Green Olive Dip is one of those appetizers that sounds simple until you're on your fourth chip at a party and wondering why you can't stop. The pimento-stuffed olives, cream cheese, and a splash of brine come together into something brighter and saltier and more interesting than a five-ingredient recipe has any right to be.
What makes this different:
Blending pimento-stuffed green olives into cream cheese with a splash of the jar brine makes for a tangy, salty, rich dip that's genuinely hard to stop eating. Most versions skip the brine, which is why they taste flat. This is my most-requested chip dip and it genuinely converts people who swear they don't like green olives. Plan for a 2-hour chill before serving. The garlic mellows as it sits, so making it the night before actually makes it better.
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Five Star Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What an awesome and flexible dip. We use it as a chip dip, bagel spread and used on hamburgers for olive burgers. Simple and easy to make. Thanks for sharing Lisa!"
- Paul
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese : Softened cream cheese blends smooth in the food processor; cold cream cheese leaves lumps no amount of processing will fix. Set it out 30 to 60 minutes before you start.
- Mayonnaise: This lightens the texture. Without it the dip can feel dense and heavy. I use regular mayo here, though light mayo works with a slightly thinner result.
- Onion powder: Adds savory background depth without any raw onion bite. Don't swap this for fresh onion; the texture won't work in a food processor dip.
- Garlic powder: Start with half a teaspoon. The garlic flavor is sharp right out of the gate and mellows considerably after two hours in the fridge. I usually end up at a full teaspoon once the dip has chilled, but taste first.
- Green olives with pimento: Pimento-stuffed green olives (Manzanilla style) are what you want here. They're briny, slightly tangy, and the pimento adds a subtle sweetness. Black olives will change the flavor profile significantly. They're not a substitute I'd recommend.
- Olive brine: This is the ingredient that makes the whole dip. Add it a tablespoon at a time until you hit your preferred consistency and saltiness. Don't skip it. The dip tastes noticeably flat without it.
Instructions
Blend the Base
Add the softened cream cheese and mayonnaise , onion powder and garlic powder to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. The mixture should look like thick whipped cream with no lumps.
Add the olives
Drain the olives (save the brine) and add them to the food processor. Pulse until the olives are roughly chopped and distributed throughout. You want visible pieces, not a smooth green paste.
Adjust and Chill
With the processor running, add olive brine one tablespoon at a time until the dip reaches your preferred consistency. I usually use two to three tablespoons total, but brine saltiness varies by brand, so taste as you go.
Chill for at least two hours before serving.
My best Tips
- Soften the cream cheese or the texture will fight you. Cold cream cheese doesn't blend into the mayo. It stays in chunks instead of becoming smooth and creamy. Set it out 30 to 60 minutes before you start. If you forgot, unwrap the blocks and microwave them for 15 to 20 seconds. That's usually enough.
- Start with half the garlic powder, then taste after chilling. Half a teaspoon feels like nothing when you first blend it in. After two hours in the fridge, it's a completely different story: mellower, more integrated, and noticeably stronger than it tasted fresh out of the processor. I've over-garlicked this more than once by adjusting before the chill. Add half, refrigerate, taste, then decide.
- Pulse the olives. Don't blend them. The best version of this dip has visible olive pieces throughout. Run the processor too long and you'll get a smooth, uniform green spread that loses its texture contrast. Short pulses, then check. You're done sooner than you think.
- Add the brine one tablespoon at a time. The saltiness of olive brine varies by brand, and the dip can go salty fast. Add a tablespoon, taste, repeat. You're looking for something that scoops cleanly onto a chip without tearing it or running off.
- Make it the day before. The flavors get noticeably better overnight. The garlic mellows, the brine integrates, and the whole thing tastes more cohesive. If you're making this for a party, the night-before version is the better one.
FAQs
No. Chop the olives fine with a knife, then beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise together with a hand mixer until smooth. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, olives, and brine by hand. It takes a few more minutes but works well.
The garlic flavor is sharp and a little harsh right out of the food processor. Two hours in the fridge gives it time to mellow and integrate with the brine and cream cheese. The rest time also lets the flavors distribute evenly throughout the dip. It's not just about temperature. The dip genuinely tastes different (and better) after chilling.
Potato chips work especially well and they hold up well under a generous scoop. A sturdy cracker (Triscuit or a butter cracker) works too. If you're building out an appetizer spread, celery sticks and cucumber slices are good alongside. The freshness balances the richness of the dip. This is also a natural fit on a charcuterie board. Put it in a small bowl and let it anchor the whole spread.
Make ahead and storage
Make this up to 24 hours ahead. It honestly tastes better the next day. Store covered in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days. The texture can start to get a little watery past that as the ingredients separate slightly. Give it a stir before serving if it's been sitting for more than a day.
Do not freeze this dip. Cream cheese and mayo don't freeze well and the texture turns grainy when thawed.
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Recipe
Green Olive Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 ounces green olives with pimento drained (save the brine)
- 3 tablespoons olive brine optional
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Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese and mayonnaise in the bowl of a food processor Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened, ½ cup mayonnaise
- Add the onion powder and garlic powder. Pulse to combine.1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Drain the olives and add them to the food processor. Pulse until olives are roughly chopped and distributed. You want visible pieces, not a smooth paste6 ounces green olives with pimento
- With the processor running, add olive brine one tablespoon at a time until the dip reaches your preferred consistency. Taste and add more garlic powder if desired.3 tablespoons olive brine
- Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Cream cheese must be softened. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps. Set it out 30-60 minutes ahead, or microwave unwrapped for 15-20 seconds.
- Start with ½ teaspoon garlic powder. The flavor intensifies as the dip chills. Taste after 2 hours, then adjust.
- Pulse the olives. Don't blend. Short pulses keep the texture chunky. Over-processing gives you a smooth green paste.
- Add brine to taste. Saltiness varies by brand. Add one tablespoon at a time.
- Make ahead: Best made the night before. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- No food processor: Chop olives fine, beat cream cheese and mayo with a hand mixer until smooth, then stir in remaining ingredients by hand.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Renee says
When u say 6 oz of olives, do u mean 6 oz after its drained or before. Thank u!
The recipe is pretty forgiving you can do it either way. I usually do 6 ounces after it’s drained but I always have a jar of open green olives in my house. Just be sure to drain the brine before you add them!
Dana Ryan says
Awesome and easy!
Lisa Caldwell says
I made this yesterday evening, it’s absolutely amazing!
Thank you!! It's a family favorite! I have some in the fridge right now!
Annette says
I have been using this recipe for over 40 years.....I only put in a teaspoon of olive juice brine but add milk to get the right consistency....(must be the Dairy girl in me!)... I also cut the olive pieces ahead of time and fold it into the creamy mixture after using my hand mixer...Yummmy
Susan says
Do you think it would be a recipe I could make with Vege cream cheese? It sounds delicious
I've never made it with vege cream cheese so I can't speak to how it would taste. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out! It's a pretty forgiving recipe!
Jett Perry says
It is 1000% true that the hardest part about this recipe is waiting the 2 hours to eat it. I didn't wait the first time and the garlic flavor was too strong (I had to try some cooking tricks to get the garlic flavor to mellow quickly). While my family was kind, tried it & said it was "okay", they did not eat more than a teaspoonful each (I had to take the rest home). So, I resolved to wait the full 2 hours before serving, and the family loved it! The dip was gone long before the end of the party (and some attendees even ask for the recipe).
That’s happened to me before as well. It’s amazing how much the garlic flavor mellows after a few hours. Glad you waited the two hours and tried again! It’s always a party favorite around here!
Gail says
Dies this freeze well?
Hi Gail, I have never tried freezing this so can't speak to it. Please let me know if you try it and how it turns out.