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A dirty martini dip? Yeah, I said it. I know a dirty martini with gin is a drink, but this cream cheese and olive dip recipe, inspired by the savory classic cocktail, will change your mind. It’s creamy, cheesy, briney, and, yes, a little boozy.
First, you’ll marinate the olives in an olive brine, olive oil, and gin mixture (basically a martini), then whip the cheeses in a food processor until smooth and super creamy. Then you’ll top the luscious whipped cheese with the marinated olives, and voila! You have a delicious and totally unique app that your guests will love. Bonus points for serving it in a martini glass (or two)!
>>> Jump to RecipeDirty Martini Dip Recipe
- 10 ounces cold cream cheese
- 1/2 cup cold sour cream
- 2 ounces blue cheese
- 1 ounce gin, plus more for marinating
- 1 ounce olive brine, plus more for marinating
- 8 ounces martini olives, halved
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Martini Dip Variations
As always, my recipes are totally customizable! Here are a few ideas to try:
Alcohol
A dry London gin is the traditional liquor for martinis for its buttery and juniper-forward flavors. However, if you aren’t a fan of that particular aroma, feel free to use vodka or skip the liquor altogether! If you opt our of the booze, just keep an eye on consistency–you might need to replace it with water!
Spice
If you love your food with a little kick, consider…
- Adding red pepper flakes to the food processor step
- Using an Italian chili oil instead of olive oil
- Sprinkling the finished dip with smoked paprika and/or freshly ground black pepper
- Mixing Calabrian chiles into the marinated olives
- Using all or some chili-stuffed olives
Olives
I use a traditional martini olive (aka Spanish Manzanilla olive), which is a green olive stuffed with pimento. But feel free to try out different flavors or use whatever you have on hand:
- Kalamata: These Greek olives are salty and soft (just be sure to pit them!). They will make a great substitute for Manzanilla if your goal is to keep the same flavor profile
- Castelvetrano: If you’re not a fan of the salty Manzanilla, but don’t want to go quite as mild as a black olive, Italian Castelvetrano are mild and buttery with a faint savory flavor.
- Black olives (aka Mission): These American-grown olives are super mild and not very flavorful. They are my least favorite to use in this dip as their somewhat metallic, grassy flavor doesn’t complement the cheese and oil in quite the same way.
- Stuffed Olives: This is where your taste preferences really come into play! Try Blue Cheese- or Feta-Stuffed olives for this dip.
Learn more about olive varieties and flavors here!
Cheese
If you aren’t a fan of stinky blue cheese, feel free to sub in your favorite savory, crumbly cheese like Feta! (If you want to up the stink-factor, opt for gorgonzola!)
Dairy-Free
If you or your friends are vegan or lactose intolerant, you can absolutely make this dip with dairy-free substitutes, you might just have to adjust the salt and oil content in the recipe to your taste:
Cream Cheese
Sour Cream
Blue Cheese
Low-Fat
To make this dip a tad lighter, swap out the full-fat sour cream and cream cheese for reduced- or low- fat options. You can also add less olive oil to the marinade and the olives and ditch the gin! Just pay attention to texture. With less fat, the dip may end up being a little less thick and “creamy.”
How To Make a Dirty Martini Dip
- In a small bowl, combine the olives, olive oil, a splash of gin, and a splash of olive brine. Toss to combine and marinate until ready to serve.
- In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, blue cheese, gin, olive brine, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy (it’s okay if some blue cheese chunks remain).
- Transfer the dip to a serving plate or shallow bowl and spread into an even layer. Top with the marinated olives and spoon over as much marinade as you like. Serve immediately.
Pro Tip: Taking this dip on the road? Hold off on adding the olives and marinade until ready to serve. Just keep the dip and olives cold!
Dirty Martini Dip Video Tutorial
What To Dip in Martini Dip
- Pita chips
- Pretzel chips
- Bagel chips
- Breadsticks
- Olive oil crackers
- Crostini (See my video tutorial below!)
What To Drink With a Dip with Olives
The most obvious suggestion is a dirty gin martini! But here are some other ideas:
Alcoholic
- Dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre (learn more about wine in my Wine Pairing 101)
- Sparkling wine
- Aperol Spritz
- Gin Negroni
- Gin gimlet
- Gin & Tonic
Non-Alcoholic
- Sparkling or mineral water
Show Me Your Martini Dip
I hope this post inspires you to make this recipe. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful snacks you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.
Dirty Martini Dip with Olives
Description
Ingredients
- 10 oz cold cream cheese
- 1/2 oz cold sour cream
- 2 oz blue cheese
- 1 oz gin plus more for marinating
- 1 oz olive brine plus more for marinating
- 8 oz martini olives halved
- Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the olives, olive oil, a splash of gin, and a splash of olive brine. Toss to combine and marinate until ready to serve.
- In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, blue cheese, gin, olive brine, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy (it’s okay if some blue cheese chunks remain).
- Transfer the dip to a serving plate or shallow bowl and spread into an even layer. Top with the marinated olives and spoon over as much marinade as you like. Serve immediately.
