Ricotta dips are always a crowd-pleasing favorite appetizer so why not try a sweet rendition using pumpkin, spices and maple syrup to turn it into a simple seasonal dessert? Create a spread using a variety of dippers for a treat everyone will love.
As a kid, every single holiday was spent at my grandparents house. Meals were usually pasta based with a sauce that simmered all day long until dinnertime and dessert was always a bakers box full of all the Italian pastries you can think of.
Dessert was my jam.
And cannolis were my favorite (until my tastes matured and now I’d probably say sfogliatelle wins out).
As a kid, I couldn’t have cared less about the shell. But the insides? Now that was a different story.
Sweet creamy ricotta heaven!
This ricotta dip is for all the cannoli lovers out there with a fall twist.
Who needs flaky shells that crumble when you bite into them when you can have the best part by itself anyway?
This pumpkin ricotta dip is whipped until light and fluffy with the perfect amount of pumpkin, spices and maple syrup added in for the ultimate seasonal dessert dip.
It’s fun for any party this time of year and you can create quite the spread just by adding an assortment of different dippers.
The best part is it’s just four ingredients and ready in 5 minutes.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE PUMPKIN RICOTTA DIP
- ricotta
- pumpkin puree
- pumpkin pie spice
- maple syrup
- chocolate chips (optional for a more cannoli-like vibe)
WHAT KIND OF RICOTTA IS BEST FOR WHIPPED RICOTTA DIP?
I highly suggest using whole milk ricotta when making a dessert dip like this. It’s the creamiest and most indulgent. Grab one container for this sweet dip and another for these indulgent savory pumpkin stuffed shells.
Try to grab the freshest ricotta you can. Store-bought varieties are fine but look for ones with simple ingredients and no fillers or stabilizers.
Ricotta should really be just milk, salt and vinegar. That’s it!
HOW TO MAKE WHIPPED RICOTTA DIP
Place the ricotta in a large bowl. Using a hand held mixer, beat until light and fluffy. This will take about two minutes.
Add the pumpkin puree (make sure you’re using puree and not pumpkin pie filling) to the ricotta and beat again or another 20-30 seconds to fully incorporate.
Next, add the maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice.
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You can adjust the amounts to your desired taste.
Whip the ricotta once more until combined. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
If you choose to add chocolate chips to the dip, fold them in at the end.
Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with a touch more maple syrup and dust with some extra pumpkin pie spice to serve.
WHAT TO SERVE WHIPPED PUMPKIN RICOTTA DIP WITH
This is the fun part! The dipping possibilities are endless.
Fruit – apple slices, pear slices, banana and strawberries all go well with the dip.
Cookies – gingersnaps or any crisp cookie are quite delicious with the sweet ricotta. You could even use pumpkin biscotti or pizzelles.
Pretzels – regular or chocolate covered pretzels are another good option especially for those that love the salty sweet combination.
Toasted bread – treat the ricotta dip like a sweet crostini using some toasted bread slices. If you’re Italian and have pandoro or panettone on hand, some toasted cubes of either would be perfect! Panettone bread pudding is a wonderful seasonal dessert too.
Or, simply enjoy the ricotta dip by the spoonful. No shame in that game, it’s hard to resist!
For a slightly more classy take on a sweet ricotta dessert, try these orange cardamom whipped ricotta bowls with roasted pears. If I was having a small dinner party, I’d serve those. This dip is perfect for a larger more casual party.
We all know the decadence of ricotta in savory dishes. These butternut squash noodles, this lemon ricotta pasta and of course, lasagna being perfect examples.
But, if you’ve yet to appreciate how great of a showstopper ingredient it is in sweet dishes, I think this pumpkin dip will quickly show you the light!
It’s also wonderful baked into desserts like this ricotta almond fig cake for a light and airy textured crumb.
Lots of dessert dips tend to use yogurt as the base but I’m making a strong case for ricotta being a much better option. Like cream cheese fruit dip, when whipped, it’s just so light and fluffy and its already subtly sweet undertones make it perfect for desserts of all kind!
MORE DELICIOUS DIPS TO TRY:
Pumpkin Goat Cheese Dip
Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Dip with Tart Cherry Compote
Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip
Cookie Dough Dip
Roasted Garlic Whipped Goat Cheese
And for a sweet bite, how about some deviled strawberries? Filled with a cheesecake-like center, they’re adorable and delicious!
Whipped Pumpkin Ricotta Dip
Ingredients
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon – 1/4 cup maple syrup, depending on taste preference
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Place the ricotta in a large bowl. Beat with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree and beat again until incorporated, about 20-30 seconds.
- Add the maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice to the mixture and beat once more until incorporated.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with additional maple syrup and sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice on top. Serve with a variety of options for dipping like fruit, cookies, pretzels, crackers, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I liked it a lot. I chilled in the freezer for 10 min before serving with apple slices as an appetizer. I’d make it again.
This was such a unique and unexpected dip and perfect for fall! Adding this to my Thanksgiving menu; easily a winning appetizer!
I’ve never used ricotta in a dip before. Really like that you added pumpkin to it for a great fall flavored dip.
This dip was so delicious!! We used it as a dip for some fresh fruit and it made the perfect healthy dessert!
This dip was so delicious!! We used it as a dip for some fresh fruit and it made the perfect healthy dessert!
That sounds delicious. What a great idea!
Wonderful dip. Perfect for before dinner appetizer when everyone is starving and needs just a little something to keep them happy.
Wonderful dip. Perfect for that before dinner appetizer.
So fluffy and full of flavor. Perfect for fall get togethers!
I can’t wait to try this! I would have never thought to combine ricotta and pumpkin.