Smooth and Sweet Orange Creamsicle Dip Recipe

Orange and cream are a match made in heaven. One of my favorite refreshing Summer treats is a delicious orange creamsicle. But why should they just be for Summer. With this dip, you can have those flavors any time of the year. I’ll even teach you how to make the homemade whipped cream to spread on top.

Now let’s get right to the good stuff…

how to make orange creamsicle dip

INGREDIENTS:

Gather your ingredients and get ready to make this amazing dip, so good you’ll want to make it all year long. This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Orange cream base:

• 8 oz. package cream cheese-softened
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup orange curd
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Milk or cream
• Mandarin orange slices

Orange cream base:

• 8 oz. package cream cheese-softened
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup orange curd
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Milk or cream
• Mandarin orange slices

Whipped cream topping:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2-3 Tbsp powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

ingredient information:

• Cream cheese: We prefer using Philadelphia brand cream cheese for this dip, though any brand will work. If you haven’t had a chance to leave it out to soften, just pop it in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds.
• Ricotta cheese: This is a soft and mild Italian cheese that adds such a unique flavor to dishes. You can replace this with cottage cheese that is put through a food processor and liquid removed.
• Orange curd: Orange curd is a food of the gods. It’s creamy and delicate and sweet without being too tart. We had trouble finding it in our local grocery store and finally discovered it with the peanut butter and jelly (who knew!). You can also find it on Amazon HERE.
• Powdered Sugar: This is not to be confused with white sugar. It’s very finely milled and combined with a small amount of an anti clumping agent so that it appears like snow. It melts into the cream cheese to form the perfect creamy base to take on other flavors.
• Mandarin oranges: You can use fresh orange segments, but we prefer the simple canned mandarins for this recipe. Just remove the juice.
• Heavy whipping cream: aka heavy cream is a rich, high-fat dairy product that makes the most delicate and delicious whipped cream with very little effort. If you don’t want to make homemade whipped cream, you can substitute it with Cool Whip. But it is worth the effort.
• Vanilla: A quality vanilla really does elevate any recipe. Skip the imitation and use a quality vanilla extract instead.

instructions:

Stick around to the end, and I’ll show you how to make a spooky Halloween version of this dip.

1. With a hand mixer, blend together cream cheese, ricotta cheese, orange curd and vanilla.
2. Then slowly mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar, adding a splash of milk or cream as needed, until smooth and creamy.
3. Spread the mixture into the bottom of a deep pie dish.
4. Prepare for the whipping cream by first putting the bowl and hand mixer beaters into the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Pour the cold heavy whipping cream, vanilla and 2 Tbsp powdered sugar into the cooled bowl and beat with a hand mixer until there are stiff peaks.
6. Layer the fresh whipped cream on top of the creamy orange cream mixture.
7. Garnish with mandarin orange pieces.

my recipe tips

• To color or not to color?: This is the same question that I asked about my graying hair every month. With the orange curd added to the base of this dip, it it more of a pale peach or even yellowish color. We used food coloring to turn it a more vibrant orange, but you can choose to skip this step.
• Flavor intensity: The orange curd gives this dip a smooth and creamy taste. If you’d like to amp up the orange flavor intensity, add an additional 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate.
• Smoothing the ricotta: You will notice that it’s almost impossible to get the creamy layer totally smooth when using ricotta, but that’s to be expected. If you want to make it smoother, put it through a food processor before adding it to the mixture. Remove additional moisture.

recipe video

🍽️ serving ideas

There are lots of things that you can dip into this delicious orange creamsicle dip, but our favorite is basic shortbread cookies. You can also use graham crackers, chocolate wafers or fruit, like grapes, orange segments, banana slices or strawberries.

If you’re having a get together with lots of appetizers, this dip recipe is great alongside this fruit salsa and this put a ring on it crockpot dip. Then there will be a little something for everyone.

making a halloween version

To turn this into a spooky Halloween treat, skip the Mandarin oranges on top of the dip. Instead, use a black icing tube to make circles, starting in the center and working your way out. Then drag a toothpick through the circles at intervals, moving from the center and pulling out to the edge. This will make it look like a spider web. Last, use the icing to create a spider in the web. It will look like this when you’re done…

how to make HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM

Making homemade whipped cream is so simple if you follow these few steps:

• Start with very cold heavy whipping cream. Also, cool down the bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to whipping.
• In the bowl place 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.
• Begin beating the cream with your hand mixer. However, don’t overwork the cream. Once you see the heavy cream start to thicken, pay close attention. As soon as it reaches the right consistency, stop whipping. And you have homemade whipped cream!

recipe notes

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best results for this super yummy dip.
• Storage: Keep leftovers (if you even have any) covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dip, as it may affect the texture.
• Dip prep: You can prepare all of the elements for this dip ahead of time. Just assemble it at the time of serving.