A decadent, creamy Sicilian cheesecake that's made with both cream cheese and ricotta is the only cheesecake recipe you need!
Cheesecake is probably one of my least favorite recipes to make, hence why there aren't very many cheesecake recipes on the blog. I also find them heavy and overwhelmingly sweet, so they aren't my favorite dessert to eat either.
But inspiration for a Sicilian ricotta cheesecake struck, and I knew I just had to share it with you! This version is far more balanced in sweetness with a lighter filling thanks to the ricotta.
For more cheesecake recipes, try Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies, Vanilla Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Mousse, and Mini Blueberry Cream Cheese Chantilly Tarts.
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Why you'll love this ricotta cheesecake
- Classic Graham Cracker Crust: Though I add brown sugar instead of granulated sugar to my crust, it's still a pretty classic graham cracker crust that's essential to a homemade cheesecake.
- Balanced Sweetness: A generous amount of salt in the crust and a perfect cheese to sugar ratio in the filling ensure these cheesecake is not overwhelmingly sweet.
- Creamy Ricotta Cream Cheese Filling: Ricotta takes this cheesecake to a whole new level of creaminess! Once you try it, you'll never make another cheesecake again.
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you'll find notes on why I chose certain ingredients, as well as ingredient substitutions.
- Graham Crackers: If you're lucky enough to find graham cracker crumbs at the store, use those! But if not, use 2 sleeves of regular graham crackers and pulse them in a food processor.
- Butter: You'll need a ½ cup or one stick of butter melted for the crust.
- Salt: The crust very sweet, so I recommend adding a generous amount of kosher salt to balance it out.
- Sugars: I prefer to add brown sugar to graham cracker crust, but you can swap it out for granulated sugar. You'll also need 1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar for the filling.
- Cream Cheese: Only use full-fat cream cheese BLOCKS for cheesecake filling.
- Ricotta: The star of the show and what makes this a Sicilian-inspired cheesecake!
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is added to the filling to aid in thickness.
- Eggs: You'll need 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk at room temperature. Be sure to mix them in one at a time on low speed!
- Vanilla: For best flavor, add a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste to the filling. You can also substitute it with vanilla extract.
Kitchen Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Food processor
- Electric mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Springform pan
- Parchment paper
- 9x13 cake pan
- Large saucepan
Step by Step Instructions
The process of making this ricotta cheesecake is remarkably simple. It just requires some patience and self-control to not open the oven! If you follow the steps carefully, I promise you'll achieve a rich & creamy crack-free cheesecake.
Step 1: Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. If your food processor is big enough, go ahead and add the sugar, salt, and melted butter, and pulse until fully combined.
Step 2: If your food processor is not big enough (like mine), pour the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl and add the sugar, salt, and melted butter, and mix until fully combined.
Step 3: In a lightly greased springform pan with parchment lined on the sides, pack the crust into the pan and up the sides. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- Step 4: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with hand-held electric mixer), add the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Step 5: Mix the ingredients on LOW speed until fully combined and smooth.
- Step 6: Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Add the vanilla with the egg yolk.
- Step 7: Scrape the bowl down again, and pour the filling into the cooled graham cracker crust.
- Step 8: Bake the cheesecake in the center of the oven at 325 degrees four about 1 hour with a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack. The boiling water creates steam and encourages even cooking. Allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven with the door cracked for one hour, and then at room temperature for another hour.
- Step 9: Chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight, then top with fresh strawberries and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Place the baked crust in the fridge to cool it down faster.
- Scrape down the bowl frequently to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom and everything is evenly incorporated at all times.
- Follow the chill times carefully! Cooling the cheesecake down too fast will cause it to crack.
FAQ
Only use full-fat cream cheese BLOCKS for cheesecake filling. They provide the best flavor and texture that we're looking for in a rich & creamy cheesecake.
It is essential to bring all ingredients to room temperature so they will mix and incorporate into the batter properly. This will also make it easier to mix everything on low speed, which is crucial to avoiding cracks as the cheesecake bakes.
The key is to avoid any dramatic change in temperature at every step. Follow these 5 tips & be patient and you'll be rewarded with a creamy, crack-free cheesecake!
1. Mix the batter on LOW speed.
2. Bake the cheesecake at a lower temperature - 325 degrees F!
2. Place a large pan of water on the rack below your cheesecake. This creates steam and allows the cheesecake to bake more evenly.
3. NEVER open the oven door! If you do, heat will escape and any dramatic change in temperature will cause the cheesecake to crack.
4. Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked for 1 hour after it is done baking. This will allow it to cool down slowly as the oven cools down.
5. Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature before placing in the fridge overnight.
Before you add the crust, lightly grease your springform pan with cooking spray, butter, or oil. Then line the sides of the pan with parchment paper. When it's time to remove the cheesecake, take the sides of the springform pan off. Then carefully slide a knife under the cheesecake, turning and moving the knife farther into the center as you go. Eventually, the cheesecake will pop off of the pan and you can transfer it to a plate.
Cheesecake Topping Ideas
- Fresh strawberries
- Whipped cream
- Salted Caramel Sauce
Storage Tips
I recommend storing this Sicilian cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to one week. I would not recommend freezing it, as this would likely change the texture of the filling.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed to create incredibly delicious baked goods that you can easily recreate in your own kitchen with success. The only way this is possible is to standardize the way ingredients are measured - by weight. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), I can ensure that you can make the recipe accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other cheesecake recipes to try
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Print📖 Recipe
Creamy Sicilian Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 inch cheesecake 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
A decadent, creamy Sicilian cheesecake that's made with both cream cheese and ricotta is the only cheesecake recipe you need!
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 280g (2 sleeves) graham crackers
- 53g (¼ cup) brown sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter (melted)
For the ricotta cheesecake filling:
- 906g (32 oz; 4 blocks) full-fat cream cheese (room temp)
- 227g (1 cup) ricotta (room temp)
- 250g (1 ¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 20g (2 tbsp) cornstarch
- 3 eggs + 1 egg yolk (room temp)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
For the graham cracker crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9" springform pan with cooking spray, butter, or oil, and line the sides with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, add the graham crackers and pulse until they form fine crumbs.
- Add the brown sugar, salt, and melted butter, and continue pulsing until fully combined.
- Pour the crust crumbs into the prepared springform pan, and use a measuring cup or small bowl to pack the crust down and press it up the sides about 2".
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes until set and golden.
- Allow to cool completely.*
For the ricotta cheesecake filling:
- Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- Place a 9x13 cake pan on the bottom rack.
- In a large saucepan, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Mix on low speed until fully combined and smooth, then scrape down the bowl.*
- Then mix the eggs in one at a time (still on low speed), scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Add in the vanilla paste with the egg yolk.
- Scrape the bowl down one last time, then pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth out the top.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into the 9x13 pan.
- Place the cheesecake above the pan on the middle rack.
- Bake for about 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes until the edges puff up and the center jiggles slightly.
- Once the cheesecake is done baking, turn the oven off and crack open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.
- Then, take the cheesecake out of the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for an additional hour.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge, and chill overnight.
- The next day, remove the cheesecake from the pan.
- Top with fresh strawberries and enjoy!
Notes
- Place the baked crust in the fridge to cool it down faster.
- Scrape down the bowl frequently to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom and everything is evenly incorporated at all times.
- Follow the chill times carefully! Cooling the cheesecake down too fast will cause it to crack.
Keywords: sicilian cheesecake, ricotta cheesecake
Susan Joyce says
Can this be made in 2 smasler pans? Can it be frost? What is the difference between vanilla extract tans vanilla paste
Sloane says
Hi Susan, I have not tested this recipe in smaller pans, but I'm sure it would work divided between two 6 inch pans. The bake time would be shorter, so watch them closely. You could absolutely frost it! Whipped cream would be delicious with it! Regarding the vanilla, vanilla paste is much more potent and contains vanilla bean specks.
Let me know it turns out if you try it 🙂