Olive Balls
Picture this: warm, golden-brown crescent rolls, each one cradling a savory olive. Topped with melted butter, garlic and rosemary. These simple Olive Bites are the perfect, fuss-free appetizer for any holiday party or potluck.
The flaky, buttery layers of the crescent roll dough provide a delicious contrast to the salty, briny flavor of the olive. They’re quick to make, meaning you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the company of your guests. Simply roll, bake, and arrange them on a platter for an easy appetizer that’s sure to be a hit.
Brush them with a little butter, garlic and rosemary and the combination of familiar flavors and effortless preparation makes these Olive Bites a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, especially when you need a quick and tasty snack.
If you’d like to try some other delicious appetizers, you might like our olive deviled eggs or our kalamata olive and brie crostini.
The first time I had these was about 10 years ago at a home demonstration party.
There was a big appetizer table and I saw them and thought they looked interesting.
I had no idea what they were ahead of time, but I’m always game to try some new food. I popped one in my mouth, and there was this burst of flavor.
They were so yummy!
Love Olives? You’ll Love This Olive Balls Recipe
They really are the perfect appetizer.
With that said, you do have to love olives to enjoy this recipe, and I ADORE olives of all kinds. I REALLY love these Olive Balls.
Also if you aren’t a huge fan of green olives, you can substitute another type of olive like Kalamata or Black Olives, however the flavor will change and probably be a bit more mild.
Not only are these Olive Balls very easy to make, but they look so pretty nestled among other appetizers.
How to Serve Olive Balls Appetizer
We like to serve them over loose leaf lettuce or arugula. It looks so incredibly pretty on a platter that way.
If you want more color, you can always add cherry tomatoes to the plate, or a small bowl of pimentos in the center or even serve with pimento cheese.
Another way is to simply nestle them among other appetizers. They are simple little balls, and they look pretty amongst nearly any appetizer.
How do you make Olive Balls?
They definitely have the appearance of looking much harder to make than they actually are.
Drain the jar of olives removing as much moisture as possible from the outsides of the olives (juices still on the inside are perfectly okay).
Open the can of crescent rolls, take two crescent triangles and pinch two of the perforated edges of the crescent triangles together to form large rectangles.
If the can makes eight crescent rolls, you should wind up with four large rectangles.
Cut them into 1 inch squares. Take one olive and put it in the center of one of the dough squares.
Wrap the dough around the olive in a ball shape.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the rolls are browned. Serve while warm.
To dress them up a step further, consider brushing some melted butter over the top and then adding a pinch of garlic and a pinch of rosemary before serving. It’s our favorite way.
Serve with toothpicks or miniature forks – these are our favorite, but we also love these disposable ones. Dress them up, dress them down – but watch them go fast!
You can even make a dip or sauce to go with them. That’s all up to you.
These are super easy and fast appetizers and you’ll be surprised at how fast they are gone.
More Great Appetizer Recipes
Go here for more great appetizers or snacks for any event. Or you can check out a few of my friends delicious appetizers below!
Recipe for Olive Balls Appetizer
Olive Balls
Ingredients
- 8 ounces green olives it’s up to you if you choose with pimentos or not (or any other type of olive)
- 8 slices crescent rolls
- melted butter if desired
- garlic powder if desired
- rosemary if desired
Instructions
- Drain the jar of olives removing as much moisture as possible from the outsides of the olives (juices still on the inside are perfectly okay).
- Open the can of crescent rolls, take two crescent triangles and pinch two of the perforated edges of the crescent triangles together to form large rectangles. If the can makes eight crescent rolls, you should wind up with four large rectangles.
- Cut them into 1 inch squares.
- Take one olive and put it in the center of one of the dough squares. Wrap the dough around the olive in a ball shape.
- Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the rolls are browned. Serve while warm.
- To dress them up a step further, consider brushing some melted butter over the top and then adding a pinch of garlic and a pinch of rosemary before serving.
Ok, I just found your blog. I used to be a food blogger myself so I can say that your recipes put mine to shame. You rock!