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Looking for an elegant, flavorful appetizer or snack? This Roasted Beet and Ricotta Crostini is just the thing! Not only is it easy to make, but it also packs a punch of color and taste. With just one baking sheet and a food processor, you’ll have this vibrant, tasty dish ready in no time. Whether you make your own crostini or grab store-bought, this recipe is sure to impress.

Roasted beets and ricotta crostini on a gold platter.
This Roasted Beets and Ricotta Crostini is so simple to make and comforting. Give it a try today.

This recipe is special, as it combines the flavor of earthy beets with the creaminess of ricotta, the drizzle of sweet honey, and a tad of crunch with the nuts. It is a perfect appetizer for your party or a starter for your dinner party. If you are looking for other savory bites, check out this Crab-Stuffed Mushroom recipe, Choriqueso, or this Spinach and Artichoke Dip Phyllo Cups. No matter what you make, make sure to treat yourself!

Table of Contents

🥖 Ingredients

Some ingredients are right in the name, but it takes a bit more. Here is what you will need:

Ingredients for Roasted Beets and Ricotta Crostini.
Baguette, beets, basil, walnuts, ricotta, honey, salt, pepper, olive oil, and garlic.

See the recipe card for quantities.

🍲 Instructions

To make this Roasted Beet and Ricotta Crostini, preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare the beets by chopping them up, then toss them with garlic, walnuts, basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread this mixture evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil. In the final 12 minutes of beet roasting, place the baguette slices in the oven, flipping them halfway through. Bake them until they are golden and crispy. It might take a bit more time for the crostini to bake until crispy, but that is ok. It is even ok to bake the crostini AFTER the beet mixture if that make you more comfortable.

Once the beets are tender, blend the roasted beet mixture with ricotta until smooth. Spread this creamy mixture onto the crostini and drizzle with honey. Finally, sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top for added crunch and serve immediately, either warm or cold. Enjoy this versatile dish as an appetizer or even as a dip for a party!

Olive oil dripping into a mixture of beets, garlic, walnuts, salt, and pepper.
Pour your olive oil into the beet mixture and mix around before placing on baking tray.
Roasted beets and walnuts on a baking sheet.
This is what my roasted beet mixture looked like after baking for 45 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit. This will go right into the food processor.
Blended beets and ricotta in a food processor.
After roasting, add the mixture, ricotta, and basil to your food processor and blend.
A close up of one crostini with beet and ricotta smeared on top.
Add your beet and ricotta spread on top of your crostini or whatever bread/chip you want to add it it.

🤷 Substitutions and variations

For a twist, try using goat cheese or feta instead of ricotta for a tangier flavor. Swap out walnuts for pecans or almonds for a different crunch. Use any crusty bread or crackers if you don’t have a baguette.

To make it sweeter, add a bit more honey. If you prefer a more savory bite, top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. This recipe is flexible and works well with whatever you have on hand!

For the bread, you can use bruschetta instead of crostini. Heck, crackers or veggies would work, too. Really, I just wanted to give a complete recipe and I think crostini works best, but it could be any number of spreadable pallets. Also, you could serve the dip in the middle and just have your baked crostini on the side for your guests to spread themselves.

📦 Storage

The leftover beet and ricotta mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To maintain the crispness of the crostini, keep them in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for 1-2 days. When ready to serve again, simply reassemble the crostini or use the mixture as a dip with fresh crackers.

🎓 History tidbit

The combination of crostini and ricotta has roots in Italian cuisine. ” Crostini” refers to small, toasted bread slices topped with various spreads. Ricotta, a staple in Italian cooking, dates back to ancient Rome, where it was prized for its creamy texture and mild flavor.

Being a midwesterner, we definitely have a place in our garden for beets. Perhaps it is similar climates that made the practice of using beets commonplace in the upper midwest?

Roasting beets, a common practice in many European kitchens, became popular for its ability to enhance their natural sweetness. This recipe blends these traditions, offering a modern twist on classic ingredients.

❓ FAQ

What is the best way to roast beets?

Roasting beets is simple! Just scrub them clean, remove the tops, and chop them into even-sized pieces. Toss them in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 375°F for 40-45 minutes or until tender. You can leave the skins on, as they soften during roasting.

When roasting beets, do you need to peel them?

No, you don’t need to peel them, but it is a matter of taste. I am fine with the peelings. The skins soften during baking. Just make sure your beets are clean.

What is the best way to peel raw beets?

Carefully use a paring knife to peel the beets. First, cut the head and tail off. Then, slice the skin off.

📝 Tips and tricks

  • Can be served hot or cold
  • Use baguette crostini, but can really be added to any bread or cracker.
  • The thinner your crostini, the crispier it is.
  • You can peel the beets, but I leave the skin on. It is edible and doesn’t hurt anything.
  • Really, you could use this as a dip for a party instead of topping crostini. Just serve with some honey over the top and crackers/crostini served along the side.
Three roasted beets and ricotta crostini on a gold platter.
The combination of beets, ricotta, walnuts, and honey on a crisp crostini is so good. Give this Roasted Beets and Ricotta Crostini appetizer a try today.

🛠 Products used in this recipe

😋 Did you make this recipe?

That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Roasted Beet and Ricotta Crostini recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.

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Roasted beets and ricotta crostini on a gold platter.

Roasted Beet And Ricotta Crostini

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Ben
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This Roasted Beet and Ricotta Crostini combines sweet, earthy roasted beets with creamy ricotta, crunchy walnuts, and a drizzle of honey, all served on crispy crostini. Perfect as an appetizer or party dip, this recipe is simple yet elegant and packed with flavor!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 medium beets, tops cut off (about 600 grams) and chopped into 1/2 pieces
  • 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (50 grams), plus 1/4 Cup (25 grams) chopped walnuts for topping
  • 1/4 cup of basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil + 3 tablespoons for crostini
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup of honey
  • 1 large baguette, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit with two racks, one in the middle and one just above.
  2. In a large bowl, add chopped beets, garlic cloves, ½ cup walnuts, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup EVOO. Mix
  3. Pour this mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread evenly
  4. Bake for 45 minutes.
  5. While baking, brush remaining olive oil on each side of baguette slices and place on baking sheet
  6. During last 12 minutes of bake, place bread in oven and flip after 6 minutes.
  7. When the timer goes off, remove beet tray from oven and continue cooking bread until crispy. They should be done at about the same time, but the bread might take a bit longer.
  8. Add baked beet mixture to food processor along with ricotta cheese and basil. Blend well.
  9. Add to crostini bread and top with a tad of honey and sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

Notes

  • Can be served hot or cold
  • Use baguette crostini, but can really be added to any bread or cracker.
  • The thinner your crostini, the crispier it is.
  • You can peel the beets, but I leave the skin on. It is edible and doesn’t hurt anything.
  • Really, you could use this as a dip for a party instead of topping crostini. Just serve with some honey over the top and crackers/crostini served along the side.

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