These Rosemary Cream Cheese Fried Stuffed Olive Bites are the perfect holiday appetizer! Buttery Castelvetrano olives are stuffed with an herby cream cheese mixture then breaded and fried to golden, crispy perfection — making for a crispy, creamy, salty snack that pairs perfectly with a chilled martini or crisp glass of wine.

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Rosemary Cream Cheese Fried Stuffed Olive Bites

Okay, I have something to admit. I don’t really understand the obsession that many people have with Trader Joe’s. That said, every holiday season they come out with a handful of novelty items that grab a hold of my attention and continue to have a chokehold on me until said item locked away for another year only to emerge the following holiday season – and one of those items are their deep-fried stuffed olives. I’ve been seeing these darn olives all over my social media and being the olive-lover that I am, I knew immediately that I had to try them! Fast forward and here I am sharing my version of fried stuffed olive bites! So grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’!

What You Need to Make Rosemary Cream Cheese Fried Stuffed Olive Bites

Olives, vegan cream cheese, and fresh herbs are pretty much all it takes for you to make this delicious and addicting appetizer! Here’s everything you need to make it:

• Olives: I like to use castelvetrano olives – they’re mild and buttery, and in my opinion not overly salty – making for the perfect vessel to stuff with herby cream cheese. Make sure you get them already pitted, unless you have an olive pitter!
• Vegan cream cheese: there are tons of brands that are widely accessible nowadays! Some of my favorite include Tofutti, Kite Hill, and Violife, but feel free to use any brand you love!
• Fresh Herbs: Rosemary, fresh lemon zest, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper are combined with the vegan cream cheese for a super flavorful and herby filling!
• Dredging station: non-dairy milk, flour, and vegan-friendly Italian-style panko breadcrumbs. I prefer to use panko breadcrumbs because they yield in a much crispier olive than regular breadcrumbs That said, if you can’t find Italian-style panko breadcrumbs, you can get plain panko breadcrumbs and simply season them with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning.
• Oil: for frying. If you prefer to air-fry these olives, you can absolutely do so, and instructions on how to air fry them are listed in the FAQs section of this blog post.

How to Make Rosemary Cream Cheese Fried Stuffed Olive Bites

These delicious little bites are totally worth the effort! Put on your favorite movie or holiday playlist and just vibe out while you’re filling them! Here’s how to make them!

1. Stuff the Olives

Place the cream cheese, lemon zest rosemary, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and carefully stuff each of the olives with the filling. Set aside. 

2. Bread the Olives

Set up a dredging station with three shallow bowls. Place the milk in the first bowl. In the second bowl, whisk together the flour, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Place the breadcrumbs in the third bowl. Double coat the olives by first dipping them into the milk, then into the flour, then back into the milk, then into the breadcrumbs – ensuring they’re fully coated during each step of the coating process. Place the coated olives on a parchment paper lined plate and pop them into the freezer so the filling can solidify a bit, about 20 to 30 minutes. 

3. Fry the Olives

Place the oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough – you’ll know when you sprinkle some breadcrumbs into the oil and it begins to sizzle immediately – fry the olives in batches until golden and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the olive to a paper-towel lined planed and continue to work in batches until they’re all fried.

4. Serve and Enjoy!

Serve immediately with marinara sauce, fresh lemon wedges, and fresh parsley. ENJOY!

FAQs

Can I air-fry these Rosemary Cream Cheese Fried Stuffed Olive Bites instead of deep-frying them?

While these are best deep-fried, you can certainly air-fry them instead. To do so, place the coated olives in an even layer in your air-fryer basket and spray the tops with cooking spray. Air fry at 400°F until golden and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Can I use another type of olive besides castelvetrano?

While I highly recommend castelvetrano olives because of their larger size and mild, buttery flavor, you can certainly use any variety. I recommend using a varietal that’s larger in size, such as Cerignola or large black olives. Additionally, unless you have an olive pitter, make sure to get pitted olives.

Can I prepare and freeze these ahead of time?

Absolutely! To do so, follow the instructions as listed, but stop before frying the olives. To freeze them, place them in a parchment-paper lined freezer-safe container in an even layer. Cover the container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready, fry the olives in small batches according to the instructions. Please note that if you overcrowd the pan when frying the olives, the temperature of the oil will drop significantly.

Do I have to freeze them before frying?

You don’t have to, but it’s highly recommended. I’ve found that if you fry the olives directly after coating them, the cream cheese filling is a bit too soft, and can melt out in the frying process.

how do I store and reheat them?

Keep leftover olives in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. My favorite way to reheat them is in the air-fryer at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. You can also reheat them in the oven at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes flipping halfway through. While you can also reheat these olives in the microwave, I don’t recommend this method as they won’t get crispy.

More Recipes to Try This Holiday Season

• Classic Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Mushroom Pot Pie
• French Onion Soup
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Lumpiang Shanghai

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Piping bag
• Large frying pan

Fried Olives for a Festive Holiday Snack

I hope you love these 30-Minute Herby Meatballs with Creamy Kale Orzo as much as I do! If you try this dish and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigsand #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!

Til next time, friends!

xo!