Can you use bruschetta as a dip?

Absolutely! While bruschetta is traditionally served on toasted bread slices, the tomato mixture makes an incredible dip—especially when paired with something creamy like the whipped ricotta we use here. You can also spoon it over a layer of goat cheese, hummus, or tangy Greek yogurt and serve it with crostini, crackers, or veggie dippers. It’s all the bright, garlicky, herby flavor of classic bruschetta in scoopable form!

What is the best base for bruschetta?

The classic base for bruschetta is crostini or toasted slices of crusty bread. The key is to slice it about ¼ to ½ inch thick, brush it with olive oil, and toast it until golden and crisp on the outside but still slightly tender in the center. This creates the perfect sturdy-yet-snackable base for holding all that juicy, flavorful topping without falling apart. Bonus points for rubbing the warm toasts with a clove of garlic for extra flavor!

What is bruschetta eaten with?

Bruschetta is most commonly eaten with toasted bread, like crostini or slices of grilled baguette. But it’s also delicious served with crackers, pita chips, or fresh veggie dippers like cucumber rounds or bell pepper strips. You can enjoy it as an appetizer, part of a snack board, or even as a topping for grilled chicken or fish. It’s super versatile—basically, anything that can scoop, dip, or support that juicy tomato mixture is fair game!

What’s the difference between bruschetta and crostini?

Bruschetta refers to larger slices of rustic Italian bread (often grilled) topped with a mixture of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. Crostini, on the other hand, are made from smaller, thinner slices of baguette or a similar bread, baked or toasted until crisp. While bruschetta usually comes pre-assembled with the topping on the toast, crostini are often served as dippers or a base for spreads and cheeses—like in this recipe where they’re perfect for scooping up the whipped ricotta and tomato topping!

Bruschetta Dip With Crostini

Description

My easy Brushchetta Dip with Crostini features juicy summer tomatoes, zesty garlic, fresh basil, tangy-sweet balsamic vinegar, creamy honey whipped ricotta, and crispy olive oil baked bread. It’s an appetizer the whole family will love!

Ingredients

Scale

For the crostini:

1 loaf ciabatta or french baguette
2–3 Tablespoons olive oil
Flaky sea salt

For the bruschetta:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
.75 pounds Roma tomatoes (4-6 tomatoes)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the whipped ricotta:

15 ounces / 1 ¾ Cups whole milk ricotta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch black pepper

Instructions

For the crostini:

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Slice the bread diagonally into pieces ¼-½ inch wide. Place the bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Brush the bread with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle it with salt.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until just barely golden brown.

For the bruschetta:

Add the olive oil to a small pan over medium heat. Once the oil is warmed, add in the minced garlic. Cook while stirring for about 90 seconds or until fragrant. Transfer the garlic and oil to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
Core the tomatoes and chop them into ½-inch cubes. Remove any extra moisture and pat the tomatoes dry. Add the diced tomatoes to the bowl with the garlic oil.
Add in the balsamic vinegar, sliced basil, salt and pepper and stir well.
Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes before assembling the dip.

For the ricotta:

Combine the ricotta, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Spread the whipped ricotta in your serving dish.
Top with the bruschetta mixture. Add a few leaves of fresh basil on top as garnish.
Serve with the crostini for dipping.

Keywords: bruschetta dip, bruschetta ricotta dip, bruschetta dip with crostini, bruschetta and whipped ricotta dip