Whipped Ricotta Dip w/ Hot Honey

This whipped ricotta is my back-pocket appetizer whenever I need something quick for hosting or to bring to a party. It only requires a handful of ingredients and takes about 5 minutes to whip up (literally), but it’s sooo good and gets rave reviews every single time I make it.

Serve it as a dip with toasted bread, crackers, or veggies, or pipe it onto crostini for an easy appetizer that looks a little extra fancy. The best part is that the topping possibilities are basically endless. Switch them up depending on the season, the occasion, or whatever you already have in your pantry, it’s truly a choose your own adventure!

Why You’ll Love This Whipped Ricotta

• Ready in 5 minutes: Throw everything into a food processor and let it do the work for you.
• Perfect for entertaining: It feels impressive enough for a dinner party but is easy enough to throw together at the last minute.
• Endlessly customizable: Keep it simple with hot honey or dress it up with seasonal toppings.
• Make it a dip or crostini: Serve it family-style with bread for dipping or pipe it onto individual crostini for a pretty presentation.
• Only a handful of ingredients: The base is intentionally simple, which makes it the perfect blank canvas for your toppings.

Ingredient Breakdown

• Whole Milk Ricotta: The star of the show! Whole milk ricotta will give you the richest, creamiest result. If your ricotta is particularly watery, drain off any excess liquid first.
• Greek yogurt: Adds a little extra creaminess while helping make the whipped ricotta thick, smooth, and creamy.
• Lemon: A little lemon juice and zest brighten everything up and balance the richness of the cheese.
• Olive Oil: Helps everything blend together into that silky, whipped texture. Use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil here since there are so few ingredients.
• Salt + Pepper: Don’t forget to season! Ricotta is pretty mild on its own, so salt especially makes a big difference.

Topping Ideas

There are a million ways to customize whipped ricotta, but here are some of my favorites:

• Hot Honey: Keep it simple with a drizzle of calabrian chili hot honey, fresh cracked pepper, and flaky sea salt.
• Sun-Dried Tomato Dipping Oil: Sauté garlic and dried herbs in olive oil until fragrant, then remove from the heat and stir in red pepper flakes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
• Honeynut Squash Whipped Ricotta: my fall version of this dip, with roasted honeynut squash whiped directly into the ricotta and topped with brown butter sage.
• Caramelized Shallot, Fig + Bacon: Sweet, salty, savory, and SO good. This one is adapted from my caramelized shallot, bacon, and fig whipped goat cheese dip.
• Pistachio Pesto + Honey: Pulse pistachios, basil, garlic, lemon juice, and a little olive oil in a food processor, keeping it slightly loose and textured. Spoon over the ricotta and finish with honey.
• Za’atar + Sumac: Drizzle generously with good olive oil and finish with za’atar, sumac, and flaky sea salt.
• Blackberry Rosemary Jam: Cook blackberries with lemon juice, rosemary, sugar, and a pinch of salt until jammy. Let cool completely before spooning over the ricotta.
• Roasted Peaches + Honey: Perfect for summer with roasted peaches, honey, fresh thyme, and flaky salt.
• Garlic + Tomato Confit: Roast cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves submerged in olive oil at 250°F for about 2 hours, then let cool before spooning over the ricotta.

Tips & Tricks

• Use a food processor if you have one. This is the easiest way to get that super smooth, fluffy texture. I love using my mini food processor for this.
• Drain watery ricotta. Different brands can have very different moisture levels. If there’s a lot of liquid in the container, drain it before whipping, especially if you plan to pipe the ricotta onto crostini.
• Go easy on the liquid. You can always add more lemon juice or olive oil, but you can’t take it back out! Too much liquid can quickly turn your thick, fluffy ricotta into a runny dip.
• Scrape down the sides. Stop the food processor once or twice while blending to make sure everything gets evenly incorporated.
• Wait to add your toppings. If you’re making this ahead, whip and refrigerate the ricotta on its own, then add your toppings shortly before serving.

A few notes before you start:

• This whips up incredibly easy in this mini food processor I have that I am obsessed with. First preference is to use any food processor to make this, but you can also use a handheld or stand mixer on high speed until whipped and fluffy. You can use a blender if that is all you have, just make note you will need to scrape down the sides more frequently to ensure everything gets incorporated properly and avoid over blending. Try not to add more liquid than the recipe calls for if you can, as it will come out less creamy.
• The hot honey will make just a little more than what you may need for this recipe, but I like having a little extra on hand to top my pizza, avocado toast, fried eggs, cheese boards, whatever you like! It stores well in the fridge for 3-6 months, but I doubt the little extra will last you a week!
• I like my hot honey a little spicy, so I do a heaping tbsp of pepper paste to 3 tbsps honey. If you are sensitive to spice, start with 1 tsp and work your way up. You can always add more honey if you get too heavy handed.

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Storing Whipped Ricotta

Store leftover whipped ricotta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. If possible, store the ricotta separately from your toppings, especially if they contain a lot of liquid.

You can also make the whipped ricotta a day or two ahead for entertaining. Give it a quick stir before serving, then add your toppings and finish with a drizzle of olive oil or honey. I don’t recommend freezing whipped ricotta, as the texture can become grainy once thawed.