Get ready to wow your guests with this effortlessly elegant and irresistibly delicious recipe for Whipped Ricotta Dip! Featuring creamy, fluffy ricotta, perfectly blended with rich cream, the caramelized goodness of roasted garlic, and a zesty kick of fresh lemon, this 6-ingredient savory ricotta dip is the perfect last-minute lifesaver.Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Smash garlic: Add all the cloves from two bulbs of roasted garlic to a medium bowl. Use a fork to smash and stir the cloves until a smooth paste forms.
Whip ricotta: Add the ricotta to the bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, beat the ricotta and garlic on HIGH speed until the cheese is very smooth and lightly aerated, about 2-3 minutes.
Add cream: Add the heavy cream to the bowl of ricotta. Beat the mixture, starting on LOW (so the cream doesn’t splash on you) and working your way up to HIGH speed, until thoroughly combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice during whipping.
Add lemon, salt, and pepper: Add the chopped lemon zest, a few generous pinches of salt, and a pinch of black pepper to the ricotta mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the lemon and seasonings into the ricotta. Taste the whipped ricotta dip and adjust the flavors as you see fit.
Garnish: Use a rubber spatula to carefully transfer the whipped ricotta dip to a shallow serving bowl. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil or honey over the top of the ricotta appetizer. Sprinkle the top with crushed walnuts or pistachios, fresh thyme leaves, flakey sea salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
Serve and enjoy: Serve the whipped ricotta dip with crostini (toasted baguette slices), crackers, toast, and/or veggies. Enjoy!
Notes
Ricotta: I recommend letting the ricotta sit on the counter for 15-25 minutes while you gather the remaining ingredients – this will make the ricotta easier to whip.
Yield: This recipe for whipped ricotta cheese yields approximately 2 cups.
Serving Size: Roughly 1/4 cup
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 8 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.