Rosemary Cream Cheese Fried Stuffed Olive Bites
These Rosemary Cream Cheese Fried Stuffed Olives 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.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup room temperature vegan cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, very finely minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 (8-ounce) jars of castelvetrano olives, drained, but DO NOT pat dry
- ⅔ cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1½ - 1¾ cup vegan-friendly Italian-style panko breadcrumbs
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- Marinara sauce, for serving
- Fresh lemon wedges, for serving
- Fresh minced parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve immediately with marinara sauce, fresh lemon wedges, and fresh parsley. ENJOY!
Notes
- When frying the olives, you want to make sure that you heat the oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes before frying. Please keep in mind if the oil is too hot, the breading will burn quickly but the filling will still be quite cold. On the other hand, if the oil isn’t hot enough, it will result in a saggy breading. Additionally, make sure you’re frying the olives in small batches (about 10 to 15 olives). If you overcrowd the pan, the temperature of the oil will drop significantly.
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