This savory Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip is the perfect summer appetizer and simply bursting with flavor. This post is sponsored by Cavit Wines to create recipes that pair with Pinot Grigio in celebration of National Pinot Grigio Day!
Whipped feta. I first heard of the phenomenon from the great Ina Garten.
I love feta and I love most things whipped (cream, butter, cream cheese), so how could whipped feta possibly be bad?
It isn’t. It’s amazing.
Ina was right. As always.
Lately, I’ve been on a huge za’atar kick. I make my own (it’s so easy) and I use it on everything. On hummus, roasted vegetables, flatbread, popcorn, and in Farro Breakfast Bowls.
How good is this stuff?
When I worked in New York City, I fortunately worked right next door to this amazing vegetarian Mediterranean restaurant. It was where I got lunch most days of the week. I started to notice that they sprinkled za’atar on just about everything they made. Greek salads, labneh-filled pita, falafels, you name it.
“What is this magical dust you sprinkle on everything?” I asked the chef one day.
“Bring me a cupcake tomorrow, and I’ll show you how to make it.” He responded, most definitely not kidding.
The next day, he got a few cupcakes and I got a lesson on some amazing traditional Mediterranean cooking.
Za’atar is very simple to make. Just sea salt, thyme, toasted sesame seeds, and sumac. The most difficult aspect is that it can sometimes be hard to find sumac, but most Middle Eastern grocers and natural markets carry it.
You could also buy sumac online, or buy za’atar for that matter and call it a day!
Roasted garlic and lemon is a match made in heaven for za’atar and feta. It plays on sumac’s distinct lemony-tart flavor profile.
I make a really simple roasted garlic oil for the dip. Then, feta and a bit of cream cheese get whipped together with the infused olive oil until creamy. Finally, black pepper, fresh lemon zest, and the za’atar get stirred in.
You could add fresh herbs if you wanted to, but you definitely don’t need to.
My mom deemed this Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip the best dip she’s ever had, and I might just have to agree.
This Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip was created to celebrate National Pinot Grigio Day on May 26th. This is actually the first National Pinot Grigio Day, brought to us by Cavit wines, who introduced the variety to the United States in 1977 from Italy. Cavit’s Pinot Grigio is delicious, affordable, and the perfect summer wine. The refreshing, balanced wine is lightly sweet with a fruity profile of green apple and citrus flavors.
And Pinot Grigio pairs especially well with fresh, soft cheeses such as feta. The crisp white wine balances the salty cheese, and the citrus flavor in Pinot Grigio pairs particularly well with this lemon-scented dip.
Serve Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip with anything you’d like, really. I love serving it in the center of a large crudite platter, filled with pretty much anything I found that morning at the farmer’s market. For this platter, I included: endive, sweet peppers, toybox tomatoes, cucumber, grilled artichoke hearts, Greek olives, rainbow carrots, and rosemary flatbread. Beets, radishes, figs, grapes, and squash blossoms would all also be lovely.
Thank you to Cavit for sponsoring this Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip and inviting me to celebrate National Pinot Grigio Day with them! Have you ever had whipped feta before? What are your favorite summer wine pairings? Let me know in the comments below!

Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: dip, spread
Description
This savory Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip is the perfect summer appetizer and simply bursting with flavor!
Ingredients
For the Za’atar:
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Or, buy it. See notes.
For the Roasted Garlic Oil:
- 6 garlic cloves, halved
- 1/4 cup quality olive oil
For the Dip:
- 6 ounces feta, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- 3 tablespoons garlic oil, plus more for serving
- 2 teaspoons za’atar, plus more for serving
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
Make the Za’atar:
Combine all of the ingredients and set aside.
Make the Roasted Garlic Oil:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small oven-safe pan, combine the peeled, halved garlic cloves and the olive oil. The oil should cover the cloves. Roast until the garlic is just golden, about 13-15 minutes. Let the garlic oil cool completely in the pan, and then strain and discard the cloves. You will have 4 tablespoons of garlic oil, 3 for the recipe and 1 for drizzling.
Make the Dip:
- Whiz the feta in a food processor until very small bits remain. Add in the garlic oil and cream cheese and process until very smooth and creamy. Be sure that your feta and cream cheese are at room temperature. Season with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Remove the feta dip from the processor and into a bowl. Stir in the lemon zest, za’atar, and chopped fresh parsley (if using; to taste).
- Garnish the dip with the additional tablespoon of garlic oil and a sprinkling of za’atar. Serve immediately with your favorite vegetables or crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 221
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Mine came out more like a spread than a dip …. And I think mext time I’ll reserve some crumbled feta to add texture.
Tastes good though!
Thank you for the thoughtful review, Laura!
Absolutely delicious 🤤 and super easy to make. I bought the za’atar in a 1.5oz bag at World Market. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
I’m salivating. So scrumptious! I can hardly wait to try this!
I’m not a fan of feta but everyone else I know is. I may have to try this at the next potluck or next time I am hosting.. Looks delicious.
I haven’t heard of it but am glad it is easy to make. It seems very versatile too, which I Love.
I am obsessed with feta! This dip is literally just what I need to make this weekend!!!!
★★★★★
A roasted garlic dip sounds so delicious! I want to make this too. I will try to find za’atar and when I do, I am going to whip up this dip asap!
Wow, this flavor combo is blowing me away. I LOVE making my own hummus. Definitely adding this one to try next.
★★★★★
Za’atar Roasted Garlic Feta Dip sounds so delicious. I hope I can make a fresh batch tonight and share it to my friends.
Very interesting recipe. I love hummuses and dips but this is something I haven’t quite heard of before. I’ll have to substitute the dairy and give this a try.
★★★★
This looks SOOO good! I love that it’s not hard to make either.
Oh my gosh, this recipe looks absolutely divine! It’s perfect to make for summer parties!
your photos are beautiful! i love how delicious they make your dip look. keep up the great posts.
Joy at The Joyous Living
OMG this looks so good! I’ll be on the look out for sumac to add to my spice collection. I can never have enough flavor dressings heh
This is my favorite dip! All other dips will no longer work for me. Absolutely delicious. Serve it at your next party and your guests will be delighted.
What a wonderful combination of flavors. Even without trying this dip I can tell that it’s a bomb. Thanks for the recipe!
This looks absolutely amazing. What a lovely plate full of flavours and deliciousness. I LOVE this roasted garlic oil. What a great idea. Yum!
Great flavour combinations in this dip, roasting garlic gives in a fab sweet flavour. Fab crisp white wine to accompany it.
Za’atar is such a great spice. the dip with the garlic and spice looks delicious. and it looks like you paired it well with the wine!
roasting garlic adds such a lovely flavour! This dip looks yummy