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This whipped lemon ricotta cheesecake is rich and luscious and takes so little effort to make. Creamy whipped ricotta cheese made with lemon and honey and baked up in a flaky phyllo dough crust. This unique cheesecake is light, creamy, airy, a touch buttery, lightly sweetened, and perfectly hinted with fresh lemon and vanilla. The best part? There’s no fancy water bath required, just simple and delicious!
If you can believe it, this is my first ever cheesecake. Sure, I shared these blueberry cheesecake bars last year, but never before have I made a real cheesecake. Of course, this one’s not traditional either, but then isn’t that what you’ve come to expect from me by now? Putting my own little twist on a classic is kind of what I do…
Even though I second guess myself every step of the way. Will I ever stop this…probably not.
So with that, let’s talk about this cheesecake and how you should plan to make it this week. Don’t second guess yourself like I do, this is so easy and delicious. No matter whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or not, your week needs this creamy ricotta cheesecake.
It really does.
For starters, the inspiration for the cheesecake was drawn solely from the fact that cheesecake is one of the few desserts I’ve never made. Cheesecake wasn’t something I grew up eating. And while I know that most people really enjoy it, I was always under the impression that it wasn’t for me. Why? Well, because both my parents are chocolate only kind of dessert people, and never once shared cheesecake with their kids.
Of course, now that I’m older, I realize just how delicious a good cheesecake can be. BUT I do have a few requirements when it comes to what makes a good cheesecake…
It’s must not be overly sweet, it must be extra creamy, and it has to have good flavor.
Enter this ricotta cheesecake…lightly sweetened with only honey, with hints of lemon and vanilla for extra flavor. Whip the ricotta cheese before baking for an extra creamy filling. And, to add one more layer of flavor and texture, I ditched the boring graham cracker crust and instead used flaky phyllo dough.
Perfection.
I was inspired to use ricotta, instead of the more traditional cream cheese, mainly due to the fact that I had two containers in my fridge. But also because I just really love ricotta cheese when used in a sweet way (cc: this Dutch Baby). I knew that in order to achieve that silky smooth cheesecake texture, I’d need to whip the ricotta up in the food processor. What’s great is the entire batter is all made in the bowl of the food processor (you could also use a blender).
It’s pretty much as simple as it could get.
And that crust? Well, I’ve never really enjoyed a graham cracker crust, so I brainstormed a few ideas until I landed on phyllo dough. The phyllo dough ended up being the perfect light and flaky crust. It not sweet and doesn’t over shadow the delicious ricotta filling.
As mentioned above, this cheesecake requires no water bath. Yes, I may get called out for this. But I’m going to be honest, I tested the recipe both with a water bath and without. Truly I couldn’t tell the difference between the cakes. Sure, you may have a crack or two on the top of your cake, but who really cares when you’re just going to top the cake with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar, you know?
Trust me, the water bath is not worth the extra effort.
The hardest part about this cheesecake? Waiting for it to actually chill. Which I will not lie, I snuck in a few bites while the cake was warm. I’m not the biggest fan of cold food, so I personally found it delicious. But of course, it’s a little creamier once it’s fully chilled and set.
My tip…bake this cheesecake up today or tomorrow. This will give it proper time to chill before Thursday night (which is v-day). Then enjoy as a special after dinner treat. Bonus? This also makes a great brunch item for the weekend…just a thought.
If you make this lemon ricotta cheesecake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Do you think is possible to substitute the heavy cream for buttermilk or just regular milk?
This cheesecake looks amazing and can’t wait to try my hand at it.
HI! I don’t recommend replacing the heavy cream as it’s what creates a creamy texture. I don’t think buttermilk or milk would work very well. I am sorry. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Why does it call for 12 sheets of phyllo dough if you only use eight?
HI! They are extra sheets of dough incase some of the dough rips. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Made this recipe for a friends potluck and everyone really enjoyed it! I’d never worked with phylo dough before but didn’t have any difficulty. I agree with other reviews that the ricotta makes for a lighter and more refreshing cheesecake, and the not-too-sweet was perfect. The only thing I’d change is I’d triple or quadruple the amount of lemon zest going into the recipe – I doubled it, but the honey flavor still overwhelmed the lemon and we didn’t really taste it. Everyone at the dinner loved the cake though, so this is just a personal preference! Would definitely make again.
Hi Courtney! I am so glad you enjoyed this cake so much! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Does the bottom phyllo crust get soggy? Is it soft? Flakey?
Hey Kelly, my crust does not get soggy. It is flaky on the edges and softer towards the center, but not soggy. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Would you be able to freeze this cheesecake once it has been made?
Hi there! I have never frozen this, so I can’t really say for sure. I think if you have frozen other cheesecakes with success that this would be no different and that it will freeze great. Please let me know how it goes for you! I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Not sure what I was expecting after reading the comments. Some where wow and others not-so wow (not to say rude) so I made my own opinion. I’m not a big phyllo fan so I used puff pastry and it turned out perfect. Ricotta gives a new twist to the classic (and sometimes boring) cheescake recipes. The not-too-sweet taste worked well for us – hubby has diabetes – and the lemon made for a fresh summer dessert. Thanks Tieghan for trying out new things and sharing them with us. People who don’t appreciate can move on.
Thank you so much for giving this a try, Enelye! I am really glad you both enjoyed this cheesecake! xTieghan
I finally got around to making this for Mother’s Day. It was a hit! I admit, the phyllo kind of stressed me out, so I went with the graham cracker crust…I know. It did add a sweetness, which I enjoyed. I don’t usually read comments on recipes. On one hand, I learned a few things from other readers that were helpful. On the other hand, why are people so mean??!! You are so gracious in all of your responses. Life is hard, why be mean? And over a cheesecake. Keep doing what you do! I always look forward to your posts.
Hi Amy! I am so glad you loved this recipe so much!! Thank you so much for trying it and being so sweet! xTieghan
Not sure what went wrong. It tasted good, but the cake was too damp and crumbly. The phylo on the bottom and side were moist and not crunchy. You couldn’t cut into the crust/bottom with your fork. Might try again and cook longer and perhaps I used too much butter on the phylo.
Thank you so much Megan! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
I made this for Easter dessert and it was phenomenal! Thank you for your constant inspiration in the kitchen. We have never once been disappointed by your dishes.
Thank you so much Karen! xTieghan
I only have a 10 inch spring form pan, do I need to increase the amount of ricotta, eggs, cream, etc? I dont want it to be too short in height or something. Excited to make this tomorrow!
Hi! Making this dessert for Easter! So excited to make and try it. I am slightly confused on thr cooling? Im thinking about baking it tomorrow to serve on Sunday for Easter lunch. Should j let it cool in spring form and once completely cooled put in fridge? What do you suggest? I am a huge fan! Love all of your recipes! Delicious and very practical to make 🙂
HI there! I recommend letting the cake cool in the pan completely at room temp (so like and hour or so), then remove the pan and transfer to the fridge to chill. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Just finished making this and can’t wait to eat it!! Note: I melted one stick of butter and layered a few more phyllo sheets for sturdiness. Aesthetically, some of the crispy phyllo broke off when I took it out of the mold, but that’s ok. Thank you for changing up the recipe; graham cracker crust is way too sweet for me as well.
Thank you so much Rosie! xTieghan
Hi! Just wondering if this recipe would work with another type of cheesecake filling? LOVE the idea of a phyllo crust but not big on lemon, think a white chocolate or chicly peanut butter cheesecake? Thanks!
HI! Yes, you can use the your favorite filling and this crust, that will work great! I’d go with white chocolate as it’s more delicate and fits better with the phyllo! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Thank you Tieghan! Another perfect recipe that delivered gastronomical delight to our dinner party!! Your recipes always make me look like a pro!!
Thank you so much Tracey! xTieghan
I made this last night for a 12-person dinner party. The good news is that it’s a beautiful dessert, so presentation will not disappoint. Also, the flavor is pretty good. I added three times the fresh lemon juice (6 teaspoons) and a couple extra tablespoons of sugar on top of the 1/2 cup of honey. After baking, I topped it with powdered sugar and honey and I served it with strawberries and blackberries. The downside of this dessert is the texture. It’s somewhere between a cheesecake and a flan. In fact, I could see when I took it out of the oven that it wasn’t “cheesecake-y” so I decided to tell my guests that it was a “lemon cheese flan” and that set their expectations in a better place for this dessert. I like to end my dinner parties with a bang, but unfortunately this dessert delivered more of a polite “um”. So the recipe won’t be a keeper for me.
Hi Kathy! I am so sorry to hear that this did not turn out well for you. Are there any questions I could help you with? Please let me know! xTieghan