This authentic Italian Ricotta Pie recipe yields a light (but rich), sweet, and velvety smooth pie filling inside a crispy homemade pie crust. Ricotta Pie is traditionally savored in Italy and around the world on Easter and other special holidays. I highly recommend making it for your holiday table!

A Beloved Family Tradition in the Form of a Pie

I love recipes that are handed down from generation to generation. This authentic Italian Ricotta Pie is one such recipe. While I don’t have a drop of Italian blood running through my veins (that I know of anyway!) my sister married into an Italian family chock full of excellent cooks and bakers. That has come to mean wonderful things in the kitchen for all of us through the years. One Italian dessert we’ve all come to love is this Italian Ricotta Pie.

Even if you didn’t grow up with ricotta pie, you’ll adore this easy recipe. Traditional ricotta pie often includes chocolate chips or lemon zest, but this old family recipe uses neither. Instead, I garnished it with fresh lemon slices, whipped cream and lemon zest.

Make this authentic Italian Ricotta Pie for an easy and delicious traditional Italian dessert on holidays or any day of the week. Your friends and family will thank you!

Key Ingredients

Ricotta pie is not to be confused with traditional cheesecake. The texture of ricotta pie is lighter and more “eggy” than cheesecake, similar to a thick custard. The delicate flavor of ricotta pie with a hint of cinnamon reminds me of rice pudding, though rice is not an ingredient in this Italian Ricotta Pie recipe.

This authentic Italian ricotta pie recipe is twofold — the ricotta filling and the crispy, sweet pie crust. Let’s start with arguably the best part … the filling!

• 2 pounds Italian ricotta cheese (Please use high-quality ricotta! It’s the star ingredient for this dish.)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups granulate sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk (I recommend whole milk, but you can use whatever you have on-hand; dairy-based or plant-based will work.)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Now, full disclosure: you can buy a store-bought pie crust. *Gasp!* I know, but you really can. I get that it’s often easier, especially if you’re making this as a component to a big (and stressful) holiday meal. But if you would like to make the pie crust from scratch, here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter (chilled)
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Whipped cream and lemon zest (for an optional garnish)

How To Make This Italian Pie

• First, prepare the ricotta filling by whisking together the ricotta and eggs until smooth and virtually lump free. Next, add the vanilla extract, heavy cream, milk, and cinnamon. Stir to incorporate, and then set aside to allow the flavors to marinate. 
• After you have prepared the ricotta pie filling, it’s time to make the homemade pie crust. To make your own easy sweet, flakey pastry, start by cutting the cold butter into dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then, stir in the lightly beaten eggs and vanilla. Separate dough in half and form into two balls. Wrap in plastic and chill. Refrigerate for a minimum of thirty minutes to overnight before rolling out.
• Roll on the thinner side, and fit into two prepared 9″ pie pans. The pie dough tends to be crumbly, so leave it rustic ,and don’t flute the edges.
• Then, fill the unbaked pie shells with the simple ricotta pie filling, and bake for 30 minutes with foil. Then, bake for an additional 30-45 minutes without foil, until the crust is golden and a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack, and then refrigerate before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh mint, and lemon zest, if desired, for serving. And, most of all, enjoy!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

• Store this homemade Italian ricotta cheesecake covered in your fridge for up to 4 days. Press plastic wrap onto the exposed parts of the pie that have been sliced to prevent a skin or rind from forming from being in contact with the air.
• Freeze this ricotta pie whole or by the slice for up to 3 months wrapped securely in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container or plastic bag.
• Reheat this pie simply by letting it thaw in the fridge and serve chilled.

Serving Tips

• If you want a more pronounced lemon flavor, you could add lemon zest to the ricotta filling and/or the pie crust. You could also add lemon extract to the homemade whipped cream for serving, along with a lemon slice or wedge.
• You could also serve this Italian ricotta cheesecake with a chocolate ganache instead of the lemon zest. Dark chocolate works especially well with the super sweet filling and pie crust.
• Instead of whipped cream, serve this Italian ricotta pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet.
• Or, keep things simple by preparing an easy lemon glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice to drizzle atop each slice before serving.
• Garnish with my favorite coffee whipped cream and omit the lemon zest and mint. 
• Serve with beverages like my Godiva chocolate martini, maple pumpkin spice tea latte, or honey chai cardamom latte.

More Dessert Recipes To Try

• Bakery Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins
• Blueberry Pound Cake
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
• Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
• Candied Lemon Cheesecake

Print

Authentic Italian Ricotta Pie

Authentic Italian Ricotta Pie passed down through the generations. This is unlike a cheesecake, has its' own unique texture and flavor from the old country. The recipe for the sweet crust is adapted from AllRecipes.com

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

Ricotta Filling

• 2 pounds good Italian ricotta cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Sweet Pie Crust (or you can easily use a pre-made crust!)

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons butter chilled
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: whipped cream and lemon zest for garnish.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Stir together ricotta and 6 eggs until smooth.
• Stir in sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, milk and cinnamon.
• Set aside filling.
• In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and sugar.
• Cut in butter with pastry blender until chunks resemble coarse crumbs.
• Mix in lightly beaten eggs and vanilla extract just until incorporated.
• Divide dough in half, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough to fit into 2 greased pie plates.
• (Not too thick though, because this dough will expand due to the baking powder and eggs.)
• The dough is crumbly so I don't suggest fluting the edges.
• Pour the ricotta filling evenly into both pie pans.
• Shield edges of crust all the way around with foil and place pies in the oven.
• Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and rotate pies if needed so they cook evenly.
• Bake an additional 30 - 45 minutes, until crust is golden and a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely, then refrigerate before serving.
• Optional: garnish with whipped cream and lemon zest if desired.

Notes

This recipe makes two, bottom crust only pies. The recipe can be easily halved to make one pie.

Ricotta pie sometimes has chocolate chips or lemon zest in the filling. Add 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the filling before baking.

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