Fried Cream Cheese-Stuffed Olive Bites

Fried Olive Cream-Cheese Bites… because snacks (you) deserve scrumptious snacks

These are inspired by the iconic Trader Joe’s Fried Olive Bites that *barely* hit shelves every holiday szn, but with a Maghrebi twist- because who wouldn’t want harissa, tahini, or Moroccan spices at their holiday table?

They’re super simple to make & easy to prep beforehand (just freeze the stuffed olives sans breading & prepare to fry the day of the party (read: throwing ass).

Fried Cream Cheese-Stuffed Olive Bites

Time: about 40 minutes

Yield: about a dozen

INGREDIENTS

• 10-12 ounce pitted, Castelvetrano Olives

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, or almond meal

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon sumac

• 1 teaspoon coriander

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/2 tsp fine kosher salt

• 2 eggs, beaten

• neutral-high smoke point oil, for frying

{Cream Cheese Filling}

• 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1/2 tablespoons sumac

• 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout

• pinch of sea salt

{Harissa Maple Dipping Sauce}

• 2 tablespoon vegan yogurt

• 1 tablespoon tahini

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon harissa

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• pinch of cumin

• salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

{Cream Cheese Filling}

1. To a bowl, add the cream cheese, ras el hanout, and sumac. Using a hand-held blender, whip the ingredients until incorporated. Place into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag to fill the pitted olives. Set aside.

{To assemble}

1. Make your breadcrumb mixture by whisking together panko, nutritional yeast, sumac, and salt until combined. Beat your eggs in a separate bowl. Set aside.

2. Remove olives from the jar and pat dry.

3. Using a piping bag or Ziploc bag (with a TINY hole cut from the corner), fill each olive fully with the filling.

4. Coat olive in beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs. Repeat once more. I like to freeze the olive for 15 to 20 minutes prior to frying.

5. Heat a small saucepan with high smoke point oil over medium heat. The oil is ready to fry when you drop a breadcrumb into the pot and it sizzles. Fry 2 to 3 olives at a time. Dry on a paper-lined plate.

6. Make the dipping sauce by blending all of the ingredients together until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

7. Serve in a cocktail glass w/ fresh sprigs of rosemary cause you’re fun and dive in!

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