Ricotta toast so nice I made it twice… three times! As in, I am sharing three recipes for three of my favorite variations of Ricotta Toast. Plus, I am sharing ideas for even more variations, both sweet and savory.
Toast, crostini, tartine, bruschetta, whatever you like to call it, it’s bread that is usually toasted or grilled with various spreads and toppings. In this recipe I am using ricotta as the base, which is a fluffy blank canvas that is versatile enough for almost any topping, sweet or savory.
Sweet ricotta toasts like these with fresh fruit are good for breakfast, appetizers, a snack, or even a healthy dessert.
Savory ones are good for a snack, lunch, an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre, or even for dinner (just pair with a soup or salad and you have a meal!).
You can use gluten-free bread with any of these recipes
The options for the type of bread you can use for ricotta toast are endless and is loosely determined by the type of recipe you are doing. I like using a baguette or similar for more appetizer-y ricotta toast. And for sweet ricotta toast for breakfast I like a cinnamon raisin or whole grain sliced sandwich style bread. By the way, all of these types of breads are available gluten-free.
Two of my favorite gluten-free breads are Free Bread (the Moxy flavor), and Canyon Bakehouse (the cinna-raisin and the 7-grain).
I love Kite Hill vegan ricotta for these and other recipes
For the ricotta you can go with traditional dairy of course, but I highly recommend the almond milk ricotta (vegan) made by Kite Hill. They make amazing dairy-alternative products, from cheeses to yogurts, which makes being dairy-free a breeze!
Depending on the recipe I usually season my ricotta. For sweet versions I like to add lemon or orange zest, honey or maple syrup. And for savory ones I like herbs, fresh or dried.
I like to add lemon or orange zest or herbs to ricotta
TIP: Ricotta is very neutral in flavor (some might even call it bland), so I like to season mine, even when using in a recipe like these.
For the fruit toppings here I go with roasted grapes, macerated berries, and fresh chopped champagne mango & toasted coconut. You can skip the roasting or macerating steps and just do fresh raw fruit, but I highly recommend roasting grapes if you have never tried them. They take on a sophisticated personality, have a jammy quality, and a mellow sweet flavor.
Grapes take on a mellow sweet flavor when roasted
For the other toppings I recommend adding some crunch like nuts or seeds. For these three recipes I went with roasted almonds with the grapes, walnuts with the berries, and macadamia with the mango… ya know to keep that tropical vibe going.
If you have a nut allergy you can use seeds such as chia, flax, hemp, sesame, sunflower or pumpkin.
Topping the toast with nuts or seeds adds texture
Now, on to the recipes! You can find the three specific recipes below, plus more ideas for ricotta toast combos below these.
And in the recipe field I am providing the basic blank “canvas” recipe for creating your very own ricotta toast variations.
Roasted Grape Ricotta Toast
Lemon Ricotta Toast with Roasted Grapes
Toasted baguette with lemon ricotta, roasted grapes and roasted almonds
Ingredients:
1 cup grapes, removed from stem
1 pinch flake sea salt
½ tsp olive oil
1 lemon, zested
¼ cup ricotta (or more if desired)
1 mini baguette, sliced into four ½” thick slices (save the rest for another use)
1 tbsp crushed roasted almonds
Instructions:
- roast grapes on a parchment lined baking sheet with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt at 425° for about 20 minutes, cool
- stir lemon zest into ricotta
- toast or grill baguette slices
- top each piece of toast with about 1 tablespoon of ricotta, then grapes, then top with crushed almonds
*serves 2 – 4
Ricotta Toast with Honey & Macerated Strawberries
Ricotta Toast with Honey and Macerated Strawberries
Cinnamon-raisin toast with honeyed ricotta, macerated berries, orange zest, mint and roasted walnuts
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
1 tsp coconut sugar
2 tsp honey (optional)
¼ cup ricotta (or more if desired)
4 pieces cinnamon raisin bread
1 orange, zested
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp crushed roasted walnuts
Instructions:
- mash strawberries and mix in coconut sugar, let macerate about 20 minutes
- stir honey into ricotta (or just macerate without for lower sugar)
- toast bread
- top each piece of toast with about 1 tablespoon of ricotta, then berries, then top with orange zest, mint and crushed walnuts
*serves 2 – 4
Mango Coconut Ricotta Toast
Mango Coconut Ricotta Toast
Whole grain toast with ricotta, champagne mango, toasted coconut and roasted macadamia nuts
Ingredients:
1 mango, preferably champagne variety
4 pieces whole grain bread
¼ cup ricotta (or more if desired)
¼ cup toasted coconut flakes
2 tbsp crushed roasted macadamia nuts
Instructions:
- peel, pit and dice mango
- toast bread
- top each piece of toast with about 1 tablespoon of ricotta, then mango, then top with coconut flakes and macadamia nuts
*serves 2 – 4
If you want to keep the ricotta toast train rolling along, try these other seasonal combos:
For sweet –
orange (zest) ricotta + sliced strawberries + mint + dark chocolate shavings
maple ricotta + sliced banana + super seeds (hemp, flax & sunflower seed)
honeyed ricotta + roasted blueberries + roasted sliced almonds
lemon (zest) ricotta + macerated plums + toasted hazelnuts
vanilla ricotta + grilled apricots or peaches + cinnamon
maple ricotta + fresh figs + toasted pistachios
For savory –
ricotta with basil-sunflower seed pesto + grilled cherry tomatoes + flaky sea salt
ricotta with lime + grilled corn-&-tomato salsa + cilantro
herbed ricotta + blistered grape tomatoes + balsamic + arugula
ricotta with fresh thyme + sautéed mixed mushrooms
ricotta with fresh dill + sliced cucumber + capers
basil ricotta + grilled red peppers + pine nuts
ricotta + olives + orange zest + fresh thyme
Want even more toast inspo? Check these other recipes out…
How to Build an Epic Avocado Toast
Almond Butter Toast with Sweet Dukkah
| Servings |
servings
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- 4 pieces bread
- 1/4 cup ricotta or more if desired
- toppings of choice *see blog post for ideas*
Ingredients
|
|
- toast or grill bread of choice
- spread each piece of bread with one or more tablespoons of seasoned/flavored ricotta
- add fresh toppings (such as fruit, veggies, etc)
- add fresh herbs, nuts or seeds last and serve immediately
- recipe makes 2-4 servings
- see blog post for three ricotta toast recipes and tips for other recipe variations
Original recipes created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com