This ricotta cheesecake with white chocolate is a treat for any occasion, small or large.
If I get any excuse to make this silky, fluffy cheesecake, I do!
The ricotta cheese adds an airiness to the recipe that you can’t get from other cheesecakes, and the white chocolate gives it just the right sweetness that pairs perfectly with your favorite berries.
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Why you will love this white chocolate ricotta cheesecake
You are going to love the texture of this fluffy cheesecake.
The ricotta cheese cuts through the normally dense texture of cheesecake made with cream cheese and gives it a lighter richness that tastes amazing.
This white chocolate ricotta cheesecake recipe is also very versatile. You can change the crust by using your favorite cookie, and you can top it with your favorite fruit or berry compote.
Tips
When making any cheesecake, it is always necessary to bring your ingredients to room temperature before mixing them in the mixer so that they incorporate well into the batter.
It is important that the cheesecake batter becomes smooth and that there are not chunks of cream cheese or ricotta cheese left in it.
In order to avoid cracks in the cheesecake, I always advise putting a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven so that the cheesecake bakes with steam.
This prevents cracking and helps the cheesecake to cook more evenly.
Ingredients
The thing that makes this ricotta cheesecake stand out from other cheesecakes is the use of whole milk ricotta cheese.
Most other cheesecakes are made with cream cheese, however this one incorporates ricotta cheese also.
One would be tempted to add all ricotta cheese instead of a ricotta and cream cheese blend, but I wouldn’t recommend that.
Ricotta cheese tends to be a more watery cheese and if you don’t use some cream cheese in the batter, your cheesecake could become runny and not set right.
When buying ricotta cheese, you will see whole milk ricotta as well as skim milk ricotta.
For this recipe we will definitely be using whole milk ricotta to avoid the watery-ness of the skim milk cheese.
It is also important to use 4 eggs in the recipe. Eggs are what binds the cheesecake together and gives it lift, and they are especially important since we are using ricotta cheese which is a higher-hydration cheese.
When it comes to cheesecake crust, this ricotta cheesecake leaves room for interpretation.
For this recipe, I used a graham cracker crust, HOWEVER you could easily substitute your favorite cookie here.
Oreos, white Oreos, Nutter-Butters, Vanilla Wafers, or Biscoff cookies would all be excellent choices to pair with the white chocolate goodness of this cheesecake.
These are the ingredients for white chocolate ricotta cheesecake:
- Graham cracker crumbs (or any cookie of preference)
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- White chocolate chips
- Half and half
- Ricotta cheese
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla
- Eggs
How to make white chocolate ricotta cheesecake
Fill a 9”x13” baking pan with about an inch of water and place it on the bottom rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a food processor pulse the graham cracker together until they become fine crumbs (or substitute your favorite cookie that crumbs).
You will need to end up with 2 cups of cookie crumbs after processing. Poor the crumbs into a medium sized mixing bowl and add 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
Melt the butter and pour it into the graham cracker crumb mixture and mix it all together.
Dump the crust mixture into the bottom of a 9”-10” springform pan and, using your hand or a spoon, press it down evenly across the bottom until it is smooth and packed.
In a medium size saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate chips with the half and half. Stir it together as it melts.
It will not completely combine together and that is ok, it will all incorporate when you mix it into the batter. Set it aside and let it cool for about 10 minutes before mixing it in with the batter.
Take your room temperature cream cheese and ricotta cheese and add it to the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer along with ½ cup of granulated sugar.
With a paddle attachment cream the cheese and sugar together until combined.
Add the vanilla extract and the eggs one at a time while the mixer is on low.
While the mixer is still on, slowly pour the melted chocolate chips and half and half mixture into the batter and combine.
As long as your cheeses and eggs were at room temperature, there should not be any lumps in your batter at this point.
You will think that the batter is runny, that is ok. The eggs in this recipe will help the cheesecake to set up as it cooks.
Carefully pour the batter into the prepared cookie crust in the springform pan. Put the cheesecake in the preheated oven.
The water in the bottom should be steaming, which will help your cheesecake to bake evenly and prevent it from developing large cracks (some cracks are inevitable though).
Bake the cheesecake for 80-90 minutes. The sides and outer edge of the cheesecake should be slightly golden and the middle will still be slightly jiggly.
Turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door partly propped open for another 30-45 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature.
As soon as it reaches room temperature, cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and let it cool in the fridge overnight or for about 24 hours.
Cheesecakes develop their flavor better if they cool in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Serve cold with macerated berries or homemade raspberry sauce.
Variations
You can easily vary this ricotta cheesecake recipe by using different cookies as the crust. Biscoff cookies are divine, and I also LOVE Oreo cookies.
If you wanted to make this ricotta cheesecake gluten free, choose a gluten-free cookie for the crust and you’ve got yourself an amazing gluten free dessert!
Toppings can also be changed out.
Strawberries mixed with sugar make a lovely topping for many cheesecakes, I also love raspberries and homemade raspberry sauce from this other raspberry cheesecake recipe.
Equipment
- 9 or 10 inch springform pan
- Kitchen stand mixer with paddle attachment
FAQ’s
Can you use ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese in cheesecake?
Yes, you can but be wary about using too much, since it is more watery than normal cream cheese. It will taste slightly different and have a lighter texture as well.
I tend to use a mixture of both ricotta cheese and cream cheese when making a ricotta cheesecake.
What is the difference between ricotta and mascarpone cheesecake?
Mascarpone cheesecake will be much more creamy and dense, whereas ricotta cheesecake will have a fluffy, less dense and lighter texture overall.
📖 Recipe
Ricotta Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs about 2 packages
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon salted butter melted
For the ricotta cheesecake batter:
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1- 11.5 oz package white chocolate chips ~2 cups
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Fill a 9”x13” pan with about 1 inch of water and place it on the bottom rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Put the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Pour them into a medium sized mixing bowl and add 3 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Mix it all together and dump it into the bottom of a 9” or 10” springform pan, pressing it down on the bottom until it evenly coats the bottom and is packed.
- In a medium size saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate chips together with the half and half, stirring it as it melts. It will not fully combine. Set it aside to cool.
- In the mixing bowl of a kitchen stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the ricotta cheese, cream cheese and ½ cup of sugar. Mix on low speed until it is combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time while mixing.
- Slowly pour in the half and half and white chocolate mixture and mix until it is smooth. The batter may seem runny, but not to worry, it will set up in the oven.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared cookie crumb crust and place the cheesecake in the oven on the middle rack.
- Bake the cheesecake for about 80-90 minutes until the edges are beginning to brown. The middle of the cheesecake will still be slightly jiggly. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door propped slightly open for another 30-45 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and let it come to room temperature before covering it with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge to cool for at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight-24 hours.
- Serve with macerated berries or your favorite berry reduction.
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