5-minute Ricotta Garlic Herb Dip

Name: 5-minute Ricotta Garlic Herb Dip
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cups whole-milk ricotta, drained; 2 small garlic cloves, finely grated; 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives; 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley; 3/4 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; Cucumber rounds, celery sticks, and bell pepper strips, for serving

⏲ ~31 min total · prep 16 · cook 15 · 4 servings

Snacks⏱ 25 min total🔥 11.3g net carbs⚡ ≈254 kcal/serving~13% of calories from carbs

By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor

Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Ingredients

2 cups whole-milk ricotta, drained
2 small garlic cloves, finely grated
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cucumber rounds, celery sticks, and bell pepper strips, for serving

Instructions

Beat the ricotta with a fork in a wide, shallow bowl for 30 seconds, until it loses its grainy curds and turns spreadable.
Stir in the grated garlic, Parmesan, 2 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until the mixture is even.
Fold in the basil, chives, and parsley, saving a generous pinch of each for the top.
Spread the dip in the shallow dish, swirl the back of a spoon through the top to make a trough, and drizzle it with olive oil so it pools in the grooves.
Let it stand 20 minutes at room temperature — this takes the raw edge off the garlic and lets the Parmesan salt the whole dip.
Scatter the reserved herbs over and serve with the cucumber, celery, and bell pepper for scooping.

Why this recipe works

Fork-beaten ricotta Thirty seconds with a fork breaks the grainy curds and turns whole-milk ricotta into something spreadable, no food processor and no extra bowl to wash.
The 20-minute stand Resting the finished dip takes the raw edge off the grated garlic and lets the Parmesan salt the whole bowl. It's the quiet step that does the most work.
The oil trough A swirl of the spoon leaves a groove on top that holds the olive oil, so every scoop picks up oil and herbs together instead of dry dip.

Tips for making this recipe well

Drain the ricotta first

The recipe calls for drained ricotta, and it matters. Wet ricotta makes a loose dip that slides off cucumber rounds.

Grate the garlic

A fine grater spreads the garlic evenly through the dip. A hand-minced clove leaves one sharp surprise in every third scoop.

Reserve herbs for the top

Hold back a generous pinch of basil, chives, and parsley before folding. The green finish on top tells guests what's inside.

Salt after the rest

The Parmesan carries much of the seasoning, so taste after the 20-minute stand. Adding more than the 3/4 teaspoon at the start often overshoots.

Cut dippers thick

Thick cucumber rounds and dry celery hold up to scooping. Floppy vegetables drag through and break.

Serving suggestions

This is the five-minute move before guests arrive: beat, stir, fold, and the 20-minute rest does the rest of the work while you pour drinks. Serve it in a shallow dish with olive oil pooled in the grooves, cucumber rounds, celery, and bell pepper strips arranged around it. At 11.3 net carbs it's the richest dip in this batch, so a small dish and plenty of vegetables suit it. Leftovers on toasted fathead bread count as lunch.

Storage and meal prep

Cover and refrigerate the dip for 3 to 4 days. The olive oil firms and the surface dulls slightly in the cold, so stir before serving and re-drizzle the top. The garlic grows stronger overnight, which we count as a feature, though it's worth planning around for garlic-shy guests. Skip the freezer; thawed ricotta goes grainy again, and no amount of fork work fixes it.

Variations worth trying

Lemon zest Add the zest of the lemon along with its tablespoon of juice for a brighter dip.
Dill instead Swap the parsley for dill, which leans into the ricotta's dairy sweetness.
Chile oil Steep a pinch of red pepper flakes in the drizzling oil for a minute before it goes on.
Roasted garlic Mash a soft roasted clove in with the raw for a rounder, less sharp garlic note.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use part-skim ricotta?

Whole-milk ricotta is what holds the swirl and the richness. Part-skim works in a pinch but runs looser and less creamy.

Why rest it 20 minutes?

The stand mellows the raw garlic and lets the Parmesan season the whole dip. Served immediately, the flavors read as separate.

Is it really 5 minutes of work?

The active part is about 5 minutes, then the dip stands for 20 on its own. The title counts the hands-on time.

What dippers work besides vegetables?

Toasted fathead bread, pork rinds, or almond-flour crackers all hold up to scooping. Thin chips fracture in anything thicker than salsa.

What's the carb count?

11.3 net carbs per serving, most of it from the ricotta itself. The vegetables served alongside barely register.

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