Baked Feta Dip with Cherry Tomatoes
This baked feta dip recipe is the perfect summer appetizer! This easy dip features creamy feta, burst cherry tomatoes, olives and basil.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 27, 2024
Have you tried the baked feta pasta that took the internet by storm earlier this year? That simple recipe inspired this delicious summer dip, which features some of my very favorite flavors—creamy feta, tangy cherry tomatoes, olives and plenty of fresh basil.
Baking these ingredients together near the heat source yields maximal flavor. The feta softens and turns golden, the cherry tomatoes burst and naturally sweeten, and the olives become even more intensely olive-y. Swirled together and finished with a generous sprinkle of basil, the combination is sublime.
This dish also bears a resemblance to a classic Greek dish called feta fournou, or baked feta. That dish typically features feta with bell pepper, tomato and oregano.
The flavors in today’s dip are also delicious raw, as you’ve seen in my Mediterranean Tomato & Feta Dip—make that one if you don’t want to turn on the oven! Either one will be a perfect light meal or summer evening appetizer.
Baked Feta Dip Ingredients
You’ll need four key ingredients to make this simple dip:
Feta
This recipe is designed for a block of feta, not pre-crumbled feta. As a plus, blocks of feta are more affordable per ounce. Blocks of feta vary in size by brand—anywhere between 5 to 8 ounces will suffice. The block used for these photos was 5 ounces. If your block is on the upper end, your dip will be more cheesy, creamy and substantial than shown here.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Either one will do. These little tomatoes typically offer nice, ripe flavor even when tomatoes aren’t in season. Under high heat, they burst in the oven and release their juices. The end result is just delicious.
Garlic
We’ll simply peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole. They’ll soften and mellow as the tomato juice bubbles around them. Before serving, we’ll find each of the cloves and smash it against the side of the dish with a fork before stirring it all together. This method is the easiest way to incorporate the garlic and yields the nicest flavor.
Kalamata Olives (optional)
I love Kalamata olives in this dish, but olives aren’t for everyone, so you can certainly skip them to suit your taste buds. The olives shrivel up a bit as they bake, which yields extra-delicious, condensed flavor.
Fresh Basil
After baking, we’ll sprinkle the dish all over with fresh basil to bring it to life. Enjoy!
More Summertime Appetizers to Enjoy
Here are a few more delicious dips and appetizers featuring ripe summer produce:
- Caponata
- Epic Baba Ganoush
- Classic Pico de Gallo
- Fresh Corn Salsa
- Spicy Red Pepper & Feta Dip
- Tomato Basil Bruschetta with Balsamic Drizzle
Baked Feta Dip with Cherry Tomatoes
This baked feta dip recipe is the perfect summer appetizer! This easy dip features creamy feta, burst cherry tomatoes, optional olives and basil. Recipe yields about 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 block (5 to 8 ounces) feta cheese*
- 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
- 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise and pitted (optional)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
- For serving: Crostini or baked pita wedges or crackers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Place the feta in the center of a two-quart baking dish. Place the garlic, tomatoes, and optional olives around the feta, in that order. Then drizzle the olive oil all over the mixture. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, if using, and several twists of pepper.
- Bake for 20 minutes on the upper third, then place the dish on a heat-safe surface. Gently stir the tomatoes around the feta and tuck the garlic cloves back down to the bottom of the dish.
- Return the dish to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the tomatoes are juicy and shriveling and the feta is turning somewhat golden.
- Remove the dish from the oven. Carefully, using a fork, find each of the four garlic cloves and smash each one against the side of the pan. Gently swirl the feta and tomatoes together—not enough to make the dish completely uniform, but to more evenly distribute the ingredients. Taste, and add a pinch of salt if desired (the dish is usually plenty salty for me when made with olives, but without them you may prefer a bit of additional salt).
- Sprinkle all over with fresh basil. Serve warm, with crostini or pita wedges on the side. Leftovers keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Gently reheat before serving.
Notes
Recipe inspired by the famous baked feta pasta dish.
*Feta note: Using a block of feta is key to this dish’s success. If it’s packed in water, drain it well before using. Blocks of feta vary in weight depending on the brand—any size between about 5 to 8 ounces will work. If your block is on the upper end of the spectrum, your dish will be more cheesy and creamy than shown here (nothing wrong with that!).
Make it gluten free: The dip itself is gluten free. Simply serve it with gluten-free accompaniments, like your favorite gluten-free crackers.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi Kate, this looks great! Do you think it would work with larger garden tomatoes (chopped)? We have an abundance in the garden and this seems like a yummy way to use them up!
Hi Emily, the burst tomatoes are really what help send this dip over the edge. I’m just not sure you will get the same result. Sorry!
Bonjour,
this was delicious!
Out of the oven on baguette, a dollop on a portobello mushroom burger or cold leftovers on bread as a late night snack. I love greek salad and have been looking for other ways to eat feta. Next up I will try this on pasta!
Wishing you happiness, prosperity and continued good health.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers
Thank you so much, Di!
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes! Making a Mediterranean inspired meal for friends on Sunday and plan on using this recipe. Already made your Creamy Hummus today. Hope we don’t eat it all before our guests get here! Ha ha! Good luck with your new arrival and praying for your brother to get through his health issues! Best! Kaaren
I hope it’s a it! Thank you for commenting, Kaaren.
Do you think this would work on a BBQ? I am going on a girls camping trip and would love to bring this.
Hi Kellie, I’m not sure if it will or not. Having it close to the heat source helps, but I didn’t test it. If you try it, let me know!
Hello I get your newsletter don’t know how I missed this yummy dish but if my daughter isn’t a fan of feta what might be a good substitute ( sometimes feta can be a bit tangy for her )
Thank you
Kay
Hi Kay, I haven’t tried it with something else and not sure another cheese will return the same result. Possibly goat cheese, but I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
Thank you I did do a little research and I did see where feta made with 70% sheeps /goats milk can be mellower then a feta that might be made from cows milk. I did find a feta that said goats milk and was wonderful.
Kay ( lol lol I did have to go to a couple different grocery stores to find it even in the specialty cheese areas alot of stores dont have it )
I’m glad you found something that works for you!
We loved the dip, but when we reheated it, the feta didn’t stay creamy-it got somewhat chunky again. Suggestions?
Hi Kay, you could try to reheat stove top or back in the oven? It may not reheat quite as well.
We made this tonight and shared it with our neighbor (aka: guinea pig). We also made your crostini. We polished the whole thing off along with a bottle of Chardonnay and it was superb!! Thanks for all you do.
God bless you and your family during the troubles you’ve had recently. You’re starting to rival Job. Keep the faith.
Sounds delicious! thank you for sharing, Lou.
This was so delicious and easy, thank you.
Made this up Friday and did not bake until Saturday, it was sooooooo good! This dip is so customizable, I will add more garlic next time and more red pepper flakes. I used generic organic feta but I’m going to experiment with a stronger more authentic feta. I only had Thai basil and did not think it would work, I will sprinkle fresh basil next time. Leftovers would go great stuffed in an omelet if you are an egg eater!
Thank you for sharing, Trex!
This is so simple and insanely good! We had an abundance of tomatoes from our garden so this recipe worked perfectly. Will be adding this one to our rotation of fav recipes!
I’m glad you loved it, Amy! Thank you for your review.
A friend gifted me part of her cherry tomato surplus so I knew I needed to make this recipe after really liking the TikTok pasta version. I used the full 8 oz of feta. It was delicious. I served with toast slices. Plus it was sooo easy to make. Definitely recommend.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Rachel! I appreciate your review.
You’ve made my life richer and more joyful with your recipes. I hope you find peace and joy in this difficult, exciting, and important time for you and your family. Much love from across the internet and the world.
You’re so kind, Lisa! Thank yo for your comment.
It turned out terrible. Too runny, not a nice flavor, might be better with a mix of cream cheese and mozerella. Would NOT MAKE AGAIN
Hi Lyn, I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe.
Delicious! I made it with jarred garlic and cherry tomatoes from our garden and it was so good! Will definitely make again
That’s great, Ellie! Thank you for your review.
Yesterday I tried a very similar recipe – I just did not add olives. I don’t like them. I have seen this recipe on TikTok and I decided to try because it looks so easy and does not require super-hard-to-get ingredients, just simple cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. I have few seedlings of tomatoes growing on my balcony so I used them for this recipe. I have particularly this one: https://gardenseedsmarket.com/cherry-tomato-mixed-seeds-lycopersicon-esculentum.html but I have used just red tomatoes. And it turned out very delicious!
good evening all,
thankuu …sharing your delicious recipes! Making a Mediterranean inspired meal for friends on Sunday and plan on using this recipe. Already made your Creamy Hummus today. Hope we don’t eat it all before our guests get here! Ha ha! Good luck with your new arrival and praying for your brother to get through his health issues! Best!
Great recipe, tasty, fancy, and easy. I had a bit left over, and mixed it into some steel-cut oats with an egg on top and some steamed broccoli for breakfast the next day. Also excellent on a bagel!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Julia! I appreciate your review.
I just bought your book after trying recipes on your feed, thank you.
You’re welcome, Carole! I appreciate your review.
Best, Quick and Tasty Appetizer!!! OMG!! so delish! Thank you, Kate! This was brilliant!!!!!
Thank you, Kath! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Incredibly delicious and so easy to make. Guests ask for the recipe every time I serve it!
That’s great, Nancy! Thank you for sharing.
I made it this weekend. I’m not sure I used all the tomatoes called for, but I will use more next time. I used Murrays (found at Mariano’s) feta cheese made from sheeps milk. It’s very good. My guests really liked the dip. I will definitely make it again. thanks.
Very nice saganaki recipe chef . Thank you for your effort . You can use hard ricotta cheese, or fresh ricotta but you have to use it after you have bake the tomatoes have way, also a hallumi cheese
This was amazing!!! It didn’t look too good but the taste was out of this world. So glad my picky hubs got past the looks lol
This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten. And I’ve eaten a lot of really good things and I’m a fairly good cook. This is my favorite. I think everyone should know about this.
I wasn’t sure about this recipe but I had all the ingredients so I thought I’d give it it a try. Oh my! This is so amazingly delicious I can’t wait to make it for friends. You have taken me out of my comfort zone many times but I’ve NEVER been disappointed. I love your stories and your recipes. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you tried it, Karen! I appreciate you sharing your review.
Phenomenal Appetizer that everyone loves!! I have served it four times over the past two months and it is a big hit. Very easy to make!!
I’m glad you loved it, Nancy! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate! Do you think this recipe would taste good with mint instead of basil? I’ve already made it once with basil and it was awesome! But now I have so much mint to use and I wonder if the tomato, feta and mint flavors would work together.
Thanks!
I don’t know about mint in this one. You could just omit it. My Fresh Mint Dressing would be a great way to use extra mint!
This dip is a favorite of ours especially when we have guests over. I have made it numerous times and get rave reviews!
I’ve made this now about a million times and bring it to every party, bbq, etc to rave reviews. Delish!!! And super easy.
Hi Kate,
I would like to make this for a dinner party on Sunday but I could only get cubed feta. Do you think this can be made with the cubes or will they tend to burn?
Thank you so much, I love your recipes!
Josie
You could try it. Let me know what you did and how it turned out, Josie!
Kate, this is fantastic! It’s even better than another baked feta recipe I have made multiple times from another favorite blogger (wink, wink). I love how the tomatoes, olives and garlic are all mixed in with the creamy feta!
I’m glad you love it! Thank you for sharing.
This was a delicious way to use up a crop of cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden.
Fresh garden produce is the best! Thank you for sharing, Jeanne.
So delicious and easy to assemble!!! We all loved it! I will make it again soon! Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes
You’re welcome, Cindy! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate,
Do you think this recipe would work with vegan cream cheese instead of feta? My son is vegan and coming to dinner Saturday.
Thank you,
Linda
This came out so good! I served it with homemade falafels and pitas!
Can’t stop eating it!
Love all your recipes! Always come out great and delicious.
Great to hear, Meena!
Just wondering if anyone has tried this substituting the feta with cotija? Making a Mexican meal (Kate’s esquite included) and will already have cotija on hand…
I have made this before with the feta and everyone has LOVED it!
Karen
Great to hear, Karen! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate,
I can’t wait to try your recipe tomorrow. Can this be made in the oven with BBQ ribs cooked at 300 degrees? I will plan on taking longer, but I wonder if the tomatoes will pop. Thanks for sharing all your ideas and recipes.
Hi Susan, did you end up trying it? The high heat is what causes them to pop.
I did make it, but cooked it at the higher temp that you recommended as I figured it needed to be hotter for the tomatoes to open up. It was a wonderful dip! Gone in minutes!! So easy to make! Thank you!!
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
How do you reheat
Hi Marsha, you can microwave or heat in the oven at 300F.
Delicious!! We loved it.