Creamy Whipped Feta

Salty and velvety smooth, seasoned with pantry herbs and spices, Creamy Whipped Feta will satisfy all of your snack cravings. Smear it on crackers and bread, or use it as a dip with veggies or pita. For even more flavour, be sure to toast the pine nuts first!

Is Creamy Whipped Feta a dip? Or is it a spread? Truth be told, it can be either one of those things. The only thing that matters is that it is delicious and so easy to make. Break out your food processor! Snack time begins in about fifteen minutes!

We love dips and spreads in our home. In fact, many of the ones we eat often have been shared with you here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen. Have you tried my Chili Cheese Dip, or my Baked Goat Cheese in Marinara Sauce? Those are two of our favourite baked dips.

SOMETIMES A RECIPE IS SO GOOD, EVERYONE LOVES IT!

This recipe won the foodie hearts of all three of us. Usually, I’m more a fan of baked dips, but in this particular case, it was love at first taste. John.e is pretty easy to please when it comes to food. So, I wasn’t worried about him liking this dip. McKenna, on the other hand, is very picky. In all honesty, I think she was easier to feed when she was a vegetarian!

She threw in the towel on her vegetarian diet about eight months ago, and since then, feeding her has become a chore rather than a pleasure. We all know that teenagers like to eat – a lot! – and you also know that I love nothing more than to feed people. Well, the last few months have been quite challenging, because either her tastes are developing or she’s experiencing the terrible twos at the age of sixteen.

When I prepare recipes like this Creamy Whipped Feta, with the sole purpose of photographing the plated version for a recipe post, I tend to do so when I’m home alone. This particular recipe was prepared on Sunday morning and everyone was home. If they’re home, once the pictures are done, I’ll hand over the food to whomever is hungry at the time. This particular dish was a hit with McKenna and she gobbled up a heaping ramekin full with naan bread for her lunch.

By the end of the day on Monday, the whole container of whipped feta had disappeared. Nothing makes me happier than when a recipe is loved so much that people just cannot help but continue to eat it. That, my Dear Reader, is one of the best feelings in the world for a food blogger!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Feta – The saltiness in feta can vary greatly from brand to brand, so use a feta that you are used to eating. Crumbled feta works best in this recipe.
• Sour Cream – This dip is indulgent, so use full fat sour cream.
• Mayonnaise – Just like the sour cream, use full fat for best results. Low fat options tend to be looser, meaning that you might end up with a runnier dip.
• Seasonings: Garlic Powder, Dried Dill, Onion Powder, Dried Oregano, Dried Thyme, Black Ground Pepper, and Paprika.
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – These are optional, but I think the dip is much better with a little bit of heat.
• Pine Nuts – See the notes below on pine nuts. I have included alternatives, because pine nuts can be quite costly.
• Parsley

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY WHIPPED FETA

This is one of those recipes that relies heavily on a food processor. A good, long puree in the food processor will make the feta creamy while adding air to it to make it lighter and fluffier. Once the pine nuts are toasted, the rest is quite easy to be honest. Here’s how to do it!

Get all of the ingredients (in the order listed) to a blender. Do not add the pine nuts! Pop the lid on your food processer and blend on high for two to three minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove the mixture from blender and transfer it to a bowl. Set aside a tablespoon of the pine nuts, but stir the rest into the whipped feta.

Garnish with parsley, the remaining pine nuts, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve immediately or chill for one hour.

BEWARE OF SALT!

Now, as you know, feta can be quite salty. That’s why I did not add any salt to this recipe. Mayonnaise is salty too, so the sour cream is definitely needed to balance out the saltiness. If I were preparing this dish for myself, I would have certainly increased the amount of dried red chili flakes. I think this dip could certainly hold up well to more spiciness.

Okay, two cups of feta can easily set you back a good ten to twenty dollars depending on the type of feta you buy. But, it’s the pine nuts that are the most costly ingredient in this dish. If you need to save money and would like to substitute the pine nuts, I would recommend coarsely chopped macadamia nuts. Macadamias have a similar waxy texture, but are a little bit firmer.

PINE NUTS

I use pine nuts often in my recipes, so I will buy a large bag at Costco. The bag costs about $40, but it will last a long time. Pay attention to the expiry date before you purchase and buy one that expires in a year or two from now.

Once you open the package of pine nuts, avoid placing your hand in the bag. Carefully pour out the amount you need. To keep the pine nuts fresh and from spoiling, the less contamination the better! Seal the bag and keep the bag in your fridge. It will last for months!

If you want to use a substitute, I would recommend slivered almonds, chopped hazel nuts, or even macadamia. The taste might be slightly different, but you want to mimic the texture of the pine nuts. Any of these substitutes, or the pine nuts themselves, will not need to be toasted first. And, you should buy the unsalted versions.

YOU MUST TOAST YOUR NUTS!

Whatever you do, do not skip the toasting part! Toasting the pine nuts (or macadamia) is vital. The flavour intensifies so much and tastes so much better. It’s as simple as that. When you toast the nuts, do yourself a favour and stay close to the pan. Nuts can burn so easily and so quickly. It would be a shame to waste expensive pine nuts by burning them.

This recipe makes a decent amount of dip/spread. By all means, if it’s too much for you, go ahead and half the ingredients. It will make no difference at all to the end result. But, I assure you, this tastes so good and is so addictive. You will have no problems finishing off the entire amount. The prepared Creamy Whipped Feta will keep for 3-4 days in a food-safe container with a tight fitting lid. Keep in the fridge.

I have to say, I enjoyed the dip best after it sat in the fridge for a few hours. I think the ingredients married together and it just tasted more like a cohesive recipe. To serve, warm some thinly sliced baguette and some naan bread, and pile them around the bowl of dip. Crackers and corn chips are also really good with this. Happy snacking, Dear Reader!

STORING CREAMY WHIPPED FETA

You can help Creamy Whipped Feta stay fresh longer by storing it in your refrigerator. Once you take out what you need, get it back into the fridge rather than allowing it to sit at room temperature. The dip should be stored in a tightly closed container to keep out moisture and other contaminants. For a long-term option, this dip freezes really well and defrosts overnight in the refrigerator. So, if you make too much or even make a double batch, you have the option to freeze some of it.

This dip will keep in the fridge for about five days. Although not a perfect test, your nose is usually the most reliable instrument! Feta that has turned bad will have a sour smell. If it smells sour, it will taste sour too, so don’t eat it. Since feta is a brined and preserved cheese, manufacturers will use preservatives that keep their product fresh for a longer period to time, but when you open the package and handle the feta with your hands, that preservation is damaged. You probably have nothing to worry about – it’s so good, you’ll eat it all up in no time anyway!