Low Sugar Vegan Crispy Olive Tapenade with Smoked Paprika
Briny, smoky, and deeply savory, this olive tapenade is the kind of appetizer that disappears from the table before you even sit down. Two varieties of olives get blitzed with capers, garlic, smoked paprika, and bright lemon into a coarse, spreadable paste that's bold without being one-note. The real showstopper is the crispy topping — sliced Kalamata olives roasted at high heat until their edges shrivel and firm up into little flavor-packed bites with serious texture. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of added sugar, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out — the recipe just works as written. Spread it thick on crackers or a sliced baguette and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a scatter of fresh parsley for a presentation that looks far more effort-intensive than it actually is. It's the kind of thing you'll want to keep in your back pocket for dinner parties, grazing boards, or honestly just a Tuesday night snack.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the tapenade
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained and patted dry
- ½ cup pitted green olives, drained and patted dry
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the crispy topping
- ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced into rounds
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
- crackers or sliced baguette, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Toss the sliced Kalamata olives for the crispy topping with 1 tsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, then spread them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 18–22 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the edges are shriveled and the slices feel dry and slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan — they will crisp further as they cool.
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