A baked feta cheese with honey, sesame and herbs is the perfect appetizer! Ready in minutes, it is packed with sweet and savory flavors that will excite everyone. Promise!
If you love this Baked Feta with Honey, you will also love this Feta Grilled Cheese With Thyme Honey, Fig Toast With Feta or Greek Tomato Sandwich With Feta!
This post is an updated version of an article published in April 2021. New photos, clearer recipe ingredients and instructions now accompany the post.
Why this recipe sings
Feta cheese is one of the staples of Greek food. There isn’t a home without a small block of the famous cheese in the fridge. It is always served as a side, family-style at the table and is among the first items ordered at a taverna, even if there is feta in the salad. There are many appetizers made with feta. One of the most popular is baked feta with honey.
To make this recipe, you only need a few basic ingredients. And it is ready in ten minutes! This baked feta is luscious, creamy, and perfect for crackers, pita, crusty bread, and crudites.
Here is what you need
- Greek feta cheese. Always get a block of feta in brine. Avoid fat-free versions of this great cheese, they don’t exist in Greece and are flavorless. Good quality feta in the us market are Dodoni and Mt Vikos.
- Extra virgin olive oil. My go-to olive oil is Athena Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Its price is reasonable, and it is an excellent olive oil for cooking and drizzling over a salad, dipping bread, etc. Avoid using olive oil blends (often called Mediterranean blends), as they are of questionable quality.
- Sesame seeds. You can use blonde sesame seeds or black. I love using black sesame because it gives a nice contrast when this baked feta is served.
- Dried oregano. I often use dried oregano buds from Burlap and Barell. I use them whole or grind them between my hands over the dish. Dried Greek oregano leaves are also a staple in my pantry. Mexican oregano is wonderful for this baked feta dish.
- Chili flakes. For a nice kick, I add red chili flakes. You can substitute with freshly ground pepper.
- Greek honey. In Greece, several honey varieties are produced, such as orange blossom, pine, thyme, etc. My favorite is thyme honey. I love its aroma. Feel free to use your favorite.
How to make baked feta with sesame and honey
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the feta cheese in an oven-proof dish, preferably the one you would use for serving. Pour over the olive oil, and season with the chili flakes and dried oregano. Sprinkle the sesame seeds.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until it is soft to the touch but not melted.
Preheat the broiler.
Broil until the top of the cheese browns and starts to bubble one to two minutes.
Pour over the honey and serve immediately with homemade crackers, pita chips or crusty bread. Don’t be surprised if people ask for one more round of this baked feta. It is fabulous!
Note: You can heat the honey over a pan of simmering water or microwave for 30 seconds on high if you like. It is an optional step. I usually pour it over as is at room temperature. The honey warms up immediately after touching the hot feta. Plus, the dish disappears in five minutes (tops!), so the honey does not have a chance to cool down.
What to serve with roasted feta
The sky is the limit!
Roasted feta cheese is an appetizer best enjoyed on warm pita, crusty bread, and homemade crackers. Serve it along with fresh fruit and nuts, like grapes and walnuts.
When we make it at home, we usually eat it before it reaches the table! It is accompanied by other appetizers/mezes, such as fried zucchini and eggplant, roasted tomatoes, marinated olives, tzatziki, fritters, etc., tapas-style. It can be an awesome side dish to grilled meats and vegetables, like chicken, meatballs, or soup.
Tips
- If your feta is too salty, place it in a bowl, cover it with water, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. The water will take away any extra saltiness.
- Run out of honey? Use maple syrup to make this baked feta cheese appetizer. It will work just as well.
Check out my Greek pantry staples
Cooked this? Rate this recipe! You can also leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!
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Baked Feta Cheese With Honey
Ingredients
- 8 oz Greek feta piece blotted dry.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ cup Greek honey
For serving
- crackers
- warm crusty bread
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler.
- Place the feta in an oven-proof dish, preferably the same one you would use for serving. Pour over the olive oil. Sprinkle dried oregano, chili flakes and sesame on top. 8 oz Greek feta piece 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble, one to two minutes.
- Pour over the honey and serve immediately with homemade crackers, pita chips or crusty bread.¼ cup Greek honey crackers warm crusty bread
Notes
- Get good quality feta cheese. Try to find Greek feta in brine. I like the Dodoni brand, and Mt Vikos feta is also an excellent choice. It is available at local supermarkets, Whole Foods, and other specialty grocery stores. Israeli and Bulgarian feta can also be good options.
- Please don’t get any fat-free French feta. It is not the real thing at all, and it would never be part of a Greek pantry.
- Substitute honey with maple syrup.
Nutrition
WOW. I am so happy to have run across this recipe! This feta appetizer is surprisingly and absolutely delicious!! It was so easy to prepare, I didn’t expect such rich flavor. It was a huge hit with everyone at the dinner party – thank you!!
Thank you, Valerie! We love this roasted feta too, we make it often and enjoy it over crackers or crusty bread even for a snack. So happy you and your guests liked it! x jenny
This combo was so unexpected for me, and I loved it so much!! I am definitely going to be making it a lot from now on. Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
That is great Cathleen! Thank you so much
x Jenny
I have made this feta appetizer twice and it was a huge hit. It will probably be showing up at every gathering now. Highly recommend!
That is so great Colleen! You made me very happy reading your comment. x Jenny
Simple and delicious. I love sharing this recipe with my friends when we get together on the weekends.
Such a delicious way of enjoying yummy cheese. I am a cheese lover and I cant wait to try your simple but flavorful recipe . Thanks
Thank you so much Veena, hope you like it!
x Jenny
I use vegan Greek-style cheese and this was the perfect recipe!
That is great Freya! I will try it with vegan feta also, I am curious. x Jenny
yes, I agree on this roasted feta cheese with honey and thyme is the perfect appetizer! I will make this soon.
Thank you so much, Uma!
I just adore Greek cuisine!😋🥰 This looks fabulous and I can imaginge how tasty it really is. Love the herbs. Feta is to Greek like Mozzarella is to Italians!
Thanks for some insights to Greek cuisine!😋🥰👍🙏👌
Thank you so much for your kind words, Loreto and Nicoletta! I am a huge fan of Italian food!
x Jenny
Such a delicious light lunch dish idea! I loved the honey with it, especially
Yes, feta and honey go so well together! Thank you so much Freya!
x Jenny
This looks so good that I think I am going to invite a friend over just to make it and share!
What a great idea for an appetizer! Perfect timing too, for all the spring and holiday gatherings! Thanks for the share!
It is indeed ideal for a gathering. A people pleaser recipe. Thank you so much Liz!
x Jenny
This is now my favorite way to eat feta. It is so delicious with the honey!!! It comes out incredible.
It is foolproof, and guaranteed to taste awesome! Thank you so much, Katie!
x Jenny
This roasted feta is so delicious and so easy! Definitely adding this to our Easter menu. Thank you!
Thank you so much Chenée! x Jenny
This recipe was extremely exceptional! I loved all the flavors and textures. I can’t wait to make it again. It was so good!
I am looking forward to checking out some of your other recipes on your blog! Have a great day, and thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!
That’s great Heidy! Thank you so much for your kind words. x Jenny
Amazing recipe I had these in a Greek restaurant locally but wrapped in filo, not a big fan of pastry and quite faffy wrapping them, this was much better ….Could I add some roasted walnuts crumbled on top as well ?
Thank you for championing one off THE BEST cheeses in the world
Hi!
Yes, absolutely you can add walnuts, that would be a great combination. I am going to try it as well.
Thank you so much! x Jenny
This creamy and sweet feta dip is the height of easy and elegance for appetizers. Perfect for a night in or dinner party.
This was amazing! We are huge fans of warm cheese appetizers and this recipe was just perfect with all of the different flavors blending together.
I had this for the 1st time recently on a holiday to Kalymnos Island .. Absolutely loved it ! !
I find this feta irresistible! Thanks so much, Jeff
You had me at baked cheese. But you super duper had me at baked feta with honey. Oh my gosh – talk about a flavor party! Can’t wait to share this on the next girls’ night.
Baked feta with honey and sesame might be our new favorite appetizer! Easy to make and so absolutely delicious!
I just found a new way to enjoy one of my favorite cheeses. This is a great appetizer for the holidays.
The feta, sesame seed, and honey were a delicious combination. This baked cheese turned out fabulous. Everyone loved it at my dinner party.
I’m totally hooked on the baked feta cheese with honey recipe! It’s become our favorite appetizer, and we serve it with some warm crusty bread for that perfect combination of sweet and savory. Thanks a bunch for sharing this delicious recipe! 🧀🍯😋
This feta appetizer is absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Everyone in our house loves it!
For the love of cheese, this dish looks amazingly delicious and very enticing too! It’s just like a masterpiece, many will love and enjoy eating this! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Did I miss the step where honey is added? Before baking? Before or after broiling? Thanks.
Hi Linda!
You pour the honey immediately after you take the feta from the oven. Make sure you are armed with crackers!
Thank you so much,
x Jenny