Ricotta Pie Recipe (Italian Lemon Honey Version)
This ricotta pie recipe is a light and creamy Italian dessert made with fresh ricotta, honey, and lemon, baked in a rustic crust for a perfectly balanced flavor.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 418kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 204 g Effie's Oatcakes oat, pecan or cocoa biscuits 7.2 oz package
- 56 g butter 4 tablespoons, melted
- 50 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup
Filling
- 226 g ricotta 8 oz., at room temperature
- 113 g cream cheese 4 oz., brick style at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 113 g honey 80 ml, 1/3 cup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest from 4 lemons
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream 235 ml
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- 1 cup fresh berries
- 1/4 cup edible flowers
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (176˚C).
- Place the oatcakes into a plastic food bag, seal it and crush them into coarse crumbs with a rolling pin. Or process them into crumbs in a food processor.
- Transfer the oatcake crumbs to a mixing bowl then add the melted butter and granulated sugar. Mix until evenly combined then transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Press the mixture into the tart pan sides and bottom to form the crust.
- Bake the crust on a half sheet pan for easy maneuverability at 350˚F (176˚C) for ten minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and transfer it, still on the sheet pan, to a cooling rack for now. Raise the oven temperature to 375˚F (190˚C).
- Whisk together the ricotta, cream cheese, eggs, honey, kosher salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl, or combine them together in a food processor.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust, still on the half sheet pan, and return it to the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes at 375˚F (190˚C) until the edges of the filling puff up and the center is still jiggly.
- Remove the ricotta pie from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the ricotta pie to set and firm up.
- About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve the ricotta pie, chill a mixing bowl and whisk or whisk attachment(s) for a stand mixer/hand mixer in the freezer or refrigerator. After they are cold whip the heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract to soft peaks.
- Remove the outer ring of the tart pan and leave the tart on the base. Spoon the whipped cream onto the center of the ricotta pie and garnish with fresh berries, mint leaves, edible flowers, a drizzle of honey and lemon zest right before serving.
Video
Notes
- The ricotta pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days without the whipped cream, berries, and garnishes.
- The decorated pie/tart is best eaten right away. If you anticipate having leftover pie then I would serve the whipped cream, berries and garnishes on the side.
- The honey in the pie filling can be replaced with 1/3 cup of granulated sugar or half honey/half sugar. The flavor of honey can vary greatly depending on the flowers that the bees pollinated at the time, and some varieties can be very strongly flavored so use your own judgment and personal taste when choosing honey to bake with.
- The crust can also be made with graham crackers or shortbread cookies, but adjust the amount of sugar added or eliminate it completely if the cookies are sweet enough on their own.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 747IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 1mg