• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef Dennis
  • Recipe Index
  • My Recipes
  • On the Road
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Recent Recipes
  • Holiday Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Ask Chef Dennis » Recipes » Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Berries

    Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Berries

    Published: Apr 18, 2021 · Modified: Apr 22, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley · 169 Comments·This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    4.3K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    5 from 28 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    pinterest image of ricotta cheesecake

    If you’ve never tried an Italian Ricotta Cheesecake you don’t know what you’re missing. Top it with fresh berries and you’ve got a dessert of legendary status!

    updated from original post July 3, 2010

    overhead view of sliced cheesecake with slices next to it on plates

    Ricotta Cheesecakes are not the same as a New York style cheesecake. They’re not a sweet and not creamy in the same way. I didn’t want to say not as creamy, because it’s still freaking awesomely creamy!

    The real secret to making a ricotta cheesecake extra cream is adding mascarpone. Which for lack of a better term is Italian cream cheese. Adding in sour cream or Greek yogurt adds a little of the flavor you’ve come to expect from a New York style cheesecake.

    What ingredients do I need to make a Ricotta Cheesecake?

    overhead view of ingredients to make ricotta cheesecake

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make an Authentic Ricotta Cheesecake with Berries. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    *If you’re not familiar with digestive biscuits I like to think of them as Adult Graham Crackers.

    How do I make a Ricotta Cheesecake?

    four images showing how to prepare the cheesecake crust

    The first step is making the crust for the cheesecake. In a food processor, grind up the pistachios, then remove from them from the processor. Add the digestive biscuits and grind to a fine meal.

    four images showing how to prepare the cheesecake crust

    Melt one stick of butter and add the butter and sugar to the ground pistachios and digestive biscuits, mix well.*The mixture should be wet enough to form, but not so wet that it oozes butter.

    Form crust into your springform pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.

    four images showing how to make ricotta cheesecake batter

    In your mixer blend together the ricotta cheese, mascarpone, and Greek yogurt. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

    Add the eggs one at a time until well blended. Next, add the sugar, flour, salt, grated lemon peel, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend well until very creamy. 

    cheesecake batter in prepared springform pan

    Pour the cheesecake batter into a prepared Springform pan (with baked crust) and bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes in a conventional oven, or until the cake has set in the middle.

    **The top of the cheesecake can get brown. If you’re not topping the cheesecake or prefer a lighter top, cover the cheesecake with foil for half of the time in the oven.

    four images showing how to top the cheesecake with berries

    After the cheesecake has fully cooled, you can start adding the strawberries around the outer edge of the cheesecake. Cut the bottoms off the strawberries so they sit nicely on the cheesecake.

    Next add the blueberries to the center of the cheesecake, making sure they are at least two deep. Spoon the prepared glaze over top of the strawberries and blueberries.

    *You can use a brush to make sure all of the strawberries are coated with the glaze,

    finished whole cheesecake with berries out of the pan with a bowl of blueberries in the foreground

    Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight. The cheesecake will be soft and crumble unless you give it time to set up.

    slice of cheesecake on a plate with berries

    You’re going to love the texture and flavor of this Ricotta Cheesecake. This Italian Classic is a delicious version of one of America’s favorite desserts!

    Kitchen tools I use for my cakes

    • 9 -inch Springform Pan
    • offset spatula (essential for bakers)
    • 9-inch parchment cake circles
    • silicone spatulas
    • wire whisk
    • mixing bowls

    More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Restaurant Style Cheesecake
    • Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars with a toffee crust
    • Blood Orange Ricotta Cheesecake
    • Chocolate Cheesecake Bars with Pecan Shortbread Crust

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    slice of cheesecake on a plate with berries
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 28 votes

    Ricotta Cheesecake

    What could be better to celebrate the summer than my red white and blue Ricotta Cheesecake. My oh so creamy cheesecake will be a hit at your next gathering
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 20 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 571kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Equipment

    • 9 inch springform pan

    Ingredients

    Crust for Cheesecake

    • 12 digestive biscuits or one pack of graham crackers
    • ½ cup pistachios toasted
    • 4 oz Unsalted Butter melted
    • ¼ cup Sugar

    Ricotta Cheesecake

    • 16 oz ricotta cheese full fat or low fat
    • 16 oz mascarpone *or cream cheese if you can find mascarpone
    • 8 oz Greek yogurt *or sour cream
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 6 large eggs
    • 2 Tbsp flour
    • grated peel of one lemon
    • juice from one half lemon
    • 1 Tbsp vanilla
    • 1 tsp salt

    Topping for Cheesecake

    • 1 pint strawberries whole berries
    • ½ Pint blueberries more if desired
    • 1 cup red fruit juice
    • juice of one lemon
    • 2 Tbsp sugar
    • 1½ Tbsp corn starch
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Crust for Cheesecake

    • In a food processor, grind up the pistachios and remove from the processor. Then add the digestive biscuits and grind to a fine meal.
    • Melt one stick of butter and add the butter and sugar to the ground pistachios and digestive biscuits, mix well.
      *The mixture should be wet enough to form, but not so wet that it oozes butter.
    • Form crust into your springform pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.
      *Allow to cool before adding the cheesecake batter.

    Ricotta Cheesecake

    • In your mixer blend together the ricotta cheese, mascarpone, and Greek yogurt. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
    • Add the eggs one at a time until well blended.
    • Add the sugar, flour, salt, grated lemon peel, lemon juice, and vanilla.
    • Blend well until very creamy. Pour mixture into prepared Springform pan and Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes in a conventional oven, or until the cake has set in the middle. The top of the cheesecake can get brown. If you're not topping the cheesecake or prefer a lighter top, cover the cheesecake with foil for half of the time in the oven.

    Topping for Cheesecake

    • Wash the strawberries and blueberries, allow to dry on paper towels.
    • Cut the tops off the dried strawberries and place around the outside of the cheesecake, fill the inside with blueberries. They should be at least two deep in the middle of the Strawberries.
    • Place all but ¼ cup of the juice and lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan, heat to a near boil. Mix corn starch, into remaining juice and make into a slurry, add the slurry to the heated juice and bring to a low boil. The mixture should start to clear as it thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then spoon over the berries.
    • Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight. The cheesecake will be soft and crumble unless you give it time to set up!
      I know it's hard to resist but it will be worth it!!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 1108IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!
    pinterest image of ricotta cheesecake
    « Tuna Macaroni Salad Deluxe – American Classic
    Restaurant Style Hummingbird Cake – Southern Classic »

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joy

      July 05, 2010 at 8:10 pm

      Your topping looks so wonderful. It is perfect for a cheesecake. Great recipe.

      Reply
    2. Cristina - Teenie Cakes

      July 05, 2010 at 8:01 pm

      Chef – This ricotta cheesecake looks luscious and just gorgeous color with all those lovely berries. I like the use of pistachios in your crust – sounds wonderful (I'm attempting a cobbler this afternoon that calls for pistachios too!)

      I'm going to be thinking about this all day. I need to make a cheesecake like this. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

      Reply
    3. Ana Powell

      July 05, 2010 at 7:55 pm

      Oh my God, you are the perfect master.
      I am crawling at your feet, awesome cheesecake.
      Lovely clicks ♥

      Reply
    4. Candace

      July 05, 2010 at 7:14 pm

      What a beautiful dessert! Looks delicious!

      Reply
    5. Leslie

      July 05, 2010 at 7:03 pm

      What a beautiful dessert! Cherries and strawberries don't last long around here…one or the other of us is always dipping into them!

      Reply
    6. Paz

      July 05, 2010 at 6:15 pm

      Oh my! What a wonderful-looking dessert!

      Paz

      Reply
    7. ~~louise~~

      July 05, 2010 at 5:26 pm

      I never saw a cheesecake like that on the Golden Girls. Heavenly, simply heavenly…

      I adore the combination of ricotta, marscapone and Greek yogurt. And that crust, oh goodness. I'm not much of a baker but I'm pretty good at whirling that blender of mine. A keeper for sure!!!

      Thanks for sharing…

      Reply
    8. Monet

      July 05, 2010 at 5:02 pm

      Denis,
      You and I think alike! I made cheese cake (for the first time) this weekend and topped mine with fresh berries as well. Such a pretty and rich dessert for the fourth. I hope you have a wonderful week full of joy and blessings. Hugs!

      Reply
    9. Ingrid

      July 05, 2010 at 5:01 pm

      I love mascarpone, ricotta, and greek yogurt so you can imagine how insanely delicious I think this looks and sounds!
      ~ingrid

      Reply
    10. tes

      July 05, 2010 at 4:36 pm

      I hope you had great 4th of July!
      The cheesecake looks so amazing. It really keeps the mood of celebrating going!

      Reply
    11. Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul

      July 05, 2010 at 4:28 pm

      One word. OMG!

      Where's my fork!!??

      Carmen

      Reply
    12. Cook with Madin

      July 05, 2010 at 4:27 pm

      What a gorgeous cheesecake, and ricotta cheese is the way to go.
      Great photos too, it's just like right in front of me and make me want to reach for a slice.

      Greek Yogurt is my new love too.

      Reply
    13. Becky Sue

      July 05, 2010 at 4:16 pm

      This looks amazing! I have made Ricotta Chesecake cupcakes before! I need to give this whirl as well! 🙂

      Reply
    14. Shandy

      July 05, 2010 at 4:13 pm

      Gorgeous! I love the fruit combination and the idea of using ricotta for a cheesecake. Beautiful photos too!

      Reply
    15. Rosemary

      July 05, 2010 at 4:08 pm

      I thought I had cheesecake pretty down pat, but you've made me change my mind today! What a wonderful mix of cheeses! And to put pistachios in the crust is a wonderful idea!! And a great picture–beautiful!

      Reply
    16. A multi-dimensional life

      July 05, 2010 at 3:53 pm

      I'm so glad I stopped back by to see your Independence Day Contribution! What a beautiful cake…and I love the combo of cheeses! The crust also looks and sounds wonderful!
      I'm sure you enjoyed it!

      Reply
    17. Mhel

      July 05, 2010 at 3:28 pm

      A perfect 4th of July dessert!! this is so heavenly!!

      Reply
    18. anniebakes

      July 05, 2010 at 3:14 pm

      That is truly beautiful!!

      anne
      http://www.anniebakes.net

      Reply
    19. Sushma Mallya

      July 05, 2010 at 2:54 pm

      lovely & delicious cheese cake..

      Reply
    20. Boabe de Cafea

      July 05, 2010 at 2:28 pm

      I just love cheesecakes and also berries! I bet it had a great success.
      C.

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar


    I'm Chef Dennis and Welcome to my Culinary Journey where I share my Restaurant-Style Recipes & Travel Adventures. My goal in sharing my recipes and cooking tips is to make you feel more comfortable in your kitchen, and help you find the joy of cooking! 

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Fan Favorites

    • Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe : Restaurant Style
    • The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
    • Easy Shrimp Salad Recipe
    • The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You’ll ever Make!
    • How to make Restaurant-Style Seafood Soup
    • Restaurant Style Veal Parm Recipe
    • Best Restaurant Style Chicken Salad
    • Cannoli Cream Filling Cake

    Featured In

    logos of all the places chef dennis has been featured

    Popular Posts

    • Authentic Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
    • Maryland Style Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
    • German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) Recipe
    • How to Make Restaurant Style Oysters Rockefeller
    • How to Grill a Steak House Style Ribeye Steak
    • Oven Roasted Rack of Pork – Restaurant Style Dinner

    Most Popular Posts

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    INFO

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    SUBSCRIBE

    Sign Up Today and start getting my easy-to-make restaurant-style recipes!

    CONTACT

    • About
    • Contact

    © 2009-2022 · Ask Chef Dennis · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Statement

    Proud Member of:
    Mediavine Publisher Network
    4.3K shares
    • 3.5K
    • 177