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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!
Whipped Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 1258 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
- 2 pounds (32 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup honey, plus additional honey for serving
- 1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar (optional* please see note)
- 4 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, preferably Meyer lemon
- powder sugar and fresh berries, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan.2. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a clean counter and brush with melted butter. Repeat, layering 1 more time, placing the sheets of dough over top of each other. Carefully transfer the buttered phyllo to the prepared pan, gently pressing it to fit inside. Repeat, over lapping each layer 3 more times until you have completely covered the bottom and sides of the pan to create the crust (see above photo) and have used 8 sheets of dough. Don't stress about making this perfect, just cover the pan with phyllo and all will be good.3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ricotta and cream. Pulse until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the honey, sugar, if using, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon juice, pulse until combined and no streaks of yellow egg remain, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit in the oven another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Transfer to the fridge to chill completely, at least 2 hours or serve at room temperature. We prefer room temp. 5. Release the cake from the mold. Serve with fresh berries, a drizzle of honey, and a dusting of powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
*This is not meant to be a sweet cheesecake and we do prefer this with only 1/2 cup of honey and no additional sugar. That said, if you like a sweeter cake, 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup granulated sugar can be added with the honey.Â
I believe ricotta is the Sicilian method for making cheesecake? Looks good, I’m going to give this a try.
I hope you love this, Markel! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
First of all, huge fan of yours! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and recipes. Just a question about the lemon ricotta cheesecake recipe. If I halved it, would I also cut down the baking time?
Please advise. Thank you!
Hey Sylvia,
Thanks so much for your kind message. I have not tested halving this recipe, but yes I would reduce the baking time. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! I made this recipe yesterday to celebrate a birthday and got good reviews, thank you for the recipe! Someone has asked me to make another one for them to share with their family, and I am hoping to improve upon what I made yesterday. My phyllo crust was soggy and didn’t create the flaky crust on the side that yours has….it makes for such pretty pictures. I was wondering if you could give me advice on laying the sheets down, maybe I didn’t coat with enough butter or didn’t lay them haphazardly enough and they stuck together? Also, mine come out with a flan like consistency, very wet and syrupy, while yours looks to have more of a cake like consistency……do you think I may have under mixed or maybe I should of drained excess liquid out of the ricotta? Thanks in advance!
Hey Amber!! For the crust, try pre-baking it for 8-10 minutes before adding the cheesecake filling. I think this will really help with the sogginess.
For the batter, yes, drain the liquid from the ricotta if there is liquid sitting on top of the cheese. Also, be sure to use a high quality, whole milk ricotta cheese. That will yield the best results for you!
Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope this helps! Thank you!! xTieghan
Do you think subbing marscapone for ricotta and puff pastry for phyllo would work? I am too lazy to go to the store right now lol.
Hey Alana,
You can definitely do mascarpone, but if you switch up the puff pastry for the phyllo you are going to have a completely different crust texture. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream?
Hey Lucy,
I would recommend using coconut cream in place of the heavy cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Looks delicious- can you substitute honey with maple syrup?
Hey Sophia,
Yes honey will work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, could you please translate ingredients into European metrics (grams)? Looking forward to try this recipe! Many thanks
Hi Ramona! I have left the metric conversions for this below. I just used the internet to convert the ingredients, so I would recommend double checking if you are able to! I hope you love this cheesecake and please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
56.7 grams of butter
32 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
2 fl oz heavy cream
170 grams of honey
50-100 grams granulated sugar *please see notes
4 whole eggs + 2 yolks
.30 ounces or 8 grams vanilla extract
4.2 grams lemon zest
.30 or 8 grams lemon juice ( preferably Meyer lemon)
I wish i could post a pic! This is AMAZING!!!
Thank you Keli! xTieghan
This recipe is stunningly good. I was surprised that mine looked as good as the pics here. I used blueberries and strawberries. I took a picture and sent it to everyone I knew! Several wanted the recipe. I can’t wait to make it for a dinner party when they’re allowed again. I would suggest everyone pay attention to the comments about the sugar. My partner and I are sweet freaks, so I added 1/4 cup of Splenda, which I often use to substitute for some (not all, unless a recipe calls for it) of the sugar in recipes. It was good, but definitely on the sweet side. Next time I will just stick with the honey. The phyllo dough crust, fresh fruit and powdered sugar really make it look festive, almost like it came from a high end bakery.
Wow that is so amazing to hear!! Thank you so much for trying this one, Jeff! xTieghan
Hi, can a stand mixer be used instead of a food processor?
Hi Cat,
Yes that will work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hello,
Can you use 35% cooking cream instead of Heavy cream for this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Francesca,
I have never used this kind of cream but I would think it should work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
First the crust needs to be more layers and without sugar definitely not sweet enough. Ricottabis very grainy compar d to philly. If you want cheesecake pass on this one. I was hoping to give to neighbors that gave me fresh Lemmon…. thinking of throwing away
Oh no! I am really sorry this did not turn out well for you, Mari! Is there anything that could have gone wrong while making it? I would love to help! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy some other recipes of mine! xTieghan
Teigan , when I half the recipe how long should I bake it? Want to make this today if I can for birthday tomorrow.
?all your recipes!
Hi Gail,
I have not tested halving the recipe, but I would recommend baking for 30 minutes. Happy Birthday!
Teighan this looks amazing, a great take on an Italian ricotta cheesecake. Wondering in this time Corona virus, celebrating my birthday while sheltering in place means making my own birthday cake! Do you think I could cut the recipe in half, I have a small springform pan?
Hi Gail! Yes, you can cut the recipe in half! I hope you have an amazing birthday! xTieghan
Gosh!! This looks SO yummy!! The phyllo crust is perfect for it, yet it’s is a real game changer for gluten free. I’m stuck on a substitute. Any ideas?
Hi there!! For a GF crust I would recommend using GF graham cracker crust and skip the phyllo crust. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan