Whipped Ricotta Dip w/ Hot Honey

Whipped Ricotta Dip w/ Calabrian Chili Hot Honey

This whipped ricotta is my back pocket hack whenever I need a quick appetizer for hosting or to bring to a party. It only requires a few ingredients and takes 5 minutes to whip up (literally), but it’s sooo good and gets rave reviews every time I make it! Feel free to customize the toppings to your preference, but I love topping with hot honey made out of bomba sauce and honey - the spicy/sweet combination is incredible with this!

Topping Ideas:

There’s a million ways to customize the toppings to switch it up, but I have included some ideas below of ones I love:

• Simple honey + thyme

• Sundried tomato dipping oil (saute garlic and dried herbs in olive oil until fragrant, then shut off the heat and add in red pepper flakes, sundried tomatoes, and a splash of balsamic vinegar)

• Caramelized Shallot, Fig, Bacon Topping (adapted from my whipped goat cheese dip linked here)

• Loose pesto and honey (pulse pistachios, basil, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor with a tiny bit of oil so you get a looser pesto)

• Olive Oil, Za’atar, Sumac, and Flaky Sea Salt

• Blackberry + Rosemary Jam (cook blackberries down with lemon juice, rosemary, sugar, and a pinch of salt, then let cool before topping)

• For a summery version, roasted peaches, honey, and thyme would be delicious

• Garlic & Tomato Confit (roast cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves in olive oil and roast at 250 degrees F for 2 hours. Let cool before topping)

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 overblending. 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.

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

For the Whipped Ricotta Dip:

• 16oz ricotta

• 1 tbsp plain greek yogurt

• Juice + zest of 1 small lemon

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Homemade or store bought focaccia or sourdough for dipping

For the Hot Honey*:

• 2 tsps-1tbsp chopped calabrian chili pepper paste (I like the Bomba Sauce Jar from Trader Joe’s)

• 3 tbsps honey

*Note: Choosing the amount of bomba sauce to use in this is based on spice preference. If you like spicy, I recommend a heaping tbsp. If you are more sensitive to spice, start with 1 tsp and work your way up. You can always add more honey if you made it too spicy

Directions:

For the Whipped Ricotta Dip:

• Start by making your hot honey topping. Place the bomba sauce and honey in a small saucepan and heat on medium. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the honey has been infused. Shut off the heat and pour into a sealed jar to cool and set aside. 

• While the hot honey cools, make your whipped ricotta dip. Add ricotta, greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor. Blend for 3-4 minutes or until creamy, stopping every so often to scrape down the sides. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

• Add the whipped ricotta to a serving bowl and spread out with a spoon or spatula to create little divots for the hot honey.

• Top the whipped ricotta with as much of the hot honey mixture. You can store any leftover hot honey in the fridge for 3-6 months.

• Top the dip with fresh cracked pepper and flaky sea salt and serve with warm focaccia, toasted sourdough bread, or crackers. Enjoy!