Hot Honey Dip
Love hot honey? This Hot Honey Dip features a whipped feta and ricotta base with a generous drizzle of hot honey. Sweet, spicy, salty and creamy, this stunning appetizer comes together in less than 10 minutes and brings the flavor and fanciness without extra work.
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The BEST Hot Honey Dip
Hot honey was not on my radar for an extended period of time. (Let’s be real: it’s mostly because me and spicy things don’t always get along.)
But once I discovered it, I realized it really makes things better and can elevate simple dishes into something that feel spectacular.
This dip started as one idea and became something better. A whipped feta and ricotta base, drizzled generously with hot honey, garnished with toasted pecans, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. The end result is sweet, spicy, salty, and creamy all at once, which sounds like a lot but somehow works perfectly.
It’s decadent, but somehow, it doesn’t feel heavy.
The hot honey takes center stage here and the feta plays a supporting role so you won’t get a big feta-forward bite. The feta adds a salty creamy backbone that makes the whole dip come together. The ricotta helps keep it light and dreamy while adding a little natural sweetness.
Fair warning: you need to tell your guests what they’re about to consume before they dive in. The flavor combination is unexpected on the first bite in the best possible way.
Why I love this recipe:
Y’all know that I love an appetizer because appetizers are so easy to assemble and share and make look beautiful.
Here are some things I particularly enjoy about this recipe…
- It looks beautiful. Between the final drizzle of hot honey, the toasted pecans, the fresh herbs, the lemon zest and the red pepper flakes, this dip is stunning to look at. It looks fancy and like you spend a lot of time on it but it’s actually effortless…
- You’ll need a food processor for this one, though. This makes mixing so simple. I do not recommend using a blender because that would be challenging to get the dip OUT of the blender, to say the least.
- The flavor combination is unique. It’s sweet. It’s spicy. But it’s also salty and creamy all in one bite. Yes, I know it sounds like a lot, but these ingredients strike a beautiful balance. The dairy and the base of the dip help balance out the heat from the hot honey so people who are more sensitive to spices can also enjoy this without having their mouths lit on fire.
- It’s fast to make. All you need are ten minutes or less to whip this together before you garnish and serve it. No baking or oven necessary!
- Psst. It’s not dessert. This creamy dip skews savory through and through and hits those salty, creamy, decadent notes as the feta and ricotta mingle with the hot honey. Serve it before dinner.
More easy dip recipes to try: Jalapeno Popper Dip | Cottage Cheese Dip | Whipped Feta Dip
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Kitchen scale or measuring spoons and cups
- Zester
- Food processor
- Rubber spatula
- Serving bowl
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get at the store to make this recipe:
- Feta cheese — you can purchase a block of feta or you can purchase the crumbles. Either of them works. I do not recommend purchasing reduced-fat or non-fat feta cheese, though. Don’t get flavored feta cheese either
- Ricotta cheese — this add some creaminess to our dip situation. I swapped this with cottage cheese at one point and liked the ricotta a little bit better because it’s a little bit milder and a little bit sweeter, which works nicely with the hot and sweet honey.
- Milk — use whatever milk you’ve got on hand. I keep 2% milk at my house now, so that’s what I used. In one of my earlier iterations with this dip, I tried it with heavy whipping cream and then another with half and half. I felt like those were too heavy for this recipe, which needs to feel light and airy.
- Lemon zest — purchase a regular lemon and zest it directly into the mixture. It adds a nice pop of acidity and brightness.
- Hot honey — use your favorite brand. Make sure it is well mixed as some of my first iterations of this did not have the spice in the hot honey and I felt like it was just too sweet.
How to make Hot Honey Dip
Measure it out. Scoop the feta cheese, ricotta, milk, lemon zest, and hot honey into the base of a food processor.
Blend it up. Gently pulse the food processor until the mixture is smooth. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve it up. Spoon the dip into a serving container. Garnish with additional hot honey, lemon zest, fresh herbs and red pepper flakes. Enjoy immediately.
how to store:
Store the dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serve cold or let it warm up to room temperature before serving with your favorite dippers.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
If you’re someone who loves salty and a little sweet with some heat, this dip is going to be a classic for you and various things that you host.
To make this for a crowd, here are some recommendations that I have for you:
- Double or triple the recipe. Depending on how many people you’re hosting, you might want to make more.
- Make it early. The base keeps well in the refrigerator for a week. Whip it up the day before a gathering and add the garnishes right before serving.
- Pair it with various dippers. While my family loved this with fresh pita, you could very easily pair this with sliced cucumbers, radishes, carrots and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hot honey is a condiment that you can purchase in the stores or you can make yourself. It is essentially honey that has been spiced up with some chili peppers.
If you have homemade hot honey, definitely use it here. You can control the spice a little bit better than with the store-bought since you will know how much hot honey you put into it.
Yes. I would add less of the hot honey to the mixture and taste before adding more. My only concern about this is you will be losing the flavor of the hot honey if you add significantly less and that will turn this into just a slightly sweet with a hint of spice feta dip.
I am sensitive to spice and I did not think this was too spicy but everyone’s palate is different.
No. I do not recommend doing that at this time. The feta adds saltiness to the mixture, which I think pairs really nicely with the Hot Honey.
Since the base of our dip is full of dairy, I do not recommend trying to make it dairy-free.
Yes. This keeps well in the refrigerator. Make it in advance and transfer it to an airtight container to refrigerate and serve it cold or at room temperature.
Your favorite dippers, be they baguette slices, pita, crackers, fresh sliced vegetables, or fruit slices
No, this is an appetizer.
I think chopped pistachios would be excellent here too. You don’t necessarily need to include nuts. I just included nuts in the garnish because I like the crunch they add.
Quick tips and tricks to making the best spicy feta dip
- Tell your guests what’s in it. This dip is a little sweet, spicy and salty all at once, which is a wonderful thing, but can be surprising if you don’t know what to expect. A quick heads up goes a long way.
- The dairy does the heavy lifting on heat. The feta and ricotta balance out the spice from the hot honey. Even if you’re sensitive to heat, this dip is more approachable than you might expect.
- Go all in on the garnish. A drizzle of extra hot honey, some lemon zest, fresh minced herbs, red pepper flakes and toasted pecans on top takes this from simple to stunning. Don’t skip it — it’s meant to be beautiful.
- Use store-bought hot honey with confidence. Homemade is lovely, yes, but store-bought hot honey saves you a step and works just as nicely.
- Serve it with a variety of dippers. Pita and sliced vegetables are the natural pairing with this dip, but I enjoyed this with crackers, chips and crostini, too. Apple slices would be an interesting sweet contrast worth trying.
When to share…
GIRLS NIGHT: Gorgeous, a little unexpected AND it pairs perfectly with a glass of wine.
HOLIDAY APPETIZER SPREAD: The garnishes make this dip stand out. It looks like you worked much harder than you actually did.
GAME DAY: Set it out with pita and vegetables, and let guests graze.
SHOWER APPETIZER: Elegant enough for a bridal or baby shower without requiring a ton of effort.
Here’s how you can make this dip in your own kitchen…
Hot Honey Dip
EQUIPMENT
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- Kitchen scale or measuring spoons and cups
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
- 8 oz. feta cheese
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons milk
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 3 tablespoons hot honey
Garnishes
- Additional hot honey
- Chopped toasted nuts
- Chopped fresh herbs
- Additional lemon zest
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Instructions
- Measure 8 oz. feta cheese, ½ cup ricotta cheese, 3 tablespoons milk, Zest of ½ lemon and 3 tablespoons hot honey into the base of a food processor.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Spoon the dip out into a serving container. Garnish with Additional hot honey, Chopped toasted nuts, Chopped fresh herbs and Additional lemon zest. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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