Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infects more than 95 % of the human population and causes an asymptomatic life‐long infection in the majority of EBV carriers. Cell‐mediated immunity provides resistance to EBV, as demonstrated by the occurrence of EBV‐induced post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease in immunosuppressed patients. Here we looked for IFN‐γ‐producing T lymphocytes in the blood of healthy donors with a rapid enzyme‐linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay, comparing as antigen presenting cells monocytes and dendritic cells (DC) infected with recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV). We found a strong CD8⁺ ELISPOT response to one or more of the EBNA 3A, 3B and 3C antigens in the PBMC from 14 / 18 donors. The sensitivity of the overnight ELISPOT assay was increased using DC as antigen‐presenting cells, including 3 / 3 individuals who lacked ELISPOT in PBMC. In addition, DC could markedly expand EBV‐specific spots after a 7‐day culture. In a smaller number of donors, we documented recognition of the subdominant LMP 1, LMP 2 and EBNA 1 antigens that are expressed in a variety of EBV‐associated malignancies. Therefore our data provide more evidence for the efficacy of DC in eliciting rapid responses to EBV latency antigens in circulating CD8⁺ T cells.