Oh my goodness gracious, are you ready for this whipped ricotta recipe? The recipe of all appetizer recipes? The one that is super easy to make (we’re talking 10 minutes or less). That’s creamy and loaded with bright flavors from fresh herbs, lemon zest, and a hint of sweet honey?!
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I know you know I love super-easy dip recipes, and I know you do, too. I mean, what’s better than snacking on small bites and using grilled bread to transfer all the creamy ricotta straight into your mouth?! Nothing.
Nothing is better, and today we’re making homemade whipped ricotta, and it is going to be a showstopper at your next get-together. Your guests won’t be able to stop dipping and snacking, and neither will you…it is going to wow everyone!
How to Make Whipped Ricotta
First thing, prepare for your world to be rocked. The whipped ricotta at Alma Café in Minneapolis inspired this recipe; it was light and creamy, and I knew I needed to get into the kitchen to begin the recipe testing process ASAP so I could have it at home anytime!
Making whipped ricotta might sound like quite the task, but it’s actually so easy. All you need is a mixer—either a stand or a hand-held mixer; both work great. And that’s it!
- Start with whole milk ricotta—the freshest you can get. Do not skimp on the fat content, either. The fresher and whole-fat the ricotta is, the better it will whip into a light and creamy dip.
- Use either a whisk attachment from your hand mixer or regular beaters to whip the ricotta until it is smooth, light, and creamy. This only takes a couple of minutes.
- Once it’s creamy, light, and airy, it’s ready to be topped with fresh herbs and honey.
Fresh Herbs and Honey Topping
When it comes down to it, you can top whipped ricotta with just about whatever your taste buds desire – there’s no shortage of ideas in my whipped ricotta toast recipe.
But this dip…this dip is made with a magical mix of fresh mint, parsley, lemon, and honey. The combination is out-of-this-world delicious and pairs seamlessly with the creamy whipped ricotta.
Stir together fresh herbs, lemon zest, olive oil, honey, and a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture over the whipped ricotta, and for the *chef’s kiss* final touch, sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
The Best Way to Serve It
The best part: EATING IT! Like I said before, if you’re serving this appetizer to guests, be sure to sneak a couple of bites before you present it to them because they’ll devour it once they’ve had their first bites.
While I could eat this by the spoonful, it’s extra delicious served with grilled baguette slices or crisp crostini. The salt and crunch from the bread paired with the creamy ricotta really is a match made in heaven. Other dipping vehicles include fresh veggies, crackers, or pita chips.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Get the Recipe Whipped Ricotta with Herbs and Honey
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 Tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, additional for baguette slices
- 3 teaspoons honey
- Generous pinch of sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 Baguette, sliced, if using
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the ricotta in a small mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment or beaters, whisk ricotta for 2 minutes until it's smooth and creamy; you may still see tiny bumps of ricotta, this is ok. Place the whipped ricotta in a serving bowl or spread on a plate.1 cup whole milk ricotta
- In a separate bowl, stir together the mint, parsley, lemon zest, olive oil, honey, and salt. Pour the herb and honey mixture on top of the whipped ricotta. Top with freshly ground black pepper as desired. Serve with grilled baguette slices, crackers, or vegetables.2 Tablespoons fresh mint, 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 3 teaspoons honey, Generous pinch of sea salt, Freshly ground black pepper
Grilled Baguette or Crostini
- Grilled Baguette: to serve with grilled baguette slices, brush olive oil on each side of baguette slices, and place on a grill pan over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side, until toasted. Sprinkle with salt and serve.1 Baguette
- Crostini: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil (don’t drench them, dry areas are ok), and turn them over, spreading them in the olive oil a bit to coat, and flipping to coat as well. Sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper. Toast in oven for 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
Notes
- Storage: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
This is addictive! I want to spread it on everything
Couldn’t agree more! 🙂
I can’t believe how easy this is to make and how it tastes like I fussed! Thanks, Becca
I love how easy it is too, yet so flavorful! Thanks for commenting!
This recipe is SO easy to make and SO delicious! It’s one of my go to party appetizers and is always a crowd pleaser! I always get compliments when I make it. So light, airy, herby, and perfect with crostini.
Yes, yes, yes! Such a crowd pleaser for sure! Thanks for commenting!!
This recipe is so packed full of fresh flavor, yet so simple to make. This is a go to appetizer for me!!
(Review provided by friend/family of forkinthekitchen.com.)
So glad to hear! Thanks, Molly!
This recipe is amazing! Such an easy and quick way to make a sophisticated party appetizer. It’s one of my go-to’s for any occasion. The whipped ricotta is so light and creamy and is a perfect pair with a crostini.
Yay! So happy to hear. It really is perfect for any occasion! Thanks, Gina!
This recipe was so light and delicious! It was really easy to make, and all my friends enjoyed it. Perfect for a party appetizer, or to have for yourself 🙂
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Tessa!
This spread is so delicious. It’s very easy to make and has complex flavors. Its perfect to serve with fruits and a baguette.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Amy! Thanks so much!
I made this once before and it was a big hit for sure! The flavors are very unexpected and fresh. My friends who don’t like mint also enjoyed it and had no idea it was in there!
One side note I made it ahead and stored in the serving dish for about 5 hours, when I took it out to top with the herb mixture the cheese was very wet/watery. My appetizer didn’t look like your pictures. Everyone ate it and still raved but I’m wondering if there is something I should do different next time?
Hi Kelli,I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, and great question!
Ricotta is a high-moisture cheese so when it sits it can release extra water. You could strain the ricotta before you whip it if it seems to be extra wet by placing it in a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, then press down and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, I would just pour off the extra water (since you stored it without the herbs, which is what I recommend) and give it a good stir (or whisk) in that case, and continue with topping it.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi!
Could I use chopped rosemary as I’m not a big fan of mint.
For sure!
Easy and tasty
So glad you enjoyed! Thank you for your review!
Huge hit with my family. DIdn’t have parsley so i used fresh basil.
Oh, basil is so yummy, too! One of my favorites. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks, Gigi!
Totally amazing! Perfect for dinner party aperitif. I pair them with crab, lime and chilli crostinis and they go down a storm. I add toasted walnuts to the finished dish as I like the crunch. And the more lemon the better! This recipe will be a regular on my menus. Thank you!
Yummy! Love the idea of adding toasted walnuts. Thanks so much for sharing, Annie!
Becca, this whipped ricotta recipe is so simple to make and so good! This dip has been on my to-make list for ages and it did not disappoint — totally deserves 5 stars!
I’m so glad you loved it, Liane! Thank you! 🙂
Everyone loved the dip! I will definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks so much for making and taking the time to leave your review, Janie!
An amazingly simple preparation that delivers a super fresh and tasty result! I left the mint out as a personal preference of a guest, but know that it would add another dimension. II put it on some of the whipped ricotta on freshly toasted crostinis and topped them with some Harissa Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, and they were were fantastic. The recipe stands on its own for a quick, easy, and really delicious appetizer that will get rave reviews from any foodie you know.
The pairing with those tomatoes sounds delicious! Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time to leave your review, Con! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Didn’t have mint or parsley on hand but had lemon zest, honey and ofc evoo.. I spread each grilled baguette slice with ricotta and topped each with a small slice of prosciutto.
The lemon zest is a definite “must have.”
Yum! Thanks so much for your review!
Question – would sage leaves fried in brown butter work if you put them on the top? Trying to come up with something to use sage in for my Oscar Party food inspired by Killers of the Flower Moon – using (O)-sage 🙂
Hi Robin – yes, I do think that would work! I would consider omitting the mint though; thyme could be a good substitute for the brighter herbs for a savory complement to sage. The whipped ricotta is an excellent base on its own for a variety of toppings! Enjoy!
Thank you! I was thinking of sprinkling them on top, or setting on the side, and doing the recipe as you suggested. But if I substitute for the mint, would fresh sage chopped in small pieces work? Thanks – so excited to make this!
I think both sound like good options!
Can’t wait to make this! How do you find fresh ricotta? And can it be made with reduced fat ricotta?
Hi Tiffany! Whole Foods sells fresh ricotta and you can probably find it at other co-op or other speciality foods stores. It can be made with reduced fat ricotta, but I recommend whole milk for the best flavor and whip-ability 🙂 Hope this helps, and enjoy!
If done a couple of hours in advance to bring to a party, can you pre-spread the topping on the crostini as opposed to having it as a dip or will it make the crostini soggy/less appetizing? Very excited to make this recipe!
Hi Rebecca! Ah, that’s a tough one. You will run the risk of the crostini becoming soggy the more in advance you make them, especially because ricotta is a higher moisture cheese. If it were me I’d skip assembly in advance or right before taking to the party, whatever was possible. I hope this helps! Enjoy!
My wife and I have been experimenting with whipped cheese recipes: mainly ricotta and feta. This one was really nice! We left out the honey and put a boatload of pepper flakes (Aleppo and red) and crushed pistachios on top. It was awesome.We didn’t have any bread or crackers but we did have breadsticks. Great combo1
Love to hear it! Thanks for sharing, Jim!
Could low fat ricotta be used in this recipe ?
Yeah, you can use low fat if you want to.
Can this be made a day ahead and how to store?
Yes, it can. I recommend keeping the ricotta and the herb topping separate until it’s time to serve. Store each separately in the fridge in their own containers. Hope that helps!
Soooooo good! The better the ricotta the better the dip! So glad I found this recipe!
Yay! Makes my day to hear you love it, thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delicious!! The mint and lemon zest really make it special!
I love this recipe, it’s absolutely delicious! The mint and lemon zest really elevate it…
I couldn’t agree more 😊 Thanks, Elena, I’m so happy to hear you love it!