the flavor. The flavor is kinda lost in the processing. Wish this recipe was ‘the one’, but sadly it’s not.
I am at the airport in Munich returning home from Greece. I had this in Syros 4 nights ago. It was the MOST DELICIOUS THING EVER. I didn’t even eat my entree; just this and garlic naan. Already planned on making this since it was so delicious. But pleasantly surprised to see it here!
The Greeks gave me a different recipe and it’s oh so good…
But will try yours as well!!
I arrive home tonight. I’m making it tomorrow. THAT’S how good feta mousse is!!
Served this for Easter brunch yesterday. Very impressive and delicious. It was served with warm Naan bread and pita chips. I will be making this again and again. Thanks
Super easy and delicious dip, wow! I did make a few modifications: used 1/3 c each of mayo and sour cream, I mellowed the minced garlic in a little bit of fresh lemon juice, and used Aleppo pepper in place of red pepper flakes. It whipped up easily with my immersion blender. It was pretty thin when freshly whipped but firmed up nicely in the fridge. I made it a day ahead of serving it; two parties, two batches, total raves! Thank you for this great recipe!
Easy and delicious! I doubled the recipe (which was unnecessary as it turns out) and used slightly less than the called-for mayo, and used lower fat as it’s what I had on hand. It was a huge success. This will be a go-to for parties. It was great with pretzel thins.
It was delicious. Only suggestion I have is maybe add 1/4-1/2tsp lemon juice. It was really good
Can this be made dairy free? Sub df sour cream, df feta….?
Hi Michelle, Sure, if you can find those products, it should work. Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it with dairy-free options, so not sure if it will impact the taste/texture. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Happy to report back. Ok I used
1’8oz. Df feta
1- 8z df cream cheese
1/2c df sour cream
3- cloves garlic
1/4tsp dried oregano
1/4tsp dried thyme
1/4tsp basil
Whipped it all together in the food processor. So freaking good!!
This is so delicious!! I was trying to find a copycat recipe for the whipped feta served at Aba in Chicago…. This is the closest I can find! I personally prefer the thicker texture like they serve at Aba, so next time I may try decreasing the amount of sour cream + mayo added, but aside from that, the flavor is on point!
Really great , easy dip! Added some lemon juice because I wanted a bit more lemon flavor. Dish is plenty salty from the feta so no need to add more. I loved the idea of the Aleppo pepper and, since I had some, sprinkled it on top. Enough additional flavor without all the heat – and I wanted a red color because it was for a Christmas veggie tray (wreath shape with beans, green peppers, broccoli….white cauliflower and some red cherry tomatoes) Soooooo much better than boring ranch dip!
I’ve made this many times now—it’s my go-to potluck dish!—and it’s alwayssss a hit. I could eat it with a spoon. The only thing I do differently is sub the sour cream for greek yogurt but it turns out perfectly every time!
Hi Jenn,
I just made this in the food processor to hold for Christmas and the consistency looks very smooth but when i taste it there’s a bit of graininess in mine? I processed for a few minutes and I followed the recipe exactly except I had fresh dill on hand so I used fresh instead of dry. Could that be the cause? The flavor is great just thrown off by that grainy texture. Thanks! (FYI several of your recipes will be featured on the table this Christmas–love them!)
Katie
Hi Katie, sorry that you found this to have a bit of a grainy texture. I haven’t heard that before. Is there a chance you may not have processed the mixture enough? Did you buy a block of feta versus crumbled? It also occurred to me that it could be the brand of feta you used as I’ve had different results with different brands. I find that I have good luck with the President brand.
Hi Jenn, I bought a block of feta and I processed for a while. Should I try crumbled next time? I usually buy president crumbled too but bought a block (and it was a different brand) for this recipe. It might just be the brand of feta as you said. Either way I’m eating it– the flavor is great! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
No, I’d stick with the block. And because you stuck to the recipe with the exception of the fresh dill (which wouldn’t have made a difference), the only thing I can think of is the brand of feta you used. I find that based on the brand you buy, the taste and texture can vary a decent amount. Glad you’re enjoying it nevertheless!
do you think you could use goat cheese instead of feta
Sure – I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
This was a disaster for me. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out the consistency of thick salad dressing instead of like hummus. It was too runny to dip crackers so I used cut up veggies, but it wasn’t great.
Just made it and mine is very, very runny, too. Followed recipe exactly, except doubled spiced bc seemed way too bland. Putting in fridge now to see if it helps.
Would veganaise work instead of regular mayonnaise?
I’ve never used veganaise, but if you’ve used it in place of mayo in other things and have liked it, I think it should work. 🙂
This was fantastic! In fact my 24 year old son asked if we could just keep this as a standard in the fridge and yes, we are. Our second batch in four days.
The only things I did differently is I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and in addition to the dried herbs, I added about 2 teaspoons each of fresh oregano and thyme from our garden.
My husband makes salmon croquettes with fresh salmon and sautéed bell pepper and the two together are sublime.
Do you think I could leave out the mayonnaise?
Hi Kelly, So glad this was a hit! I wouldn’t just omit the mayo, but you could replace it with something; I think cream cheese or cottage cheese would be your best bet.
This dip is outstanding. Apart from the pita chips, I often serve it in the summer with cold, cooked fingerling potatoes, split in half lengthways. It’s a delicious combination and with black Kalamata olives on the side, it looks fabulous too.
Good recipe but I am not a mayo lover and I distinctly tasted it when thoroughly mixed. I had to add cream cheese to try and get rid of the Mayo taste. I also added a little lemon juice and a drop of honey! That helped it. I will make again with these modifications. Thank you for the recipe
OH. MY. GOODNESS. This is THE best dip.
I didn’t allow enough time for it to thicken, but that didn’t stop anyone from enjoying it. My 13 y/o granddaughter used a “drip” plate.
I can also see using it as a salad dressing. It’s even better the next day.
Truly a keeper.
fantastic! i love it as a dip or as a topping for gyros or chicken shawarma recipes!
Has anyone used Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream and mayonnaise to add some protein to it?
Hi Heidi, you can definitely replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt. I’d recommend sticking with the mayo for the smoothest taste as using all Greek yogurt will make the dip a lot tangier. If you’d like, you could use 3/4 cup Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup mayo. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with that combo!
I have made this twice and it was a huge hit both times. The first time I served with toasted pita bread and hummus and olives. It
Made a beautiful mini mezza platter.
This will be one of my regulars from here on out.
It is soooo delicious! I made it today to be served tomorrow, and I pray there will some left to serve my guests. I’m never disappointed with any of your recipes. Thank you!
I struggle to find appetizer ideas so was happy to find this when I had a gathering to bring something to. Even if its my first time making one of Jennifer’s recipes before, I KNOW it will always turn out well, and this is no exception! It is so easy to make and yet full of flavour- it was a winner! Like some other comments, my feta was salty enough as is so I didn’t need to add the salt that’s in the ingredients list. I also added about a teaspoon of lemon juice for extra zest. I’ll definitely be making this again!
This dip is fantastic and so easy to make! I used it on a charcuterie board and then stuffed grilled mini peppers with it. Great recipe!
This dip was absolutely fantastic. I made it a second time and added roasted red peppers & it was the most amazing thing ever! My family could not decide which version they liked better – so I’ll just continue making both! Thank you!
great dip, probably wont add the salt again because the feta I used was already salted.
This was so good! Will make again and again 🙂
How long would you suggest it lasts?
Glad you like it! It will last in the fridge for about 3 days.
Going to make tonight. Thoughts on fresh herbs vs dried ?
Hi Tina, You could honestly do either – whatever you have on hand is fine. Enjoy!
Loved the taste! I plan to also use as salad dressing, it’s that good.
I am a sucker for all things feta, and this dip did not disappoint! A perfect appetizer on a warm evening. My only suggestion would be to taste the dip before adding the salt. Mine did not need any as my feta was very salty on it’s own. Served with pita chips – my guests were scraping the bottom of the bowl to get every last bit of this dip!
Hi Jenn – I made this feta dip as a starter for a lamb chop dinner – it is FANTASTIC!! Thank you for another excellent recipe! Flavors are great and the make ahead option was such a help. Lee Mc
BURSTING WITH FLAVOR! My 72-year old “pinkies up” aunt wiped the bowl clean with her fingers after finishing the pita wedges. Wow! Intense lemon burst! One of the most flavorful and universally loved dips for people of all ages. I made it as specified. For the best flavor, use REAL feta — the kind that comes in salt brine (available at Whole Foods too). This dip is equally outstanding with toasted pita wedges and with crudités. Thank you Jenn for another amazing recipe that brings together friends and family!
Easy pleasy lemon squeezy. Made it tonight unadulterated and so nice on a warm night. Keto friendly dip but drizzled over a cold salmon salad. Another winner.
Just made this for tomorrow to serve as an appetizer with veggies and naan chips. It’s absolutely awesome! I only had 5% sour cream and it worked just fine. I left the salt out until I mixed it all up as the feta I used was in brine which is salty in and of itself. Glad I waited as it doesn’t need any added salt. Before using the feta I drained it on paper towels until quite dry then crumbled with a fork. I used my ancient food processor to whirl it all up and it has quite a few small lumps which I really like. Love, absolutely love, the hint of lemon – it gives the dip a ‘brightness’.
I made ‘chips’ from some too-long-in-the-freezer naan bread that I split open, brushed with olive oil mixed with Caesar seasoning, and baked in the oven until crisp. Will serve the feta dip with the ‘chips’ and raw veggies and expect all will be devoured tomorrow!
Thank you for another awesome recipe Jenn.
Very flavourful
Absolutely loved! I served mine in a shallow dish and top with honey!!! Incredible
Totally delicious! I made it as-is except I added a bit of lemon juice and less zest, plus did nonfat Greek yogurt instead of the mayonnaise for a bit less fat. It was so tasty with crudités and pita. I might try it with fresh dill next time (I think mine was old and didn’t add much taste). An immersion blender got it nice and lightly whipped, with less cleanup than a food processor or blender. Thank you for a great recipe.