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    Home / Recipes / Cheesecakes

    Keto Italian Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

    By Lisa MarcAurele on May 21, 2020 63 Comments - This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure

    12898 shares
    5-Ingredient Recipes Simple Keto Meals Jump to Recipe
    low carb keto italian ricotta cheesecake
    Egg-FreeKid FriendlyVegetarian

    This keto-friendly Italian Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake has a sweet, tangy flavor and rich, creamy texture that is simply irresistible! It’s also easy to make and only has 4 net carbs per slice.

    keto italian lemono ricotta cheesecake pintrest image
    Jump to:
    • How to make a keto lemon ricotta cheesecake
    • What is Italian cheesecake
    • Making sure your cheesecake sets
    • More recipes to try
    • 📖 Recipe

    Cheesecake can be a great keto dessert. As long as you use a low-carb sweetener, the rest of the ingredients are very keto-friendly!

    It’s a delicious dessert that is always sure to please a crowd. It feels like indulging even when you’re not.

    I love creating new keto cheesecake recipes. There are so many different ways to make them, from my traditional keto cheesecake recipe to these cute no bake keto key lime cheesecake in a jar.

    If you love this rich, delicious dessert as much as I do, you have to try my Italian lemon ricotta cheesecake! Although it's similar to my ricotta cheese pie, the texture is lighter.

    The fresh, bright flavor of the lemons combined with the rich, creamy texture makes this treat irresistible. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart that makes you keep going back for more!

    And you’ll never guess how simple it is to make. After you prebake the crust, you’ll simply whip the heavy cream, mix the rest of the ingredients until smooth, fold them together, then pour into the crust and allow to set in the refrigerator.

    This Italian inspired variation of cheesecake is so delicious, it’s sure to be a hit with any crowd!

    ingredients in bowls

    How to make a keto lemon ricotta cheesecake

    Prepping your cheesecake is as easy as mixing together the ingredients! This is a very straightforward, simple recipe.

    First, we’ll prep and bake the crust:

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
    2. Combine melted butter, almond flour, sea salt, and sweetener in medium bowl. Stir until well-combined.
    3. Grease 9-inch glass pie pan with non-stick cooking spray or oil, then gently press the crust into the pan. 
    4. Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, then remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool.
    keto ricotta cheesecake filling preparation

    Next, we’ll combine the filling ingredients and allow the cheesecake to set:

    1. Add cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sweetener, lemon and vanilla extracts, and lemon zest to large mixing bowl.
    2. Blend everything together on medium speed until the filling is creamy and smooth.
    3. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form in a separate bowl. I find that using a chilled mixing bowl speeds up the process.
    4. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Be gentle to avoid deflating the whipped cream too much, but make sure all the ingredients are completely mixed.
    5. Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
    6. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours before serving.

    Your low carb Italian ricotta cheesecake will be ready to enjoy! I like to slice mine into 16 slices, which come out to 4 net carbs per serving.

    low carb ricotta cheesecake

    What is Italian cheesecake

    The cheesecake usually served in the US is a New York style cheesecake. If you’ve ever had cheesecake at a restaurant or party, it was probably this style.

    The main difference is that New York style cheesecake is made with cream cheese while traditional Italian cheesecake is made with ricotta. They’re sometimes even called “ricotta pies.”

    Italian cheesecakes will be a bit lighter and fluffier. New York style cheesecakes are known for being very heavy and dense due to the cream cheese.

    For this lemon ricotta cheesecake recipe, I like to combine cream cheese and ricotta. You get the best of both worlds! The result is rich and tangy with a beautiful, creamy texture.

    If you like cheesecake, you’re going to love this keto version made with ricotta.

    overhead shot of slice on plate

    Making sure your cheesecake sets

    If there is too much liquid in your filling, your cheesecake will not be able to set properly.

    Most excess liquid will come from the ricotta. Before mixing the filling ingredients together, it's best to strain the ricotta with a wire mesh strainer or cheesecloth. 

    You could also strain the filling after you’ve combined it, before pouring into the cooled crust.

    If you try this recipe and the cheesecake does not set, you may not have strained the filling properly.

    italian ricotta cheesecake

    More recipes to try

    Can’t get enough of rich, creamy, low-carb cheesecake recipes? Check out a few of these favorites:

    • No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake combines chocolate and peanut butter for a fantastic dessert that will satisfy any sweet tooth!
    • Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake is as beautiful as it is delicious. It’s perfect for holiday gatherings or parties.
    • Keto Cream Cheese Brownies combine two of the best desserts into one decadent dessert!
    • Cheesecake Keto Mousse is light, airy, easy to make, and wonderful topped with chocolate or fruit.
    • Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes combine two fabulous flavors into the perfect single-serving treat!

    You may want to give this keto strawberry cheesecake a try too!

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    📖 Recipe

    Italian baked lemon ricotta cheesecake

    Keto Italian Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

    Author: Lisa MarcAurele
    4.57 from 16 votes
    Think it's impossible to make a healthy, low carb lemon cheesecake that tastes just like "nonna" makes it? This keto friendly dessert will blow your mind but won't blow up your belly!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Chill Time4 hrs
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections Save Recipe
    Servings 16 people
    Calories 339

    Video

    Ingredients

    Crust

    • 2 cups almond flour
    • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 tablespoon low carb sugar substitute

    Filling

    • 1 teaspoon grass-fed gelatin optional, but recommended
    • 16 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
    • ½ cup low carb sugar substitute add more or less to taste
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
    • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
    • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Crust

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F.
    • Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.
    • Combine the melted butter, almond flour, sea salt, and sweetener in a medium mixing bowl.
    • Spray a 9in. glass pie pan with non-stick cooking spray and gently press the crust into the pan. Bake it for 12-15 minutes then remove it from the oven and set on a rack to cool.

    Filling

    • Sprinkle gelatin (if using) on top of two teaspoons of water in small bowl to soften. Then stir in 2 teaspoons hot water to completely dissolve the gelatin.
    • In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer combine the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sweetener, the lemon and vanilla extracts, and the lemon zest.
    • Blend everything together on medium speed until the filling is creamy and smooth.
    • In another medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, streaming in gelatin water mixture (if using) to stabilize the cream.
    • Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Be gentle but be sure to completely mix all the ingredients.
    • Pour the filling into the cooled crust and refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours before serving.

    Notes

    Try using a chilled mixing bowl when whipping the heavy cream, it will speed up the process.
    If needed, strain the filling before putting it into the cooled crust.
    Make sure to let the cheesecake chill for at least 4 hours so it can set before serving.

    Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

    low carb yum simple keto cookbook

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 339 | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 960IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 0.7mg

    Additional Info

    Net Carbs: 4 g | % Carbs: 4.8 % | % Protein: 9.5 % | % Fat: 85.7 % | SmartPoints: 14
    Values
    Array
    (
        [serving_size] => 1
        [calories] => 339
        [carbohydrates] => 5
        [protein] => 8
        [fat] => 32
        [saturated_fat] => 16
        [cholesterol] => 86
        [sodium] => 158
        [potassium] => 83
        [fiber] => 1
        [sugar] => 1
        [vitamin_a] => 960
        [vitamin_c] => 0.5
        [calcium] => 128
        [iron] => 0.7
        [serving_unit] => slice
    )
    

    Note on Nutritional Information

    Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

    © LowCarbYum.com
    Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
    Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

    First Published: July 9, 2018... Last Updated: May 21, 2020

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    Lisa-Profile

    Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!

    Lisa's recipes have been featured on popular magazine sites including Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Women's Health, and Men's Health. Her long-awaited cookbook, 5-Ingredient Keto, is also a popular go-to for those on a low-carb lifestyle. Learn more about Lisa....

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      « Previous 1 2
    1. Karina

      April 15, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      Can I use marscapone instead of ricotta

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        April 16, 2022 at 1:01 pm

        Mascarpone should work but I haven't tested it myself to say for sure.

        Reply
    2. Vinny

      October 02, 2021 at 12:08 pm

      I loved the ricotta. I substituted 2 medium eggs for the gelatin and used just enough Monkfruit sugar substitute (1/2 cup was good) to make it mildly sweet. (I don't like a heavy amount of substitute as it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Don't forget to chillier 4 hours, it sets the cake.

      Everyone loved this. Keto people or not. It was devoured after dinner.

      Reply
    3. Bonnie Nicholson

      June 02, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      Hi there, I made this recipe last weekend. It tasted fabulous; however, the only problem I ran into is that the pie never set properly for me. I did follow your instructions regarding the gelatin and water and the pie went into the refrigerator overnight for approximately 18 hours before we cut into it and is was nothing but mush. I can't figure out what happened. I loved the flavor and the silky texture but I really hated the fact that it never firmed up enough to cut the darn thing. Any ideas why I can't replicate your results?

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        June 02, 2020 at 7:49 pm

        The cream cheese generally holds the pie together and the ricotta cheese does need to be drained. You can up the gelatin to 1 tablespoon if needed, but you need to be careful not to add too much or the pie will be too firm.

        Reply
    4. Seda

      May 28, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      This was amazing! I used liquid stevia and it turned out great, set perfectly and tasted absolutely delicious. I’m totally fine with Stevia, the aftertaste doesn’t bother me at all and the lemon flavor in this recipe suppresses it, if there is any. Thanks so much for the recipe!

      Reply
    5. Fil

      May 22, 2020 at 7:10 pm

      WORST TASTING CHEESECAKE EVER!!!! I pride myself in the quality and taste of my cheesecakes. I have made many that have been very difficult. I'm doing Keto now and thought I would try this recipe. Sweetener completely ruins it

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        May 23, 2020 at 10:04 am

        It could have been the sweetener you used. I find that blending different sweeteners and adjusting the amount to taste works best.

        Reply
    6. Helene Bahnman

      May 21, 2020 at 12:49 pm

      I would like to make this. Do you use block cream cheese, or the softened cream cheese from a tub?

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        May 21, 2020 at 1:36 pm

        Its softened block cream cheese.

        Reply
    7. deborah cambria

      May 04, 2020 at 8:05 am

      Although the taste was good, the cake is a mess. It did not hold shape, even being scooped out of dish it was more like a watery pudding. I followed the recipe to a T. It needs eggs or gelatin

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        May 04, 2020 at 9:14 am

        Added the recommendation to add in gelatin to stabilize the whipped cream which can go flat if it isn't added.

        Reply
    8. Erica

      April 18, 2020 at 10:13 am

      5 stars
      This one is easy to do and was so tasty that my guests asked for seconds

      Reply
    9. Chrissy

      April 11, 2020 at 11:09 am

      4 stars
      Filling tasted amazing and crust was great. We had way too much filling and added it to ramekins. What does straining the filling mean? It never set and had a very liquidy consistency. Any advice on this?

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        April 11, 2020 at 11:46 am

        When you strain the filling, you need to remove any excess liquid. I usually just strain the ricotta cheese in a wire mesh strainer or cheesecloth before using.

        Reply
        • Chrissy

          April 11, 2020 at 12:23 pm

          Perfect! Thank you! My husband and I will try again!

    10. Diane R Eftedahl-Hawkins

      February 09, 2020 at 3:32 pm

      I don't understand why,but I had enough filling for 2 pies.?? Hoping the filling lasts till I want to make another pie crust.....just the two of us.

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        February 10, 2020 at 9:36 am

        I use a deep dish 9.5-inch pan. Maybe yours was a bit smaller? The filling can be baked crustless if you don't want to make another crust.

        Reply
      • Fatima

        April 08, 2020 at 9:21 pm

        Looks delic! Is there a subtitute to riccota cheese?

        Reply
        • Lisa MarcAurele

          April 09, 2020 at 5:51 am

          This is a ricotta cheesecake so I don't recommend a substitute. But generally, cottage cheese is a good substitute.

    11. Jessica Wood

      December 23, 2019 at 9:21 pm

      4 stars
      Taste was amazing. But it was a bit runny. Next time I would add some grass fed gelatin to give it more shape. Non keto people were raving about the taste at the Xmas party! Also made the crust from pecans not almonds and turned o it great.

      Reply
    12. Tammy

      June 18, 2019 at 11:49 am

      Can the almond flour be switched out with coconut flour? I have a daughter with nut allergies! She likes eating my Keto snacks!!

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        June 19, 2019 at 6:15 am

        You can just use a coconut flour based crust instead or sub the almond flour with sunflower seed flour.

        Reply
    « Previous 1 2

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