This Olive Penguins Appetizer makes the perfect fun and healthy holiday finger food to serve. They’re easy to make and fun for kids too! Super cute and festive, they’re guaranteed to be the talk of the party! {Gluten-free & vegetarian}
If you’re looking for a fun and family-friendly appetizer to serve this Christmas, these olive penguins are the perfect finger food!
And really, what’s better than food that makes you smile, not only because it tastes good, but also because it looks adorable as well?
Not only are these penguins super fun to serve, but they’re a tasty little bite to eat as well. The creaminess of the goat cheese compliments the saltiness of the olives so nicely and then of course, you get a little crunch from the carrots too.
If you’ve got some time on your hands, by all means, rock out to some Christmas music and whip up some of these tasty penguins!
For more easy finger food recipes, be sure to check out these Avocado Goat Cheese Cucumber Appetizers and Mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins.
Table of Contents
Why Make this Recipe
- Healthy – This penguin appetizer is a healthier option compared to many other packaged holiday appetizers and also serves as a source of healthy fats, vitamin A and protein. Can’t go wrong with that!
- Easy – You only need three simple ingredients to make a whole colony of olive penguins!
- Family-friendly – These are perfect to serve to the whole family. Kids love them and they’re so much fun to make!
Ingredient Notes
Olives – Olives are used for the wings and head of the penguin. Use black pitted olives or sub in kalamata olives if desired.
Goat cheese – Goat cheese is rolled into balls to form the belly of the penguin. You can sub in cream cheese if you don’t like goat cheese.
Carrots – Carrots are used for the feet and beak of the penguin and add a nice crunch as well as some fibre and vitamin A! Use baby carrots or sub in large carrots if that’s what you have on hand.
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Make a Penguin
- Purchase some black olives with or without pits. I went with the ones without pits since there’s less fuss involved, but it’s totally up to you.
- Next, cut the olive in half lengthways. Remove the pit if necessary. Each olive half will serve as the penguins’ wings.
- Cut a slice of carrot about a quarter inch thick. Cut a little triangle out of the carrot slice. These carrot slices will serve as the feet and the little triangle will be the beak of the penguin (you might need to trim the triangle down a bit to work as a beak).
How to Assemble the Appetizer
- Get your goat cheese out and roll into balls about half an inch in diameter.
- Take the halved olive pieces and place one on each side of the the goat cheese ball, so that the white belly is exposed at the front.
- Next, poke the carrot beak into the front of the olive “head” and place on top of the goat cheese ball.
- Place the goat cheese ball on the centre of the carrot slice with the “feet” facing forwards.
Recipe Tips
- Use black olives without pits for best results. You can also sub in Kalamata olives or olives with pits if that’s what you have on hand, but you will have to remove the pit first.
- You can poke a toothpick through the goat cheese ball, carrot slice and olive head to keep it all together if desired, but I found that the goat cheese almost acted like a glue keeping it all in place.
- Once you’ve made the penguin, don’t meddle with the appetizers too much or they might fall apart. I recommend putting them directly on the serving tray right after you’ve formed each one so that you don’t have to move them around too much and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
- These penguins do take a little time to assemble, especially if you’re making the whole batch, so I recommend getting a few people involved in the penguin making process if possible to make it go even quicker. (HINT: It’s a perfect little project for the kids)!
Recipe FAQ
Can this appetizer be made in advance?
Yes! Once you’ve made these appetizers, you can store them in the fridge before serving them. Keep them covered so that they don’t dry out. They can be served straight out of the fridge.
How to store
Store the penguins in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to four days.
What to serve along with these appetizers?
The penguins can easily be served alone or with your other favourite holiday appetizers. They’re great to serve alongside these Cranberry Party Meatballs and this Christmas Wreath Salad!
Serving suggestions
Serve the penguins up on a tray or plate. You can also set them up next to a little Christmas village, surround the tray of penguins with sparkly snowflakes, or put them next to a mini Christmas tree to make a festive display. I guarantee everyone will ADORE these little guys.
You can even take it a step further and add some accessories to the penguins like a roasted red pepper scarf or a mini tomato hat!
Feel free to experiment — you can have so much fun with these little guys!
More holiday recipes
- Green Bean Almondine Recipe
- Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Cranberry & Pistachio Stuffed Turkey Breast with Orange Honey Glaze
- No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cups
- Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Apples
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Olive Penguins
Ingredients
- 24 black olives pitted
- 4 oz goat cheese or cream cheese (rolled into 1/4 inch balls)
- 2-3 baby carrots (cut into twelve 1/4 inch slices)
Instructions
- Cut the olive in half lengthways. Remove the pit if necessary. Each olive half will serve as the penguins' wings.
- Get your goat cheese or cream cheese out and roll into balls about 1/2 inch in diameter.
- Cut a slice of carrot about a 1/4 inch thick. Cut a little triangle out of the carrot slice (about 1/6th of the slice). These carrot slices will serve as the feet and the little triangle will be the beak of the penguin.
- To assemble the penguin: Take the halved olive pieces and place one on each side of the the rolled cheese ball, so that the white belly is exposed at the front. Next, poke the carrot beak into the front of the olive "head" and place on top of the goat cheese ball. Place the goat cheese ball with the olives wings and head on the centre of the carrot slice with the "feet" facing forwards.
- Place the olive penguins directly on the serving tray right after you've formed each penguin and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- Use black olives without pits for best results. You can also sub in kalamata olives or olives with pits if that's what you have on hand, but you will have to remove the pit first.
- You can poke a toothpick through the goat cheese ball, carrot slice and olive head to keep it all together, but I found that the cheese almost acted like a glue keeping it all in place.
- Once you've made the penguin appetizer, don't meddle with the penguins too much or they might fall apart. I recommend putting them directly on the serving tray right after you've formed each penguin so that you don't have to move them around too much and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
- These penguins do take a little time to assemble, especially if you're making the whole batch, so I recommend getting a few people involved in the penguin making process if possible to make it go even quicker. (HINT: It's a perfect little project for the kids)!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted December 2018 and was updated December 2020 to include more helpful tips and photos.
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