This incredibly light and creamy ricotta cheesecake is everything dense New York-style is not: fresh ricotta whipped with eggs, turbinado sugar, and lemon zest into something nearly cloudlike, baked in a crumb crust. There is a fuss-free route to a crack-free top built into the recipe. Serve it cold with fruit and watch allegiances change.
If you think cheesecake has to be dense and heavy, let me introduce you to your new favorite dessert! This incredible Ricotta Cheesecake is a game-changer. By swapping traditional cream cheese for ricotta, we get a cake that is unbelievably creamy, moist, and light, with a delicate, slightly grainy texture that is just divine. It’s also significantly lower in saturated fat, making it a guilt-free indulgence you can feel good about. This recipe, brightened with a hint of fresh lemon, is the perfect base for your own flavor experiments. Get ready to fall in love! This recipe makes about 12 servings and takes about 1.5 hours to bake, plus chilling time.
Ingredients
• 1 recipe Baked Crumb Crust
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup / 220g (7.8 oz) turbinado sugar
• 1.5 pounds / 680g (24 oz) fresh ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz) finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 1 fl oz) all-purpose flour
Instructions
1. Prepare the crust and preheat your oven. Press your Baked Crumb Crust into the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch springform pan and bake as directed. Set it aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C.
2. Make the filling. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and all-purpose flour, and continue to beat until the mixture is completely smooth.
3. Bake the cheesecake. Pour the ricotta batter into the prepared crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan but the center still has a slight jiggle.
4. Cool it slowly. Turn off the oven, but leave the cheesecake inside with the door closed to cool down completely. This slow cooling process is the secret to preventing cracks!
5. Chill and serve. Once cool, remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice and serve cold.
Nutritional Information
• A Lighter Indulgence
• By using ricotta cheese as the base, this cheesecake is naturally lower in saturated fat and calories compared to its cream cheese-based counterpart.
• It’s a wonderful source of protein, thanks to the generous amount of ricotta and eggs in the recipe.
• Use part-skim ricotta to reduce the fat content even further without sacrificing too much creaminess.
Pro Tips
• for Perfect Ricotta Cheesecake
• For an ultra-smooth, less grainy texture, give the ricotta a quick whirl in a food processor before mixing it with the other .
• To avoid a cracked top without a messy water bath, simply turn the oven off after baking and let the cheesecake cool down slowly inside with the door closed.
• Ricotta is a blank canvas! Swap the lemon zest for orange zest, a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract, or even a pinch of cinnamon.
• For a quicker, gluten-free-friendly option, skip the crust and bake the filling in individual greased ramekins for about 20-30 minutes to create elegant ricotta pots.
FAQ
Q: Is this ricotta cheesecake recipe vegetarian
A: Yes, this recipe is 100% vegetarian. It is a lacto-ovo vegetarian dessert, as it contains dairy (ricotta cheese) and eggs but no meat products like gelatin.
Q: How can I make this cheesecake gluten-free
A: For a simple and elegant gluten-free version, you can skip the crust entirely. Bake the filling in individual greased ramekins for about 20-30 minutes to create delicious crustless ricotta pots.
Q: Is this cheesecake a good source of protein for a vegetarian diet
A: Absolutely. With 1.5 pounds (680 g / 24 oz) of ricotta cheese and six large eggs, this cheesecake is an excellent source of protein, making it a more satisfying and nutritious indulgence than many other desserts.
Q: Can I make this cheesecake lower in fat
A: Yes, this recipe is already lower in saturated fat than traditional cheesecake. To reduce the fat content even further, you can use part-skim ricotta cheese without sacrificing too much of the wonderful creamy texture.
Q: How should I store leftover ricotta cheesecake
A: Store any leftover cheesecake tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will remain fresh and delicious for up to 4-5 days.
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Incredibly Light & Creamy Ricotta Cheesecake
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the crust and preheat your oven. Press your Baked Crumb Crust into the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch springform pan and bake as directed.
- Set it aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C.
- Make the filling.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.
- Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and all-purpose flour, and continue to beat until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Bake the cheesecake.
- Pour the ricotta batter into the prepared crust.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan but the center still has a slight jiggle.
- Cool it slowly.
- Turn off the oven, but leave the cheesecake inside with the door closed to cool down completely. This slow cooling process is the secret to preventing cracks!
- Chill and serve.
- Once cool, remove the cake from the oven.
- Let it cool on a wire rack before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Slice and serve cold.
