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This whipped ricotta dip is as fluffy as a cloud. With fresh lemon, olive oil, and basil, this 10-minute appetizer is amazing for a party! Especially if you serve it alongside a good Italian spritz situation. Dollop it on crostini, serve it with fresh veggies, or eat it by the spoonful. You really can’t go wrong!

A hand using a gold knife to scoop whipped ricotta dip out of a brown bowl. The bowl is on a tan counter next to a white plate of crackers, glasses of wine, and a white bowl of olives.

Every weekend, I get the Sunday Scaries, not because I have to put on makeup and go to an office Monday morning. (I mean, I am a WFH food blogger after all.) No, I get the Sunday Scaries because it means lazy days of snacking with friends are over for the next few days. And if there’s anything I love, it’s having people over for drinks, small bites, and good conversations.

But, I am also a firm believer that entertaining doesn’t have to be elaborate. (No one cares if you don’t mop the floors, ok?) Just open a bottle of wine, whip up a quick app like these peach and ricotta crostini, and call it a day. And while I don’t have a bottle of wine for you, I can gift you this super easy dip situation!

I first learned how to make whipped ricotta cheese when I was in culinary school. We used to put it on pasta, pizza, and pastries, but it turns out that it also makes an excellent snack. And if you have leftover ricotta, you can use it to make these spinach and ricotta puff pastry pinwheels and freeze them for a future get-together!

Ok, let’s make it

A food processor with cheese, lemon zest, and olive oil.
Add the ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest, and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
Whipped ricotta in a food processor.
Whip for about 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is light and airy like a cloud.

Make sure to dump out any liquid in the ricotta before adding it to the food processor. The extra liquid can make the ricotta too runny.

Olive oil being drizzled in a brown bowl of dip on a tan counter.
Spoon the ricotta into a bowl and drizzle it with more olive oil.
A hand grinding pepper into a brown bowl of whipped ricotta dip on a brown counter.
Garnish the ricotta with black pepper, lemon zest, and fresh basil.

No food processor?

No problem! If you don’t have a food processor, a hand mixer or stand mixer will work too. When I was testing his recipe, I found that the whip attachment worked best. But if you only have regular beaters, it’s totally fine. You just might need to whip the cheese for another 1-2 minutes.

Whatever tools you use, make sure to check for the right texture. The ricotta should be noticeably light, airy, and fluffy which can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes.

A brown bowl of whipped ricotta cheese on a tan counter next to white bowls of green olives and crackers.

Topping & serving ideas

I usually serve this dip with crackers or homemade crostini. But it’s also lovely with olives, nuts, veggies (carrot sticks, cucumber slices, red pepper slices, or cherry tomatoes) or fruit (grapes, strawberries, etc.). Also, you can definitely skip the olive oil + black pepper combo and try other toppings like tomato bruschetta or a drizzle of bourbon hot honey.

Store & re-whip

Scoop any leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The ricotta might lose its airy texture so if it does, go ahead and whip it with a mixer for another 2-3 minutes.

Feel free to make this dip a few hours in advance! It will hold its texture for at least 3-4 hours covered in the fridge.

A brown bowl of whipped ricotta dip on a beige marble counter next to glasses of white wine and white bowls of green olives and crostini.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

5 from 1 vote

The Best Whipped Ricotta Dip with Lemon

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
All you need is 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to make this creamy, fluffy whipped ricotta dip! With lemon zest, olive oil, and basil, it's fresh, flavorful, and airy as a cloud. Dollop it on crostini, serve it with fresh veggies, or eat it by the spoonful. It's one of my favorite no-cook party apps!
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups ricotta cheese (454 grams)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving (15 milliliters)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus more for garnish
  • Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh basil, for serving (optional)
  • Crostini, for serving

Equipment

  • Microplane
  • Food processor (or a hand mixer or stand mixer)

Instructions 

  • Spoon the ricotta into the bowl of a food processor. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, and a couple of big pinches of salt.
  • Whip the ricotta until it's smooth, airy, and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
  • Spoon the whipped ricotta into a serving bowl. Garnish it with a drizzle of oil, a few cracks of black pepper, more lemon zest, and fresh basil. Enjoy with crostini or crackers.

Notes

Make sure to dump out any liquid in the ricotta before adding it to the food processor. The extra liquid can make the ricotta runny.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can also use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whip attachment. Regular beaters will also work in a pinch but you might need to whip the cheese for another 1-2 minutes.
You can make this dip a few hours in advance. It will hold its texture for at least 3-4 hours covered in the fridge.
Try serving this ricotta with crostini, crackers, fruit, and veggies. I like carrot sticks, cucumber slices, red pepper slices, strawberries, and grapes.
Cuisine: American, Italian
Course: Appetizer
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 58kcal, Carbohydrates: 1.6g, Protein: 3.5g, Fat: 4.2g, Saturated Fat: 1.8g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 74mg, Potassium: 39mg, Sugar: 0.1g, Calcium: 84mg
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Originally posted on July 22, 2024.