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Light and creamy, Whipped Ricotta Dip with honey and thyme is a quick and easy last minute appetizer that comes together in minutes.

A purple plate with white ricotta dip and crostini.

Made with simple ingredients readily found at your grocery store and in your pantry, whipped ricotta dip is one of the easiest appetizer recipes there is. Because it’s light and fluffy, I like serving it alongside heavier appetizers for variety.

It's casual enough to serve as a quick happy hour appetizer or at your next backyard barbecue, but fancy enough to make for a special occasion or serve when you're entertaining during the holiday season.

Looking for more quick and easy dip recipes? Try my Roasted Garlic and White Bean Spread or Creamy Bean Dip (without cream cheese).

Ingredients

Ricotta cheese - Whole milk ricotta is a little thicker and works best, but part-skim ricotta cheese is ok too.
Honey - Any honey will work in this recipe, including hot honey if you like things spicy.
Thyme - Fresh only and leaves only! Be sure to take the time to strip the thyme leaves from the stems. This dip isn't cooked, so the stems don't break down or blend into the whipped ricotta.
Lemon zest - Pick a fresh, very firm lemon for this recipe.
Extra-virgin olive oil - Your favorite brand of olive oil will work perfectly in this recipe.
Salt - Use your favorite table salt.

How to Make Whipped Ricotta Dip with Honey

Looking down into a food processor filled with the ingredients for whipped ricotta dip.

In a food processor, combine ricotta cheese, honey, salt, thyme, lemon zest, and olive oil.

A fully mixed batch of whipped ricotta dip.

Process on high speed until mixture is well combined and whipped smooth.

Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight) to allow the flavors to combine.

Serve ricotta dip on a small plate or in a shallow serving bowl with a drizzle of honey, drizzle of olive oil, and/or fresh thyme on top and homemade crostini on the side.

A honey dipper drizzling honey over a plate of whipped ricotta dip.

Make Homemade Crostini

Toasted baguette slices that are crispy on the outside and soft in the inside are the perfect thing to dip into this whipped ricotta with honey. Make homemade crostini quickly and easily with my simple crostini recipe.

Recipe Tips

Love spicy? Drizzle hot honey on top of the whipped ricotta before serving and/or use hot honey in the dip itself.
Don't have a food processor? Use a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the cheese mixture into a smooth texture.
Short on time? You do not HAVE to let the dip sit for an hour after you make it. The flavors mingle together and develop more the longer you let it chill, but it’s still tasty straight out of the food processor.
Want a thicker dip? Add 1 ounce of softened cream cheese to the food processor along with the ricotta cheese.

Make Ahead Whipped Ricotta Dip

You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of your party. Make the whipped ricotta dip and store that in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The day of the party, make the crostini (or grab some pita chips) and assemble the whipped ricotta on a plate.

How to Serve Whipped Ricotta with Honey

Place ricotta mixture on a small serving plate or shallow bowl. (I love using a pasta bowl.) Garnish with a drizzle of honey and fresh thyme on top of the dip. You could also add a few cracks of black pepper or a little flaky sea salt. Serve with toasted french baguette slices, pita chips, slices of fresh vegetables (try carrots, cucumber, celery and bell peppers), and/or your favorite crackers.

A plate of whipped ricotta dip topped with cracked black pepper, fresh thyme leaves, and swirls of honey.

Looking for More Easy Appetizer Recipes?

I love providing a delicious appetizer (or two or three) when people are coming over. Try my bacon wrapped dates, caprese crostini, smoked salmon dip, whipped feta bruschetta with sun-dried tomatoes, blueberry goat cheese dip with fresh rosemary, or black bean mango salsa with homemade tortilla chips.

Drink Pairings for Whipped Ricotta Dip

A glass of dry white wine or tart, crisp cocktail goes well with this creamy dip. Shake up a Lavender Lemon Drop Martini, a Bee’s Knees gin cocktail, boozy Blueberry Vodka Lemonade, or some non-alcoholic Pomegranate Lemonade with this easy whipped ricotta dip.

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