Hot Honey Ricotta Garlic Bread (Printable)

Crispy bread meets creamy ricotta and sweet-spicy honey for an irresistible appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread

01 - 1 loaf French bread, approximately 12 inches

→ Ricotta-Garlic Spread

02 - 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
04 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Hot Honey

09 - 1/4 cup honey
10 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, adjustable to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Extra chopped parsley, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the French bread in half lengthwise and place both halves cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, softened butter, minced garlic, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth and well combined.
03 - Evenly spread the ricotta-garlic mixture over both bread halves.
04 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bread is toasted and the topping is lightly golden.
05 - While bread bakes, combine honey and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over low heat. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally without boiling. Remove from heat and let infuse.
06 - Remove bread from oven and cool for 2 minutes. Slice into individual pieces. Drizzle generously with hot honey and garnish with extra parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes but tastes like you've been in the kitchen for hours.
  • The combination of creamy ricotta, toasted bread, and that hot honey finish is genuinely addictive and hard to stop eating.
  • You can make the ricotta spread ahead, which means less stress when guests arrive.
02 -
  • The ricotta mixture needs to be completely smooth before spreading, or you'll have little butter chunks that don't cook evenly and create odd textures.
  • Don't let the honey come to a boil—it turns bitter and loses that floral sweetness that makes the spice work so well.
  • Serve this warm or at room temperature, but eat it the day you make it; reheating dries out the bread and the ricotta gets dense.
03 -
  • Mince your garlic right before mixing so it stays sharp and bright instead of turning bitter or brown as it sits.
  • The temperature of your butter matters—cold butter won't blend smoothly and warm butter will start melting the ricotta, so aim for soft and slightly cool.
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