These herbed ricotta cheese balls are a cute appetizer, and especially perfect for the holidays! Creamy ricotta is flavoured with thyme and then coated with herbs, spices and nuts for a fun treat that takes just 15 minutes to come together.
Fun appetizers are always a crowd-pleaser don't you find? This tasty recipe is kind of like a cheese ball with ricotta, but in mini versions! Creamy cheese is combined with herbs and then coated in nuts, herbs or spice to your choice. Perfect as party food!
If you're planning a gathering, then perhaps you may also like to see my cream cheese stuffed mini peppers and whipped ricotta dip with honey and herbs to make a tasty spread!
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⭐ Why you'll love this recipe
- Cute and fun - these little ricotta cheese balls are perfect as a holiday appetizer or as party food to enjoy with friends and family.
- Versatile - choose one of the toppings, or all three!
- Easy to make - a simple recipe and one that kids may like to take part in to 'help' prepare your party food(!).
🧀 Ingredients
Just a few ingredients to make these ricotta cheese balls, with most of them pantry staples. Some notes to help guide you:
- Ricotta cheese - you want to use fresh ricotta that comes in a tub and is a soft ball, but one that holds together.
- Breadcrumbs - helps to bind the balls together. Use gluten free bread if required.
- Thyme - to flavour the ricotta cheese, adjust the amount to preference.
- Pistachios - choose unsalted pistachios, and I suggest ones that have not already been roasted or flavored in any way.
- Sweet paprika - this is different to hot paprika and has a mild flavor. Hot paprika would likely be too spicy to use for this recipe.
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
📖 Swaps and variations
Coating the ricotta balls is the fun bit! You can either choose one or all of the following combinations:
- Herbed ricotta balls (with fresh parsley).
- Pistachio coated balls.
- Spiced ricotta balls (with turmeric and sweet paprika).
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making these herbed ricotta cheese balls is very simple, with just a few steps:
Step 1
Begin by blending the white bread in a food processor to make bread crumbs. Set aside. Blend the pistachio nuts with a few pulses of a food processor to chop into small pieces.
Step 2
Tip the ricotta into a large bowl, draining of any liquid in the container first. Mix in the breadcrumbs, vinegar, thyme (or herb of your choice), salt and pepper (if using).
Step 3
Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out some of the ricotta mixture and form into a ball using your hands.
Step 4
Separately sprinkle the pistachio nuts, parsley and sweet paprika and turmeric on a chopping board or in a bowl. Roll the ball in the nuts, herb or spice. Coat evenly. Repeat for the rest of the balls, trying to keep them about the same size.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Make sure to tip out any excess liquid from the tub of ricotta before use, as this would make the mixture overly wet.
- Add the breadcrumbs gradually to the bowl with the ricotta to get the consistency you prefer.
- I suggest serving on toothpicks for a cute appetizer - they could be a tiny bit messy to pick up otherwise!
🥣 More appetizers to enjoy
Find lots of tasty appetizers to serve during the holidays or for social gatherings including my tasty beetroot hummus, spicy baba ganoush and my multi-seed crackers. Some recent recipes to try out:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Herbed Ricotta Cheese Balls
Ingredients
For the ricotta balls
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 small slice white bread
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or herb of choice
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
For the ricotta balls toppings
- ¼ cup pistachio nuts unsalted
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup fresh parsley finely diced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Instructions
- Blend the white bread in a food processor to make bread crumbs. Set aside. Blend the pistachio nuts with a few pulses of a food processor to chop into small pieces.
- Tip the ricotta into a large bowl, draining of any liquid in the container first. Mix in the breadcrumbs, vinegar, thyme (or herb of your choice), salt and pepper (if using). Adjust with more breadcrumbs if required.
- Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out some of the ricotta mixture and form into a ball using your hands.
- Separately sprinkle the pistachio nuts, parsley and sweet paprika and turmeric on a chopping board or in a bowl. Roll the ball in the nuts, herb or spice. Coat evenly. Repeat for the rest of the balls, trying to keep them about the same size.
- Arrange on a board or plate, and add a cocktail stick. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Add the breadcrumbs gradually so that you achieve the consistency of preference.
- Drain any excess liquid from the ricotta as it is quite a wet cheese, and it won't hold together as well if too wet. If you feel that your ricotta mixture is still too wet add more breadcrumbs to the mixture.
- Personally I would make sure you use salt, and the thyme or herb of choice to make the balls as ricotta is a very mild flavour by itself.
- bread crumbs, as wheat scores a 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2, although the list states that small amounts are tolerated.
- apple cider vinegar, which scores 1.
Sheryl Chan says
These look so fun and absolutely delightful. Looks great for storing and munching on too!
Alison Hayes says
These sounds deliviously tempting! Something my partner might like too...will keep it in mind if I'm going to need to make something, because as you said, it looks like it was more work than it sounds like it is! 🙂
throughthefibrofog says
oh really easy! Maybe good for the holidays coming up too 🙂
Shruti Chopra says
O' my how have I missed this recipe! I will substitute the bread with gluten free bread and let you know how it goes but this looks so yum and fun too. Sometimes, when you're unwell, you want a fun thing like this to change things up. Thank you for making food simpler for us.
throughthefibrofog says
yes, would love your feedback as one of my number one food triers (if that is a phrase!). Good for the holidays too I think 🙂
Elle says
Hi, I'm confused, I thought vinegars are higher in histamines?
throughthefibrofog says
Hi Elle, there are some vinegars that the SIGHI list rates as lower histamine (white distilled vinegar in particular) if that is the list you are following. But of course, if you react to it then you can simply leave it out of this recipe. Hope you like the ricotta balls!