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This whipped ricotta cheese dip is a stunning appetizer that comes together in just 10 minutes!

Whipped ricotta dip with pistachios, olives and harissa oil in a bowl with a spoon on a wooden serving board with slices of toasted bread. Next to this is a bowl of chopped mint and a lemon. - 4

Photo Credits: Ali Redmond

Why I Love This Whipped Ricotta Dip Recipe

  • It’s easy, but not obvious. This super-easy dip is creamy, spicy, briny, and crunchy all in one bite, but requires only a handful of ingredients!
  • It’s fast. This ricotta cheese dip comes together in just 10 minutes!
  • It’s impressive! This whipped ricotta dip looks and tastes like a restaurant appetizer, and it’s easy to make and customize.

I made it on a whim the other day because I had a tub of ricotta cheese that needed to be used up, and since friends were coming over, I decided to put it to good use. Everyone was asking, what’s in it?! What’s that amber-red oil? Where’s the smoky-spicy flavor coming from?

The secret to this recipe is really in the balance of texture and flavor. Creamy ricotta cheese whipped with a little olive oil into a fluffy, irresistible consistency is topped with a mixture of warmed harissa oil with chopped olives and pistachios, then finished with some fresh mint. Every bite surprises the tastebuds!

Whipped ricotta dip with pistachios, olives and harissa oil in a bowl on a wooden serving board with slices of toasted bread. - 5

Key Ingredients

  • Ricotta cheese: The creamy base of the dip. Look for whole-milk ricotta for the richest texture and best flavor; fresh, basket-style ricotta from the cheese counter is wonderful if you can find it. You can also make your own !
  • Harissa is a bold, North African chili paste that brings smoky heat and deep flavor to this simple dip. It’s made with dried red chiles, garlic, olive oil, and warm spices. MAKE It: Homemade Harissa BUY IT: Harissa Paste by Villa Jerada is milder and Harissa Paste by Kartago is a little spicier.
  • Green olives add briny contrast and texture. I love using our Negrinha green olives stuffed with garlic for their buttery bite and gentle garlic finish.
  • Extra virgin olive oil: Adds silkiness to the whipped ricotta and carries flavor and the irresistible red-orange color of the harissa. Because the harissa adds so much flavor I like to start with an olive oil that has a bold flavor of its own. When developing this recipe, I used our peppery Hojiblanca olive oil from Spain.

How to Make Whipped Ricotta Dip

Putting together this dip takes just a few minutes, but the step of blooming the harissa paste in olive oil and warming the olives and pistachios in the spiced oil gives the finished dip so much dimension. Here’s how:

  • Make the ricotta dip. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup ricotta cheese, the zest of 1 lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon or so of olive oil. Whisk until well combined and fluffy.
  • Make the harissa oil. In a small skillet set over medium heat, warm 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon harissa paste. Stir until the paste somewhat dissolves and the oil turns a beautiful red-amber color, about 1 minute.
  • Add the olives and pistachios. Stir in 1/3 cup roughly chopped green olives (I highly recommend our green Negrinha olives with garlic ) and 1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios just until warm, about 30 seconds or so. Remove from the heat.
  • Plate and serve. Spread the whipped ricotta in a small, shallow serving bowl and top with the harissa oil, olive, and pistachio mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint and serve with sliced French baguette (even better if you quickly grill the bread in a cast iron skillet), crostini, or pita chips .

Make it Your Own

Here are several easy, flavorful ways to riff on this dip, keeping thighs simple while letting you use what you have on hand:

  • Swap the herbs: Replace the fresh mint with chopped dill, parsley, cilantro, or basil.
  • Try a different nut: Substitute toasted almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts for the pistachios.
  • Switch up the olives: Kalamata olives have a deeper, brinier bite, while Castelvetranos are buttery and subtle.
  • Add roasted garlic: Whisk 2 or 3 smashed roasted or confit garlic cloves into the ricotta to give it a mellow, savory depth.
  • Make it sweet: Skip the harissa and top the whipped ricotta instead with honey , black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves!

Make it Ahead

You can make this whipped ricotta dip a few hours ahead by whipping the ricotta and stirring in the lemon zest, salt, olive oil, and mint, then covering and refrigerating it until you’re ready to serve. Make the harissa oil ahead of time, too. Gently rewarm it on the stove just before serving to wake the flavors up, so you get the contrast of the warm oil, olives, and nuts on the cool ricotta.

Perfect Pairings

This whipped ricotta dip is right at home on any appetizer or party spread. I like to serve it with:

  • Warm pita chips , grilled sliced baguette , or homemade crostini for dipping.
  • Add additional party bites, like sweet-and-savory Sicilian phyllo cup appetizers or Egyptian shrimp fritters and a tray of vegetable crudité .

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IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

Ricotta Dip

  • ▢ 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • ▢ Zest of 1 lemon
  • ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
  • ▢ French baguette, crostini, or pita chips

Harissa Oil

  • ▢ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon harissa paste
  • ▢ 1/3 cup roughly chopped green olives
  • ▢ 1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios

Instructions

  • Make the ricotta dip. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, lemon zest, and Kosher salt. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Whisk until well combined and fluffy.
  • Make the harissa oil. In a small skillet set over medium heat, warm olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, lower the heat and add the harissa paste. Stir until the paste somewhat dissolves and the oil turns a beautiful red-amber color, about 1 minute.
  • Add the olives and pistachios. Stir in the green olives and pistachios and warm for about 30 seconds or so. Remove from the heat.
  • Plate and serve. Spread the whipped ricotta in a small, shallow serving bowl and top with the harissa oil, olive and pistachio mixture. Sprinkle with fresh mint and serve with sliced french baguette (even better if you quickly grill the bread in a cast iron skillet), crostini, or pita chips.

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil , olives , and harissa (spicier) or harissa (mild) used in this recipe.
  • Customize it: Swap the herbs: Replace the fresh mint with chopped dill, parsley, cilantro, or basil for a slightly different aromatic note that still pairs beautifully with ricotta. Try a different nut: Substitute toasted almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts for the pistachios to change the texture and flavor profile. Switch up the olives: Kalamata olives have a deeper, brinier bite, while Castelvetranos are buttery and more subtle. Add roasted garlic: Whisk 2 or 3 smashed roasted or confit garlic cloves into the ricotta to give it a mellow, savory depth. Make it sweet: Skip the harissa and top the whipped ricotta instead with honey , black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves instead!
  • Storage: Leftovers keep well for up to 2 days when stored separately; give the ricotta a quick stir before serving and spoon the warmed harissa oil over the top.

Nutrition

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Try our Harissa Paste!

Firey and tangy, with lingering heat and a wonderful savory base.

A jar of kartago tunisian harissa from the mediterranean dish shop. - 14 Whipped ricotta dip with pistachios, olives and harissa oil in a bowl on a wooden serving board with slices of toasted bread. - 15

Whipped Ricotta Dip with Pistachios, Olives, and Harissa Oil

Ingredients

Ricotta Dip

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
  • French baguette, crostini, or pita chips

Harissa Oil

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon harissa paste
  • 1/3 cup roughly chopped green olives
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios

Instructions

  • Make the ricotta dip. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, lemon zest, and Kosher salt. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Whisk until well combined and fluffy.
  • Make the harissa oil. In a small skillet set over medium heat, warm olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, lower the heat and add the harissa paste. Stir until the paste somewhat dissolves and the oil turns a beautiful red-amber color, about 1 minute.
  • Add the olives and pistachios. Stir in the green olives and pistachios and warm for about 30 seconds or so. Remove from the heat.
  • Plate and serve. Spread the whipped ricotta in a small, shallow serving bowl and top with the harissa oil, olive and pistachio mixture. Sprinkle with fresh mint and serve with sliced french baguette (even better if you quickly grill the bread in a cast iron skillet), crostini, or pita chips.

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil , olives , and harissa (spicier) or harissa (mild) used in this recipe.
  • Customize it: Swap the herbs: Replace the fresh mint with chopped dill, parsley, cilantro, or basil for a slightly different aromatic note that still pairs beautifully with ricotta. Try a different nut: Substitute toasted almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts for the pistachios to change the texture and flavor profile. Switch up the olives: Kalamata olives have a deeper, brinier bite, while Castelvetranos are buttery and more subtle. Add roasted garlic: Whisk 2 or 3 smashed roasted or confit garlic cloves into the ricotta to give it a mellow, savory depth. Make it sweet: Skip the harissa and top the whipped ricotta instead with honey , black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves instead!
  • Storage: Leftovers keep well for up to 2 days when stored separately; give the ricotta a quick stir before serving and spoon the warmed harissa oil over the top.

Nutrition

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