Gluten-Free Sweet Ricotta Pie Recipe 

Sweet Ricotta Pie is an easier version of a cheesecake that is a staple/favourite of our family celebrations. So, with April holidays on the horizon, I thought it was the perfect time to share my gluten-free sweet ricotta pie recipe.

This gluten-free sweet ricotta pie and our gluten-free savoury ricotta pie are both a part of our traditional Easter and Christmas celebrations. This sweet ricotta pie is the perfect addition to holiday breakfasts, lunches and brunches and also works as an after-dinner dessert. This is a simple recipe that you will be making for any event or occasion.

This sweet ricotta pie recipe uses my recipe for the best gluten-free shortbread cookies as the crust. You could use the crust from our gluten-free pumpkin pie as well.  If you don’t want to make a cookie crust, you could use a pre-made gluten-free pie crust or a Graham Cracker crust. However, I highly recommend the shortbread crust – it just adds that little bit extra flavor and crispness. And any leftover dough can be baked off as cookies (cutouts or thumbprints). One recipe two desserts? Sign me up.

Gluten-Free Sweet Ricotta Pie Recipe

Ingredients

For the Ricotta Filling

• 1 lb ricotta
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon extract (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 c packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• Sprinkles for decoration (optional)

Cookie crust

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour
• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 c soft butter

Directions:

For The Cookie Crust

• Place flour, icing sugar, rice flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Dice cold butter into small cubes.
• Feed the cubes into the food processor, just until the dough starts to come together.
• Add in softened butter, and mix well in the food processor.

Tip: the soft butter helps make the dough rollable.

• Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your workbench.
• Put cookie dough onto the plastic wrap, and knead lightly. This is so it comes together and forms a ball.
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then shape to form a disk.
• Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Remove from fridge. If the dough is too hard to roll, allow it to come to room temperature, until it is pliable.
• Cut two large pieces of either wax paper or parchment paper.
• Lightly dust the parchment or wax paper with some gluten-free flour.
• Place the dough between the two pieces of parchment or wax paper, and roll out until it is larger than your pie plate.
• Peel the wax paper off.
• Then use the bottom piece of parchment to help pick up the dough and flip it, so the parchment is on top and the dough is in the pie plate.
• Carefully peel off the parchment paper.
• Cut off some of the extra crust using a sharp knife- be sure to leave just a several millimetres above the edge of the pie plate. This is so you can crimp or flute the edge. As the dough on the sides will shrink, as it bakes.

Tip: Do not press the dough hard into the pan. You want to press lightly when you flute the edge and pull it gently away from the pan after fluting it; because you don’t want it to be hard, when it bakes, as it might stick to the pie plate.
Place back into the fridge, covered with a piece of the parchment, and then cover it with plastic wrap, or a plastic bag, to chill for a minimum of 15 minutes.

• When you remove it from the fridge gently dock the bottom with a fork. You want to poke holes all over the bottom of the pie crust, carefully, as to not to poke through to the bottom.

• Blind bake for 10 minutes in a 350° oven.

Tip: If the crust shrinks down carefully pull it back up using a silicone spatula, and bake for 5 additional minutes.

For The Ricotta Filling

• Place 1 pound of ricotta in a bowl

Tip: adding the cinnamon extract to the filling helps lighten the filling colour, so the pie does not look dark when it comes out of the oven.

• To the ricotta add all the cinnamon (extract and ground), vanilla, and sugar.
• Beat well with a hand mixer. You want it to be light and fluffy with the sugar well incorporated.
• Taste filling and adjust to your liking. It should be slightly sweet with cinnamon flavour at the forefront and a light vanilla flavour.
• Once you are happy with your blend add in the two large eggs, and beat well with an electric hand mixer.

To Assemble The Pie

• Pour your ricotta filling into the cookie crust or pie shell.

Optional: Dust with seasonal sprinkles to add a festive flair. I like red and green for Christmas, and multicolour for Easter/Spring. This is just a light dusting, and is optional.

• Bake for 35-50 min or until the middle is set but has a very slight jiggle.
• Remove and cool.
• Once completely cooled, you can cover the pie in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until needed.

Tip: you can make this up to two days in advance.

• Remove from fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to serving, so it’s at room temperature.
  Our gluten-free sweet ricotta pie is an easy go-to dessert you’ll want to make year-round.

Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer with Whisk, Traditional Beaters, Snap-On Storage Case, White

Pyrex Deep 2-Piece 9.5″ Glass Baking Dish Set, Glass Bakeware Set, Dishwasher, Microwave, Freezer and Pre-Heated Oven Safe, Standard

Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor, 1000 Peak Watts, 4 Functions for Chopping, Slicing, Purees & Dough with 9-Cup Processor Bowl, 3 Blades, Food Chute & Pusher, Silver

FineDine Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (Set of 6) – Easy To Clean, Nesting Bowls for Space Saving Storage, Great for Cooking, Baking, Prepping

Gluten-Free Sweet Ricotta Pie Recipe 

Print Recipe/Tips

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

For the Ricotta Filling

• 1 lb ricotta
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon extract (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 c packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• Sprinkles for decoration (optional)

Cookie crust

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour
• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 c soft butter

INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES/TIPS

For The Cookie Crust

• Place flour, icing sugar, rice flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Dice cold butter into small cubes.
• Feed the cubes into the food processor, just until the dough starts to come together.
• Add in softened butter, and mix well in the food processor.

Tip: the soft butter helps make the dough rollable.

• Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your workbench.
• Put cookie dough onto the plastic wrap, and knead lightly. This is so it comes together and forms a ball.
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then shape to form a disk.
• Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Remove from fridge. If the dough is too hard to roll, allow it to come to room temperature, until it is pliable.
• Cut two large pieces of either wax paper or parchment paper.
• Lightly dust the parchment or wax paper with some gluten-free flour.
• Place the dough between the two pieces of parchment or wax paper, and roll out until it is larger than your pie plate.
• Peel the wax paper off.
• Then use the bottom piece of parchment to help pick up the dough and flip it, so the parchment is on top and the dough is in the pie plate.
• Carefully peel off the parchment paper.
• Cut off some of the extra crust using a sharp knife- be sure to leave just a several millimetres above the edge of the pie plate. This is so you can crimp or flute the edge. As the dough on the sides will shrink, as it bakes.

Tip: Do not press the dough hard into the pan. You want to press lightly when you flute the edge and pull it gently away from the pan after fluting it; because you don’t want it to be hard, when it bakes, as it might stick to the pie plate. Place back into the fridge, covered with a piece of the parchment, and then cover it with plastic wrap, or a plastic bag, to chill for a minimum of 15 minutes.

• When you remove it from the fridge gently dock the bottom with a fork. You want to poke holes all over the bottom of the pie crust, carefully, as to not to poke through to the bottom.
• Blind bake for 10 minutes in a 350° oven.

Tip: If the crust shrinks down carefully pull it back up using a silicone spatula, and bake for 5 additional minutes.

For The Ricotta Filling

• Place 1 pound of ricotta in a bowl

Tip: adding the cinnamon extract to the filling helps lighten the filling colour, so the pie does not look dark when it comes out of the oven.

• To the ricotta add all the cinnamon (extract and ground), vanilla, and sugar.
• Beat well with a hand mixer. You want it to be light and fluffy with the sugar well incorporated.
• Taste filling and adjust to your liking. It should be slightly sweet with cinnamon flavour at the forefront and a light vanilla flavour.
• Once you are happy with your blend add in the two large eggs, and beat well with an electric hand mixer.

To Assemble The Pie

• Pour your ricotta filling into the cookie crust or pie shell.

Optional: Dust with seasonal sprinkles to add a festive flair. I like red and green for Christmas, and multicolour for Easter/Spring. This is just a light dusting, and is optional.

• Bake for 35-50 min or until the middle is set but has a very slight jiggle.
• Remove and cool.
• Once completely cooled, you can cover the pie in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until needed.

Tip: you can make this up to two days in advance.

• Remove from fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to serving, so it’s at room temperature. Our gluten-free sweet ricotta pie is an easy go-to dessert you’ll want to make year-round.