Hot Honey Ricotta Stuffed Garlic Knots (Printable)

Soft dough knots stuffed with ricotta, brushed with garlic butter, and drizzled with spicy hot honey—a perfect savory-sweet appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein Dough

01 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or whole)
02 - 1 cup self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting
03 - 1 scoop unflavored or plain whey protein powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Ricotta Filling

05 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - Salt to taste

→ Garlic Butter

11 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

→ Hot Honey

14 - 1/3 cup honey
15 - 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot or Sriracha, to taste
16 - Pinch of chili flakes, optional for extra heat

# How To:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Combine Greek yogurt, self-rising flour, protein powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until a dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
03 - Mix ricotta, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian herbs, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl until smooth.
04 - Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disc approximately 3 inches wide.
05 - Place a heaping teaspoon of ricotta filling in the center of each disc. Pinch edges together to seal, then gently roll into a rope and tie into a knot, tucking the ends underneath.
06 - Arrange knots on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and let rest while preparing the garlic butter.
07 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
08 - Brush each knot generously with the garlic butter mixture.
09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
10 - Combine honey, hot sauce, and chili flakes in a small bowl. Warm in the microwave or on the stovetop just until runny.
11 - Remove knots from the oven. Immediately drizzle with hot honey. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're packed with protein from Greek yogurt and whey powder, so you're basically eating something that tastes like an indulgence but actually fuels your body.
  • The entire recipe comes together in less than an hour, making them perfect for impressing people without spending your whole Sunday in the kitchen.
  • Hot honey over creamy ricotta is genuinely addictive—sweet, spicy, and rich in a way that keeps you reaching for one more knot.
02 -
  • If your dough feels too sticky after mixing, resist the urge to dump flour on it—a slightly tacky dough makes softer knots, and 30 seconds more of kneading will help it firm up naturally.
  • Warm the hot honey just enough to make it drizzle-able; overheating it can make the hot sauce taste bitter and separates the honey from the spices in an unpleasant way.
03 -
  • Don't skip the gentle knead after mixing—those 2-3 minutes develop the gluten just enough to give you tender knots instead of dense ones.
  • Keep your ricotta filling simple and let the garlic butter and hot honey be the stars; overloading the filling makes them hard to seal and unevenly cooked.
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