Hot Honey Ricotta Stuffed Garlic Knots (Printer-Friendly)

Golden protein-packed knots filled with ricotta and finished with hot honey garlic butter.

# What You Need:

→ Protein Dough

01 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, nonfat or low-fat
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 cup unflavored whey protein powder
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Ricotta Filling

06 - 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Garlic Butter

11 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
14 - Pinch of salt

→ Hot Honey

15 - 1/4 cup honey
16 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot or Sriracha
17 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
03 - In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt until well combined.
04 - Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each into a 3-inch round. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of ricotta filling in the center of each. Fold edges over filling, pinching to seal, then roll gently into a rope and tie into a knot.
05 - Place knots seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
06 - In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in parsley and a pinch of salt. Brush knots generously with garlic butter.
07 - Bake 16 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
08 - While baking, warm honey in a small saucepan or microwave until just runny. Stir in hot sauce and red pepper flakes if using.
09 - Remove knots from oven. Immediately brush with any remaining garlic butter, then drizzle hot honey over each knot. Serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • These are secretly packed with protein but taste indulgent enough to pass as dessert or fancy party food.
  • The whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes, which means you can make them on a Tuesday without it feeling like a commitment.
  • That hot honey drizzle is the kind of detail that makes people think you spent way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • Don't overfill the knots or the ricotta will leak out during baking and make a mess on your pan—a heaping teaspoon is genuinely enough.
  • The dough is fragile while it's warm, so if you're not serving them immediately, let them cool slightly before moving them around so they don't fall apart.
03 -
  • If your knots seem to spread too much while baking, your oven might run hot—try dropping the temperature to 375°F next time and adding a minute or two to the baking time.
  • For a crunchier exterior, brush the knots with a little bit of water mixed with a pinch of salt before brushing with garlic butter; this helps them brown more evenly.
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