Homemade Whipped Ricotta Dip is a perfect appetizer for a dinner party or anytime you want a creamy, savory and decadent dip. It takes about 5 minutes to make and features bright, lemony flavor with honey, spices and fresh herbs on top.
Creamy ricotta cheese dip couldn't be easier to prepare. Plus, it is gluten-free and easy to make ahead of time, making it a versatile and easy appetizer. Here is why I love making this whipped ricotta cheese with honey and herb dip:
- Easily customizable
- Simple ingredients found in most grocery stores
- Perfect for a healthy snack yet delicious for a dinner party
- Goes great with so many things, from crusty toasted bread to fresh cut vegetables
- Minutes to prepare, plus you can make it ahead of time
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Ingredients That Matter
This whipped ricotta cheese dip features a handful of pantry staples and some fresh ingredients, all of which you can find at your local grocery store. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this simple ricotta appetizer:
- Ricotta Cheese. This Italian fresh cheese is super creamy and fairly mild. It plays a staring role in many Italian baked pasta recipes, like our Rigatoni Al Forno recipe. For this simple savory dip, you want to use full-fat (whole milk) ricotta cheese.
- Olive Oil. This recipe only uses a couple tablespoons of olive oil so I recommend reaching for the good stuff! Choose extra virgin olive oil, if you can. A regular olive oil will also work.
- Honey. Ricotta dip is finished with a spicy herb infused honey. Drizzling honey on ricotta brings out the natural sweetness of the creamy cheese. You can instead use a hot honey instead of (essentially) making your own with fresh herbs and spices.
- Spices. While just about any spice will work here, I love the combination of freshly crushed fennel seeds with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Herbs. Like the spices, you have plenty of options for the herbs, but I recommend using a combination of fresh thyme, rosemary and sage. You can often find these herbs sold together in single package of poultry herbs.
- Lemon. Lemon zest is added to the ricotta to make for a bright and fresh lemon ricotta dip without tasting too sour. Add a splash of lemon juice to the honey mixture (optional) to help cut through the richness of the creamy dip.
- Salt & Pepper. Add a bit of salt and pepper to the ricotta before whipping to season the cheesy dip. Finish the ricotta dip with a big pinch of flakey salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making whipped ricotta cheese is super simple. I recommend using a food processor, if you have one, but you can also use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. Here's how the recipe comes together:
Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper to the base of a food processor. Or, add the ingredients to the base of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or, if using a handheld electric mixer, a medium mixing bowl.
Pulse the ingredients for 30 seconds, scrape the bowl, then pulse another 30 seconds until the mixture is very light and smooth. If using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, whisk until light and fluffy and very creamy, 1-2 minutes.
In a separate small bowl, stir together the honey, remaining olive oil, herbs, crushed red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and black pepper. I recommend heating the honey briefly (in a microwave for 5-10 seconds or stovetop until just warmed through) to ensure the ingredients blend together easily. This step will also enhance the flavor of the herbs and spices.
Transfer the ricotta dip to a serving bowl and drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the honey mixture. Serve the dip with the remaining honey so your guests can drizzle, if they'd like. Garnish with a pinch of pepper and more fresh herbs.
Hint: Ricotta cheese is naturally wet, so leaving the dip in the refrigerator for more than a day will likely result in a runny dip. Simply stir together or blot dry with a paper towel, if needed. You can also place the ricotta cheese in cheesecloth for 10 minutes before whipping to remove some of the excess liquid.
Substitutions
This recipe is gluten-free but it is not vegan or dairy-free. There are some tweaks you can make based on your flavor preferences. Consider these tweaks to the recipe:
- Ricotta Cheese - While I recommend whole milk ricotta cheese, you can definitely use low-fat ricotta cheese. Note that low-fat ricotta may be a bit wetter than full fat. You can simply transfer it to a bowl and press a paper towel on top to blot up some of the excess liquid.
- Citrus - Lemon works so well with ricotta cheese, but you could use other citrus like the zest from an orange or grapefruit. I don't recommend lime zest.
- Herbs - You can, of course, change the herbs in this recipe and instead use fresh parsley, mint, chives, scallions or even dill.
- Spices - I LOVE how the fennel seeds and crushed red pepper flakes taste on this creamy whipped ricotta, but I recognize that may not be for everyone. You can also use coriander, cumin, Aleppo pepper, or leave out the extra spices all together (but I hope you try it with a big pinch of CRP and fennel!).
What to Serve with Ricotta and Herb Dip
I love spreading this cold ricotta dip on some toasted or grilled bread. Seriously, that's all you need! It makes for a super tasty breakfast. But, if you want some other suggestions on what to serve with this honey ricotta, consider:
- Fresh cut vegetables
- Air Fryer Steak Fries
- Red Lentil Patties
- Chickpea Patties
- Crispy Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Crackers or Pretzels
- Endive Leaves
Equipment Options
To make this ricotta dip recipe you simply need something to beat the cheese until it is light and fluffy. Yes, you can do this by hand using a whisk, but it will take quite a bit of effort.
The best way to whip ricotta for a dip is to use a food processor. Use either a small capacity model, like a 3-Cup Cuisinart Mini Food Processor or a full size 14-Cup Cuisinart Food Processor. Use the regular blade attachment to whip the ricotta until smooth and fluffy.
You can also whip ricotta using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer. Use the whisk or paddle attachment for this method. It may take more like 2-3 minutes to get the ricotta super smooth and light.
How to Store Creamy Whipped Ricotta
You can store leftover whipped ricotta cheese for up to 2-3 days. However, note that it tastes best freshly made. That is because as ricotta cheese sits in the fridge, the liquid may separate a bit from the solids, resulting in little puddles of liquid in your dip. Here is how to properly store whipped ricotta:
- For best results, whip ricotta cheese a day ahead of time and store, covered, in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- If you want to make ricotta dip ahead of time, do not drizzle the top with the hot honey and herb mixture. Instead, store the whipped ricotta and honey separately in the refrigerator of a maximum of 3 days.
- Whipped ricotta should be stirred vigorously after it is refrigerated.
- If there is a lot of moisture remaining in the dip, simply blot it dry with paper towels.
- I recommend reheating the honey mixture just until it's warm before drizzling on the ricotta spread.
Whipped ricotta does not store well in the freezer.
Top tip
This whipped ricotta dip recipe is very easy to adjust based on your flavor preferences. While I personally love it with crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds, along with woody herbs, you can instead use warm spices like cumin and coriander with bright herbs like mint, chives and parsley.
FAQ
Serve whipped ricotta as a dip for fresh cut vegetables, crusty bread or toast. Or use ricotta dip as a spread for crackers. It also goes well on grain bowls, with roasted vegetables or even dolloped on scrambled eggs.
Ricotta is a whey cheese with very small curds, resulting in a smooth, fresh tasting creamy cheese. It has a mild, slightly tangy taste. Whipped ricotta cheese tastes mild and milky with a smooth, light and fluffy creamy texture.
Yes! You can use a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer. It will take a couple minutes to get the right light and fluffy texture, but it will work. You can even whip ricotta cheese by hand, but it will take some seriously elbow grease.
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Recipe
Whipped Ricotta Dip
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
Homemade Whipped Ricotta Dip is a perfect appetizer for a dinner party or anytime you want a creamy, savory and decadent dip. It takes about 5 minutes to make and features bright, lemony flavor with honey, spices and fresh herbs on top.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pinch table salt
- 1 pinch black pepper, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp. lemon zest (plus lemon juice, if desired)
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage and rosemary, plus more for serving
- ¼ tsp. fennel seeds, crushed (or ¼ tsp. ground fennel seeds)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Make whipped ricotta by adding the ricotta cheese to the base of a food processor. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with the table salt, black pepper and lemon zest. Blend the cheese for 30 seconds, then scrape the sides and bottom of the food processor base and blend until the mixture is very light and fluffy, another 30-60 seconds. (See below for alternative methods) Taste the cheese mixture and, if desired, add a bit of lemon juice and more salt and pepper.
- To make the honey topping, warm the honey and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in microwave for 10 seconds or in a small saucepan until just warm (this step is optional, but I include it as honey may stiffen when stored for a long time, plus warming the honey and olive oil will help bloom the spices and herbs). Stir the herbs, fennel and red pepper flakes into the warm honey and oil mixture.
- Add the whipped ricotta cheese to a serving bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the herb and spice infused honey. Garnish with the flaky salt, more pepper and herbs. Serve the dip with more honey on the side.
Notes
- Whipped ricotta dip tastes great with toast, grilled bread, fresh cut vegetables, pita chips, pretzels and crackers. You can also use ricotta cheese dip on a grain bowl, with Air Fryer Steak Fries, Red Lentil Patties, Crispy Herb Roasted Potatoes or Chickpea Patties.
- To make this ricotta dip without a food processor, use a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment. It will take closer to 2-3 minutes for the ricotta to get light and fluffy. You can also whip the cheese by hand using a whisk, though it will take some serious elbow grease.
- Note: If your ricotta seems wet, try gently blotting it dry with clean paper towels. You can make the dip even less wet by placing the ricotta cheese in cheesecloth and allowing it to drain in a strainer for about 10 minutes, or a few hours (in the refrigerator). This step is completely optional, but it will ensure the dip won't be too loose.
- Store leftover whipped ricotta in an airtight container for up to 3 days (it tastes best used within 1 day). Note that the cheese may separate a bit so try blotting it dry when pulled from the refrigerator then use a spoon to whip briefly.
- Be sure to store the honey mixture separately from the ricotta dip if making this recipe ahead of time.
- If you don't want to use fennel, try instead using ground cumin or coriander.
- You can also use fresh mint, chives or parsley instead of woody herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme.
- Lemon juice is completely optional and will result in a tangier whipped ricotta dip.
- Instead of making the herb and spice infused honey you can use hot honey.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minutes
- Category: appetizers
- Method: whisking
- Cuisine: American
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