Whipped ricotta is a quick, creamy, and velvety dip that shines as a starter, side, or base for roasted veggies with pita. Light yet indulgent, it’s effortlessly delicious!
For more dips and spreads, try our tzatziki sauce, eggplant yogurt dip, and tirokafteri (spicy feta dip).
Why you will love this…
This whipped ricotta is everything you need for your next gathering, celebration, or cozy movie night. It’s unbelievably simple yet effortlessly impressive.
Blending ricotta with olive oil, lemon juice, and the secret ingredient (🤫 Greek yogurt) creates an ultra-smooth, light, velvety dip with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Louise and I first served it with tomato confit, then glazed roasted carrots the next day. It was SO good that Louise kept eating the leftovers for breakfast 🤷♀️!
Like labneh or yogurt tahini sauce, this ricotta dip is endlessly versatile. Serve it as a base for roasted veggies, dollop it over a Mediterranean salad and falafel bowl, or pair it with bruschetta, crostini, or warm homemade pita.
An easy, crowd-pleasing vegetarian appetizer, side dish, or light main you’ll want to make again and again!
How to make whipped ricotta
To a food processor, add whole milk ricotta, extra virgin olive oil, Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, grated garlic, salt, black pepper, and optional honey for a touch of sweetness.
Blend at high speed for 2 minutes. Serve as a spread, dip, or dolloped on bowls and salads.
Serving Suggestions
🧆 Spread: top it with confit tomatoes, falafel, hot honey glazed carrots, zucchini salad, and roasted Brussels sprouts.
🫓 Dip: dig in with fluffy pita bread, crispy bruschetta, and crunchy crostini.
🥗 Dolloped: We love this on fatteh instead of yogurt, cauliflower salad, and on our mediterranean salad.
Tips
- Use full-fat ricotta: Best if fresh and made from whole-milk as it will give you the creamiest texture and milkiest flavor.
- Olive oil and Greek yogurt for extra creaminess: Good quality extra virgin olive oil is best to make this richer. The yogurt makes it creamier and adds a pleasant tang.
- Drain if necessary: Some ricotta brands can be watery. If so, drain it in a fine-mesh sieve lined with a cheesecloth for 30 minute before blending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Let’s take a tip from the ricotta masters: Sicilians 🇮🇹. Simply add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk vigorously until well combined. Once combined, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sift to get the smoothest, creamiest, most velvety ricotta dip without a blender.
Easy! Add a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil for richness, and a few dollops of full-fat Greek yogurt for extra creaminess. Blend those three ingredients together at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes (set a timer) for the creamiest, most velvety ricotta dip.
Sure you can! Omit salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add powder sugar or honey. Start with 2 tablespoons, blend, taste and adjust and add more if desired. When adding powder sugar it’s best to sift it first to remove lumps.
Also, you can replace lemon zest with orange zest for a Sicilian twist. Once blended and of the right sweetness you can choose if adding mix-ins such as dark chocolate chips and toasted chopped pistachios. Enjoy!
You can make this recipe a few hours ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers last for 3 days. Freezing is not ideal as the ricotta will get grainy and less creamy once thawed.
More dips and spread
Dips and Spreads
Masabacha (Swimming Chickpeas)
Dips and Spreads
Tirokafteri (Spicy Feta Dip)
Dips and Spreads
Tzatziki
If you tried this Whipped Ricotta recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Whipped Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic grated
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 2 twists black pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey optional for a mildly sweet touch
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt optional for extra creaminess
Instructions
- To a food processor, add 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 clove garlic (grated), ½ teaspoon salt, 2 twists black pepper, 1 tablespoon honey, and 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt.
- Blend at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.Serve as a dip, spread, or dolloped on salads and grain bowls.We recommend topping it with juicy tomato confit or hot honey glazed carrots and serving with warm pita bread.
Video
Notes
- Whole milk ricotta: substitute reduced-fat ricotta or vegan ricotta.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Omit for an oil-free dip.
- Lemon juice: substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Honey: substitute maple syrup.
- Full-fat Greek yogurt: substitute reduced-fat Greek yogurt, cream cheese, or omit.
- Fresh garlic: substitute garlic powder.
- Toppings: Try it with tomato confit for best flavor-texture match! It’s truly delicious. For a simpler topping try a sprinkle of parsley or dill, or a pinch of dried oregano.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
Can I use you vegan ricotta?
Ciao Lara, yes you can.
For a 100% vegan ricotta dip, use also dairy-free yogurt (with no added sugar), this really makes a lighter and creamy whipped ricotta 🙂
Best, Louise
I think I never had something so creamy yet light and velvety. My family LOVED this recipe. We had it with your homemade pita and the confit tomatoes and lots of basil. So good! Thanks for sharing all your serving tips.
Fantastic, Sandra!! So happy to hear.
Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback here! Kindest,
Louise
Love this recipe.
Sending much amore to you both.
CMA,
Giovanni