Quality feta, olive oil, honey, herbs, pepper, and 15 minutes are all you need to make this sophisticated, comforting, crowd-pleasing, unbelievably delicious baked appetizer.
This honey baked feta has been one of my go-to appetizers for years. The post is long overdue because the baked feta tends to be demolished before I can photograph it. I also probably take the dish for granted because it’s SO easy, it barely requires a written recipe. When you need something that requires no work, no measuring, minimal ingredients, and minimal oven time, yet looks elegant and tastes incredible, honey baked feta is your answer. It is perfect for a holiday appetizer spread, brunch spread, or easy entertaining. Consistently a crowd-pleaser!
What blows my mind is that a process so minimal (just topping with oil and honey and cooking for 10 minutes) can transform the flavor so magically. It doesn’t just taste like warmed up feta! The honey balances out the acidity and creates a more mellow, pleasant flavor profile, and the feta softens just enough to easily cut and smear while still retaining a crumbly texture.
Ingredients
Because of the simplicity of this dish, the quality of your ingredients is really important for the taste. You’ll need:
- Block of Greek feta
- High quality extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Freshly cracked black pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes for a touch of sweet heat
- Fresh thyme leaves or chopped fresh mint
Method
It’s almost too easy.
- Pat the feta dry. (I wrap it in a paper towel while the oven is preheating to remove any excess moisture.)
- Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and cover with olive oil.
- Bake at 400ºF for 8-10 minutes, until just softened.
- Cover with honey.
- Broil 2-3 minutes to caramelize the sugars.
- Top with pepper and herbs.
Serving Suggestions
Use a cheese knife to spread the warm baked feta on bread or crackers. I recommend:
- Stonefire naan crisps
- Toasted naan or pita
- Crusty bread like sourdough or ciabatta, warmed/lightly toasted
- Freshly baked focaccia
Honey baked feta with toasty bread/crackers is beautiful served:
- as an appetizer for a dinner party
- alongside charcuterie, fruits, other cheeses, etc.
- as part of a brunch spread with an egg dish (deviled eggs, frittata, baked egg dish, eggs benedict, etc.), ham or bacon, roasted vegetables (such as carrots with tahini), fruit, and sweet rolls (such as London fog buns, blueberry cinnamon rolls, or orange rolls)
Simply Perfect Honey Baked Feta
Quality feta, olive oil, honey, herbs, pepper, and 15 minutes are all you need to make this sophisticated, comforting, crowd-pleasing, unbelievably delicious baked appetizer.
Notes
You may trim the block of feta to make a smaller batch or to fit in your desired dish. (Pictured is a 5 oz piece to fit in my mini pie pan.)
Ingredients
- 7 oz block Greek feta
- ~2 tsp high quality extra virgin olive oil
- ~1 Tbsp honey
- sprinkle cracked black pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes
- sprinkle fresh thyme leaves (may sub chopped fresh mint)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Pat the feta dry. (I leave it wrapped in a paper towel while the oven is preheating to remove as much moisture as possible.)
- Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish. Place the feta in the center, and drizzle olive oil over the feta (enough to lightly cover the entire surface).
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake 8-10 minutes, or until the feta is warm and soft.
- Remove the feta from the oven. If there is excess liquid in the dish, you may gently blot it with a paper towel (although not necessary).
- Set the oven to high broil. Drizzle honey over the feta to cover the entire surface. Return to the oven and broil about 2-4 minutes, or until the top is golden. (Watch closely so it doesn't burn. Broilers vary widely.)
- Remove the feta from the oven. Top with a sprinkle of pepper (I prefer Aleppo pepper flakes for a touch of sweet heat) and fresh thyme leaves (or chopped fresh mint for a bright twist).
- Serve immediately with crusty bread, toasted naan or pita, or crackers. See post above for serving recommendations.