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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.
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!
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!
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:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine melted butter, almond flour, sea salt, and sweetener in medium bowl. Stir until well-combined.
- Grease 9-inch glass pie pan with non-stick cooking spray or oil, then gently press the crust into the pan.
- Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, then remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool.
Next, we’ll combine the filling ingredients and allow the cheesecake to set:
- Add cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sweetener, lemon and vanilla extracts, and lemon zest to large mixing bowl.
- Blend everything together on medium speed until the filling is creamy and smooth.
- Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form in a separate bowl. I find that using a chilled mixing bowl speeds up the process.
- 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.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
- 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.
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.
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.
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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Keto Italian Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp low carb sugar substitute
Filling
- 1 teaspoon grass-fed gelatin optional, but recommended
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup low carb sugar substitute
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
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
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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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.
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
Bonnie Nicholson
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?
Lisa MarcAurele
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.
Seda
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!
Fil
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
Lisa MarcAurele
It could have been the sweetener you used. I find that blending different sweeteners and adjusting the amount to taste works best.
Helene Bahnman
I would like to make this. Do you use block cream cheese, or the softened cream cheese from a tub?
Lisa MarcAurele
Its softened block cream cheese.
deborah cambria
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
Lisa MarcAurele
Added the recommendation to add in gelatin to stabilize the whipped cream which can go flat if it isn’t added.
Erica
This one is easy to do and was so tasty that my guests asked for seconds
Chrissy
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?
Lisa MarcAurele
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.
Chrissy
Perfect! Thank you! My husband and I will try again!
Diane R Eftedahl-Hawkins
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.
Lisa MarcAurele
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.
Fatima
Looks delic! Is there a subtitute to riccota cheese?
Lisa MarcAurele
This is a ricotta cheesecake so I don’t recommend a substitute. But generally, cottage cheese is a good substitute.
Jessica Wood
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.
Tammy
Can the almond flour be switched out with coconut flour? I have a daughter with nut allergies! She likes eating my Keto snacks!!
Lisa MarcAurele
You can just use a coconut flour based crust instead or sub the almond flour with sunflower seed flour.
Amy
I made this for Easter this year. The taste was very good but somehow I messed it up. I somehow got way more filling than I was supposed to. I filled a 9 in pie pan AND 4 ramekins. LOL the edges of the pie filing set up great but the middle was soft and just flowed when I cut into the pie. Any ideas of what I might have done wrong? . AGAIN super yummy flavor.
Lisa MarcAurele
There may have just been more liquid settling into the middle of the pie. To prevent that, you can always stream in a little dissolved gelatin in water to stabilize the filling.
Jana
Would this work in a springform pan? Or do you think it would collapse once I pull the sides away?
Lisa MarcAurele
It should be okay. Just slide a knife along the edge before removing the sides.
Mary Ann Malinconico
I made this recipe for Valentines Day and it was AMAZING! Low Carb, Low Sugar, Gluten Free, it doesn’t get any better
Barbara Gray
Thanks Lisa. This recipe sounds so good
Lisa MarcAurele
I hope you get to try this awesome low carb dessert!
Lady Lori Ann
So delicious ! I’m 1 month deep into Keto, and was having a sweet fix and this nailed the spot . Delicious is an understatement. I did end up with a ton of filling after – so I made a new crust and gifted to family – look at that eating healthy and spreading the Keto Love !
Thanks Lisa .
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s good to know it’s capable of making 2 cheesecakes with less carbs per slice!
Kylie from Australia
Hi – for the Metrics out there (well, every country but 2 in the world)
made this for 12 people using a glass pie dish that is about 5cm deep and 30cms in diameter;.
Crust: I used 150g almond meal, 90g hazelnut meal, tbsps of stevia/monk fruit mix and 100gms of butter.
Filling: used 2 x 250g blocks of cream cheese, 1 x 375g container of ricotta and then stevia monk fruit to taste – I used just under 100gms. Juice and rind of whole lemon, plus I added a little lime rind.Then to add texture I whipped cream (100ml) but added this as a layer on top, instead of incorporating. It created a thin layer. Wold use a little more to be decadent next time.
Sprinkled with a little toasted coconut, a punnet of rasberries and a few chopped pecans, and cinnamon dust. Picture on instagram @ky7iecaes4r
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks so much for sharing! I’ll go check out the photo.
elsa fisk
HI, I use muffin tins with liners put some of the crust into the botton of each and baked for less time. When cooled, I placed a couple blueberries in the bottom then filled each muffin with the filling and refrigerated. Very good. Always add flavor lots lemon peel does improve the intensity of flavors. great receipe. also freeze them take them out as neede
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing your tips for making mini cheesecakes!
D
Hi can this cheesecake recipe be made with no crust, your recipe filling only? Any special suggestions how to do?
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s light like a mousse so it might not slice well.
Gail Sprlyan
Hi, this sounds and looks amazing and going to make for the new year. Can this be frozen. many thanks
Lisa MarcAurele
Although I haven’t tried with this recipes, other low carb cheesecakes have froze well for me. I just thaw them in the refrigerator when I want to serve.
Jenny Olise
Can I use lemon juice rather than lemon extract ? I’d rather keep it natural
Lisa MarcAurele
Lemon extract is natural, but you can certainly use juice and or rind instead.
Tracy Anderson
Can you tell me the nutrition facts when using the full crust recipe but half of the filling, I had way too much so will half the filling next time and only put half in this time. Just started keto so would be very helpfull.
Lisa
We are unable to do custom calculations, but you can use the recipe analyzer at MyFitnessPal.com to do it yourself easily.
Laura
How many servings are the nutrition facts based on
Lisa
One slice after cutting the entire cheesecake into 16 thin slices.
Kathleen Ciulla
Thank you for this recipe! This is perhaps the best cheesecake I’ve ever had! I still feel extremely guilty eating it and it satisfies every sweet craving I have ever had! I too added double the lemon zest and lemon flavoring and reduced the sweetener to 1/2 cup. Fantastic!!!!
I look forward to trying more of your recipes!!
Lisa
Thanks for sharing your mods. I tend to reduce sweetener in recipes to half when making for myself, but others tend not to like it as they are used to real sweets.
Kimi Merton
Hi!!!
So I made this and by the time I finished I had enough filling for 2 pies, what happened, so easy fix, I filled the crust and another container sans crust
Woohoo!!!
2 desserts from one recipe…
But seriously what did I do wrong???
Lisa
Maybe you just had a shallower pie pan.
Tina
Wow! I didn’t know commenting on a recipe included critiquing one’s grammar as well!!?
I have just started on keto and made this last night . I didn’t have a pie pan so I used a 9×9 square glass pan.
I feel 1 cup sugar amount could be cut down considerably. I used Swerve and Pyure (equal proportions) and next time will try half of the sugar content. I thought maybe since I’ve started keto, my sweetness tastebuds are diminishing, but it was just too sweet. Not that it will stop me from eating it however!
The filling is delicious, and I can’t wait to try the ‘finished’ product tonight.
Also, it made a lot of filling, almost too much for the piecrust. A little extra is great though, as this filling is tasty!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Lisa
The taste for sweet certainly decreases after you’ve been low carbing for a while.
Alisia
Tina, my BA English Ed & certification gave me no lessons in manners, but my mom & Aunt sure did! As long as we can communicate, we don’t need to correct anyone’s grammar. So unless they’re conducting an English class, no one needs correcting!
I’m new to this Keto but my stepdaughters r doing Keto & this recipe looks like a good one for a birthday celebration….gonna try do wish me luck😅 R U still doing Keto!
Rodney Chamness
Made this today pretty disappointing. Not much flavor even adding extra lemon extract.
Lisa
Fresh lemon zest is where most of the flavor comes from. Did you use the full 2 teaspoons?
Christina
Well, first of all, AMAZINGLY GOOD! But, I confess that since I had neither a fresh lemon nor lemon extract, I used what I had lemon sugar free jello. This pie is perfectly gorgeous and tastes as goood as it looks. I did have fresh raspberries so I made raspberry sauce that made it even better and prettier. Thank you for this great, low carb, fabulous dessert.
Lisa
Good thinking on the last minute sub! Glad that worked out for you.
Diana Gray
I made this tonight. I can not wait to try a slice tomorrow, as I licked the spatula! Yummy. I did put a bit more lemon extract in as we love lemon anything. My husband, who does not like artificial sweeteners, is looking forward to tomorrow. He licked the bowl!
Lisa
Extra lemon flavor can never hurt. Enjoy!
_T_T_
Avid low-carber, also since ’01. Just a tip from a writer: A paragraph can and mostly *should* contain more than one sentence. Meanwhile, I’ll be making this recipe. Thanks!
Lisa
Paragraphs should definitely be at least 2 sentences. But when writing for web, it’s often easier to read, particularly on mobile, if broken down into smaller pieces.
Bobi
Love your recipe. Unfortunately I’m allergic to tree nuts. Is there a ratio to replace almond flour with coconut flour or lupine flour? Thanks
Lisa
You can replace one-for-one with finely ground sunflower seeds. I’m not familiar with lupine flour and coconut flour requires other changes.