Just 3 ingredients are needed to make this easy & incredibly delicious recipe. From bagels to desserts, fruit to crostini, this is truly irresistible!
Ricotta: A Fridge Staple
Between marrying into an Italian family and being a chef for over 35 years, I always have ricotta cheese in my fridge. And yes, it’s usually the 5-pound container size. From pasta to pastries, I use ricotta cheese practically daily.
Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to use ricotta in a spread/dip form that generations have loved. Whether you have some ricotta leftover from that lasagna dish you made or just bought a tub of it, see how versatile this ingredient is!
Ricotta is for so much more than just stuffed in pasta! Watch how I transform this into one of the BEST sweet spreads you’ll eat! From breakfast topping to crostini and dessert pizzas to fruit dips, this 3-ingredient Vanilla Honey Whipped Ricotta is delicious and easy!
WATCH: How to Make Whipped Ricotta
Whipped Ricotta Ingredients
I’m not joking; these are only three ingredients. However, the quality of the ingredients matters here. I use these products not because they are a sponsor; it’s because they truly are THE BEST out there. As a Chef & Engineer, it’s important to me that what I spend money on is high-quality products that give me the best results.
- Ricotta Cheese – You want a New York-style ricotta. It’s full cream, large curd, and it’s drier, which means it’s not going to weep. Plus, it tastes amazing, and you don’t have to strain/drain it. I LOVE Polly-O New York Style (TLC) Ricotta
- Vanilla Bean Paste – it’s a 1:1 swap for vanilla extract, but I prefer the paste because it’s thicker, which means it’s not adding more liquid, and you see the vanilla bean specks.
- Honey – My favorite honey is Savannah Bee Honey. You can go with any of their flavors. I first bought this gift set to try the various flavors. Any of these work!
- Topping item: I love adding honeycomb on top of this right before serving as it adds a great textural element, too
How to make Whipped Ricotta with Honey
As you see in the video (make sure you watch it!), this comes together in mere minutes. I SWEAR BY THIS Mini Food Processor by Braun. Seriously, I looked for years for a strong, smaller, 4-cup one, and this thing is fantastic!
- To a food processor, add the ricotta, vanilla bean paste, and honey.
- Process for 30 seconds, stopping it to remove the lid, scrape the sides/bottom, replace the lid, and process for another 30 seconds or until it’s super creamy and whipped.
- Remove the lid, taste for sweetness, and add more if desired.
Eat It Now, or Chill Out
When you take this out of the food processor, you can eat it right away, but I preferred to chill it for about an hour as I wanted it cold. It’s your choice.
How to Serve Honey Whipped Ricotta
- Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill for an hour.
- To serve, drizzle with more honey and top with chunks of honeycomb.
- To give it a hint of more ‘pop,’ I sprinkled a hint of cinnamon on top. It’s not necessary, but I wanted just a slight hint of a warming spice with the honey vanilla to help balance it out.
Ways To Serve 3-Ingredient Vanilla Honey Whipped Ricotta
In an upcoming follow-on recipe, I’ll show you how I turned this into a fantastic dessert crostini. When I first served this, I got NONE of the first platter because my guests devoured the entire tray like they hadn’t eaten in weeks!
- Crostini – top with fresh fruits
- Bagel Spread – this atop a bagel would be amazing (cinnamon crunch or blueberry would be amazing)
- Toast – this on toast topped with slices of banana and some toasted nuts would be awesome
- Fruit Dip – serve with apples, pears and berries
- Dessert Pizza – make sweetened pizza dough, bake it, and then top it with some fruit spread, strawberry compote, or blueberry compote
- Spoonful – seriously, this on a spoon with granola is amazing!
Honey Whipped Ricotta Recipe Addition and Substitutions
I’m going to be honest, TKW Family, I don’t think I’d change anything about the ‘base’ recipe. The quality of the products does matter!
- Ricotta – If you cannot find my brand, buy one with whole milk, and you’ll have to strain it. You’ll need a cheesecloth, strainer, rubber spatula, and bowl to catch the liquid.
- Cinnamon – you can grate cinnamon over the top or even add it to the mixture.
- Zest – grated orange, lemon, and lime zest would be awesome in this as well.
How to thicken whipped ricotta
- Place the strainer over a bowl and line it with cheesecloth.
- Add the ricotta, use the spatula to gently push & spread it around in an even layer in the cheesecloth.
- Cover the strainer/bowl with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
- The next day, discard the liquid and use the remaining ricotta.
How long does whipped ricotta last?
Like most foods, it’s best if eaten fresh, but you can store this in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Before serving, give it a quick whisk to re-fluff up.
Deliciously Easy 3-Ingredient Vanilla Honey Whipped Ricotta
Just 3 ingredients are needed to make this easy & incredibly delicious recipe. From bagels to desserts, fruit to crostini, this is truly irresistible!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ~2 cups of ricotta
- Category: dips, appetizers, spreads, breakfast spread, bagels, grazing boards, fruit dips, dessert pizza, uses for ricotta
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: dips, appetizers, spreads, breakfast spread, bagels, grazing boards, fruit dips, dessert pizza, uses for ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of New York Style Ricotta (whole milk)
- 2–3 Tablespoons honey (go with your sweetness preference)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste
- Dash of cinnamon and chopped honeycomb *These are both optional
Instructions
- To a food processor, add the ricotta, vanilla bean paste, and 2 Tablespoons of honey.
- Process for 30 seconds, stopping it to remove the lid, scrape the sides/bottom, replace the lid, and process for another 30 seconds or so or until it’s super creamy and whipped.
- Remove the lid, taste for sweetness, and add more honey if desired.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill for an hour.
- To serve, drizzle with more honey and top with chunks of honeycomb.
- To give it just a hint of more ‘pop’, I sprinkled just a hint of cinnamon on top. It’s not necessary but I wanted just a slight hint of a warming spice with the honey vanilla to help balance it out.
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