Black Olive Penguins Appetizer

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This Olive Penguins Appetizer is the perfect family-friendly finger food for any party, and kids love them, too! They’re creamy and tangy with a buttery flavor from the black olives, and they couldn’t be much cuter. They’re guaranteed to be the talk of the party! {Gluten-free & vegetarian}

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Easy Penguin Appetizers

We love to make cute food around here, and these olive penguins are especially charming! They’re made by rolling goat cheese (or cream cheese) into a ball, then decorating with black olives and carrot garnishes.

Kids absolutely love them, but even the grown-ups can’t help but snatch a few for a snack!

For more easy finger food recipes, be sure to check out these Avocado Goat Cheese Cucumber Appetizers and Mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins.

Why Make We Love These Black Olive Penguins

Absolutely adorable
Dietitian-approved to be a healthier option for your holiday festivities
Good source of health fats, vitamin A, and protein
Only 3 ingredients required
Adult and kid-friendly option for your holiday gatherings
Festive option for your holiday veggie tray

Ingredient Notes

Olives, carrots and goats cheese on a kitchen work surface.

Olives: You’ll need large black olives for the wings and the penguin’s head. Use black pitted olives or sub in kalamata olives for a tangier flavor.
Goat cheese: Roll goat cheese into balls to form the belly of the penguin. You can make plain cream cheese balls or even use mozzarella balls, if you prefer. Mozzarella isn’t as sticky as cream cheese or goat cheese, so you will probably need toothpicks for that option.
Carrots: Carrots are used for the feet and beak of the penguin and add a nice crunch as well as some fiber 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 an Olive 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.

A goats cheese ball with two olive halves attached to it.

Next, poke the carrot beak into the front of the olive “head” and place that second olive on top of the goat cheese ball.

The penguin before it's feet are attached.

Place the goat cheese ball on the center of the carrot slice with the “feet” facing forwards.

Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!

Expert 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)!

Placing an olive penguin on a serving plate.

How to store

Store the penguins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Recipe FAQ

Can olive penguins 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.

Which sizes of black olives do I need?

I recommend looking for large or extra large olives, as they’re the perfect size to fit on the cream cheese chest.

How do you attach the carrot nose?

I usually just poke the tip of the small triangle into the top olive, but you can also use the small tip of a sharp knife and poke a tiny hole.

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.

The penguins can easily be served alone or with your other favorite holiday appetizers. They’re great to serve alongside any of the following:

Variations & Ideas

Add accessories: 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!
Use cream cheese: If you’re anti-goat cheese, you can roll balls out of softened cream cheese instead for the most delicious little cream cheese penguins. This is often cheaper, too!
Use a toothpick: If needed, skewer a toothpick right through the penguins to make them even easier to eat and hold.

Four penguin appetizers on a plate with one in front on a napkin.

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Olive penguin appetizers lined up on a small white plate.

Course Appetizer