Easy Olive Tapenade (Fast & Delicious!)

Olive tapenade is where it’s at when you need an impressive and delicious appetizer, pronto! This stuff is packed with flavor and always a hit at gatherings. Nobody would guess that it was made in minutes with just eight ingredients! It’s also vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy a taste.

Where are my olive lovers at? If you’re here, it’s a safe bet that you love olives as much as I do! Whether it’s in a bit plate of vegan pasta puttanesca, a slice of olive rosemary foccacia, or my vegan picadillo, I’m firmly of the opinion that olives make everything better. Tapenade is one of those rare dishes where olives are the star ingredient, so as you can imagine, it’s one of my absolute faves!

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Tapenade is a dip or spread with French origins. It’s made from just a handful of super flavorful ingredients, so it’s intensely delicious. This stuff makes an amazing appetizer that’s sure to wow guests and party-goers. The best part? It literally only requires throwing everything in a food processor and blending. So easy!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients for olive tapenade in glass bowls with labels.

Olives. The recipe calls for a mix of Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives, but you’re welcome to swap either or both out with other types of high quality olives. I like to stick with an even mix of black and green olives, as this gives the dish a nice balance of salty, sour, and pungent flavors.
Capers. Capers come in a handful of varieties, and you’re welcome to use any of them — your choice won’t alter the flavor too much! I used nonpareils, which are the smallest and most common variety.
Sun-dried tomatoes. These will add some sweetness and a touch of smoky flavor to your tapenade. Stick with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes if you can, as they’re more tender than the dry ones sold in bags, so they’ll blend up easier.
Garlic.
Olive oil. I don’t recommend substituting another type of oil. We’re going for maximum olive flavor in this recipe!
Lemon juice. Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice (not bottled!) to make tapenade.
Fresh basil.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Ingredients for making olive tapenade in a food processor bowl.

Step 1: Place all of your ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Be sure to mince your garlic, finely chop your sun-dried tomatoes, and chop your basil before adding them.

Olive tapenade in a food processor bowl.

Step 2: Blend everything up! Be sure to stop the motor from time to time so you can scrape down the insides of the bowl. Keep blending until the ingredients are finely chopped and thoroughly mixed.

Tip: Feel free to blend your tapenade as much as you’d like. You can keep things chunky, or get it smooth. As you can see, I went somewhere in the middle.

Step 3: Give your tapenade a taste-test and make any adjustments you deem necessary. Add any ingredients that you’d like to intensify the flavor of!

Bowl of olive tapenade with baguette slices in the background.

Your olive tapenade is ready to enjoy! Transfer it to a bowl and dig in.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Homemade olive tapenade will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

This stuff is also freezer-friendly! You can freeze the whole batch in an airtight container, or (my preference), portion it out using an ice cube tray. Freeze it in the tray, then remove the frozen tapenade cubes and transfer them to an airtight container. This method allows you to thaw just as much as you want at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe without a food processor?

You can, but it will take a bit more work! For a chunkier tapenade, simply finely chop the ingredients and mix them in a bowl. For a smoother tapenade, grind the ingredients using a mortar and pestle.

How is tapenade served?

Tapenade is usually served as an appetizer with crackers or baguette slices, but don’t feel limited by that! It’s also delicious on sandwiches such as my roasted veggie sandwich, on salads, such as my eggplant salad, on pasta, in soups like my vegan tortellini soup, or with fresh veggies for dipping.

Can I used canned olives?

I don’t recommend using canned olives, which are generally less flavorful.

Can I use all black olives, or all green olives?

Sure! All black olives will give you a milder, more savory tapenade, whereas green olives will make your tapenade saltier and tangier.

Variations

Smoky tapenade. Add a half to full teaspoon of smoked paprika.
Spicy tapenade. Add a pinch (or more!) of red pepper flakes to your tapenade.
Herbed tapenade. Use additional fresh herbs, or swap out the basil with different herbs. Use tender herbs, like flat leaf parsley, or small leafed herbs, like fresh thyme.
Sweet and salty tapenade. Add some dried fruit, such as raisins, dried apricots, or dried figs. Sounds weird, but tastes amazing!

More Dips & Spreads

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Bowl of olive tapenade with olives and basil leaves on top.

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