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Home / Condiments / Olive Tapenade

Olive Tapenade

This recipe is: dairy freeegg freegluten freenut freevegan

Salty, briny and full of flavor, this easy olive tapenade is made with kalamata olives for a simple spread that works as an appetizer or condiment. Serve with crackers, fresh veggies or with olive oil to dip bread. Either way you’ll love it.

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Olive tapenade in a small bowl with pita chips and fresh veggies.

Why I love this olive tapenade recipe

Before we left France, Ellie and I spent a few days by ourselves when Marc was on the road. Sadly, I didn’t really feel like cooking, so I made a meal of a whole grain baguette and some olive tapenade I bought at the grocery store.

I ended up eating the whole thing – the entire baguette and most of the tapenade. It was so good, I bought it again the next week, and we had it as an apero before dinner.

I figured it would be a cinch to make when I got home. So I made a mental note of the ingredients that were listed on the package, and I made a batch of fresh olive tapenade last week. And guess what, the homemade version is even better than the store-bought stuff.

Fun idea: Add this olive tapenade to your next relish tray.

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Close up of olive tapenade in a small bowl with pita chips and fresh veggies.

Here’s what you’ll need to make olive tapenade

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Food processor

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How to make and serve olive tapenade

Combine ingredients in a food processor. Blend until a grainy paste forms. Put in a bowl to serve. I served it with pita chips and multigrain crackers, but I was also really pleased with how it tasted with some carrots and cucumbers. Either way, tapenade will be my new go-to appetizer dip from here on out.

Olives, parsley, capers, garlic in a food processor ready to be blended.

FAQs and tips on making olive tapenade

Is olive tapenade bad for you?

Not really, although it is quite salty, it is full of flavor and has plenty of nutrients.

What is the difference between olive tapenade and olive bruschetta?

Tapenade is made to be spread, so it is very finely processed versus a bruschetta is coarsely chopped.

Is black olive pesto the same as tapenade?

They are very similar but a pesto usually has a cheese or nuts included, so tapenade is a great option for people with dairy or nut allergies.

Close up of olive tapenade in a bowl with a pita chip dipped in  it. Pita chips and veggies on the plate surrounding it.

More dairy free dips you will love

  • Olive oil bread dip
  • Hot spinach artichoke dip
  • French onion dip
  • Chipped beef dip

Other appetizer recipes you should try

  • Smoked salmon appetizer platter
  • Almond cheese ball
  • Pineapple salsa
  • Olive oil bread dip
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Olive Tapenade

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

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Salty, briny and full of flavor, this easy olive tapenade is made with kalamata olives for a simple spread that works as an appetizer or condiment. Serve with crackers, fresh veggies or with olive oil to dip bread. Either way you’ll love it.

  • Author: Melissa Belanger
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: about 2 cups 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup packed parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon small capers
  • 1 large garlic clove (about 1/2 teaspoon minced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, blend all ingredients until texture is grainy and no large pieces remain.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 111
  • Sugar: 0.2 g
  • Sodium: 276.2 mg
  • Fat: 9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.1 g
  • Fiber: 1.6 g
  • Protein: 1.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Published: April 21, 2015. Updated: November 30, 2021.

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I will never recommend a product I don’t use or trust.

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Melissa from Simply Whisked
Hi! I'm Melissa.

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I create dairy free recipes with simple ingredients because I know how hard living dairy free can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

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