Dirty Martini Dip tastes like an olive-adorned dirty martini in dip form! This alcohol-free, bold and zesty dip is irresistible.
Someone recently asked me what my favorite liquor was and I literally could not bring myself to name one.
(“Name ’em. Name ’em!” #namethatTVshow)
Personally, I much prefer the variety and nuances of wine over liquor. My husband though? He’s a gin martini guy through and through, and it’s with him in mind that I created the recipe for this epic Dirty Martini Dip — no liquor required!
Dirty Martini meets thick and creamy dip with an irresistible twist in this cocktail-inspired recipe that will keep you coming back for more and more. It’s truly an addicting and interesting recipe to devour.
Grab your dippers!
Blue Cheese Olive-Stuffed Martini in Dip Form
A Dirty Martini is made with gin or vodka, a dash of vermouth, and olive brine. Customizations include whether you choose to have it served “up” (ie shaken, not stirred — ok James Bond!) with a lemon twist, green olives, or cocktail onion, and/or filthy or extra filthy if you add more olive brine to your drink.
My guy orders his gin martini up and dry, aka no vermouth, with three blue cheese-stuffed green olives. Not one, not two — three. Always!
In honor of the upcoming Father’s Day, I decided to transform his favorite cocktail into this bold and zesty dip that’s packed with green olives, blue cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It truly tastes like a Dirty Martini in dip form!
Ingredients Needed
- Cream cheese: feel free to use 1/3 less fat, or regular cream cheese. Just be sure that whatever you use is at room temperature so it whips up smooth and creamy.
- Sour cream: what kind of Midwesterner would I be if my dip didn’t have sour cream in it?! Sour cream lends a smooth and creamy dipping experience to the recipe.
- Grated onion: adds a zesty onion flavor that you just can’t get with onion powder.
- Lemon juice: is a nod to the lemon twist that some martini-lovers order their drink with. It lightens and brightens the dip.
- Garlic powder: rounds out the bold and zesty flavor of the dip.
- Blue cheese crumbles: lend half the classic blue cheese stuffed olive flavor. Since this is a party dip recipe and you’re not serving the blue cheese on its own with fruit or meats, like on a charcuterie platter for example, you can use standard crumbled blue cheese vs anything fancy or expensive.
- Green olives: bring home that stuffed olive flavor. I’ll show you the green olives I recommend for this recipe below.
- Olive brine: a drizzle of the brine the olives are packed in brings the “filth” to this Dirty Martini Dip.
- Dippers: I recommend serving this sour cream dip with pretzels for a classic bar experience, but Fritos scoops, pita chips, tortilla chips, and mini bell peppers sliced in half are all delicious too.
Make Ahead Dip Recipe
One thing you have to promise me is that you’ll make this dip then let it sit for *at least* four hours prior to serving. It tastes COMPLETELY different after the flavors have had a chance to mix and mingle. Best is to make it a day ahead of serving, if you can swing it!
Whether you whip up this dip for Father’s Day, or for your next party or get together — it is GOING to leave people talking!
Try this Irresistible Dip
How to Make Dirty Martini Dip
Start by whipping together room temperature cream cheese and sour cream in the bowl of an electric mixer, or in a large glass bowl if using a handheld mixer, until it’s light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Next add a drizzle of fresh lemon juice (just a little — you can always add more later), garlic powder, and finely grated onion then mix to combine.
Use the fine side of a box grater to grate the onion and be sure to stir together the grated onion and juices they create before measuring to use in the recipe. The onion juice packs a ton of flavor.
Next add chopped green olives, a splash of olive brine, and crumbled blue cheese to the mixture then fold with a spatula to combine.
I recommend using Mezzetta Spanish Queen Martini Olives in this recipe not only because the olives themselves are high quality, but also because they’re packed in vermouth which backs the whole Dirty Martini flavor!
If you can’t find these particular olives, look for Castelvetrano olives, which are Italian green olives. If you can’t find those, really any green olive will do! Add a tiny splash of vermouth if you happen to have it on hand.
- Tip: remove pimentos if present in the green olives before chopping and adding to the dip mixture.
Like I said, you can use any run of the mill crumbled blue cheese, vs springing for an expensive variety.
Scoop the dip into a glass storage container with a lid then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. Feel free to make up to four days ahead of serving.
Top with finely chopped chives or green onions before presenting, then get to dipping! I hope you love every bite of this martini-inspired dip — enjoy!
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Description
Dirty Martini Dip tastes like an olive-adorned dirty martini in dip form! This alcohol-free, bold and zesty dip is irresistible.
Ingredients
- 8oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8oz sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons finely grated onion + juices (see notes)
- 1/4 fresh lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup chopped green olives, pimentos removed if present (see notes for recommended brand)
- 1 Tablespoon olive brine
- chopped green onions or chives, for garnish, optional
- Dippers: pretzels, Frito scoops, pita chips, tortilla chips, mini bell peppers sliced in half
Directions
- Add the cream cheese and sour cream to the bowl of an electric mixer, or large mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer, then beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, ~1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the grated onions, a squeeze of lemon juice (start with a little — you can always add more later), and garlic powder then mix to combine.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the blue cheese crumbles, chopped olives, and olive brine then use a spatula to fold the ingredients to combine. Cover then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, then serve with optional garnishes and recommended dippers. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Grate an onion on the fine side of a box grater into a bowl then mix it with the juices before measuring to use in this recipe.
- I recommend Mezzetta Spanish Queen Martini Olives because they’re marinated in vermouth, which is commonly found in dirty martinis. If you can’t find these particular olives, look for Castelvetrano olives, which are Italian green olives. If you can’t find those — really any green olive will do — add a tiny splash of vermouth if you have it on hand!
Adapted from Lemon Tree Dwelling.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
