What is Ricotta cheese?

Ricotta cheese is a deliciously creamy, soft, fluffy cheese made from cow, goat, sheep, or even buffalo milk. For this recipe, though, I always use cow's milk ricotta cheese, which is more readily available in grocery stores or online. At home, I always have some in my fridge because we love it as a spread on toasted bread with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup on top—just delicious—or as a creamy dollop for fruit salads, Italian doughnuts , waffles , or pancakes.

Is Teff flour gluten-free?

Teff flour is a wonderful whole-grain product that is also gluten-free and naturally has a slightly sweet flavor. It adds a good amount of nutrition, a lovely natural sweetness to the crust, and a beautiful rustic red-brownish color—Bob's Red Mill sells a good stone-ground version. For this ricotta pie recipe, I combine this ancient grain with gluten-free all-purpose flour, one of the best gluten-free flour mixes for getting the perfect pie crust.

Rum or Brandy can give off beautiful nutty and vanilla-tasting notes that work well with this ricotta pie filling. Since the recipe calls for only 4 tablespoons, the alcohol will cook off but add a subtle, delicious flavor like vanilla extract. Note that the quality of your alcohol can affect your final bake.

Can I replace the gluten-free all-purpose flour with cassava flour?

Yes, you can combine Teff flour with cassava flour (also gluten-free) for this recipe. However, note that the crust, although still good, will be slightly drier once baked. I believe that a mix of teff flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour will get you the best result.

Does the pie crust have a boozy taste?

No! The tiny amount of alcohol will cook away and won't leave any boozy taste. Rather, it adds moisture and creates a crumblier texture. Brandy is made with wine or fermented fruit juices, while rum is made using molasses or sugarcane juices. Both add a rich flavor that complements the orange-flavored ricotta cheese.

Easy Honey Ricotta Pie (No-Roll Gluten-Free Pie Crust)

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Honey ricotta pie is a delicious, sweet dessert made with honey- and orange-zest-flavored creamy ricotta cheese and a sweet, gluten-free pie dough.

Although traditionally served on Easter Sunday, this delicious pie, with its 5-minute no-roll crust, is so easy to make that you can enjoy it year-round.

A piece lifted and taken out of a large ricotta pie.

This lovely pie is a family recipe and is purely designed to keep everyone around the table for a little while longer as you catch up, relax, and indulge in a slice.

I often make it as an Easter dessert, but it equally belongs on a cozy brunch table to celebrate your weekend—think delicious homemade egg muffins, basil lemonade, or pomegranate mocktails. You can also pair it with coffee drinks and a colorful display of chocolate spread or compote on a waffle board.

You can't go wrong with this golden brown honey ricotta pie made with an easy gluten-free pie crust. Let's make it!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients To Make The Ricotta Filling
Ingredients To Make The Gluten-Free Pie Crust
How To Make The Ricotta Filling
How To Make The Pie Crust, Assemble & Bake
Helpful Tips
Easy Pie Decorations
Equipment
Storage
Recipe FAQs
More Italian Recipes To Try Next
📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Straightforward to make: It's one of those gluten-free pies that come together in no time with a no-roll gluten-free crust.
Amazingly balanced flavors: The creamy ricotta filling is sweetened with honey and orange zest, and the gluten-free dough has lovely complex flavors.
Beautiful on any table: It looks so rustic and gorgeous once it comes out of the oven. Kids and adults alike get really excited about it.
Healthier version than a traditional ricotta pie: This easy recipe deviates a bit from an authentic Italian ricotta pie since I'm using a gluten-free flour blend and making it super easy with a no-roll sweet pie dough.

Ingredients To Make The Ricotta Filling

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Here's what you need from the grocery store to make the ricotta pie filling:

Ingredients displayed on a table to make a ricotta pie filling.

Fresh ricotta cheese: You can choose whole milk or part-skim ricotta. I prefer whole milk because it's wonderfully rich but not too heavy and has a fuller flavor. But either one will work.
Flour: A little flour thickens the ricotta pie filling, adding a soft texture and the right amount of firmness once baked. I like to use either gluten-free all-purpose flour or cassava flour.
Egg whites: When beaten until firm, the eggs will add structure and lightness to the filling. Use any egg yolk to make this mascarpone dessert.
Orange zest: It adds a citrusy, tangy flavor to this beautiful ricotta pie recipe.
Honey: If you can, use liquid honey. For this recipe, I like all-natural wildflower or orange blossom honey. They complement the orange flavor and are readily available at almost all stores or online.

Ingredients To Make The Gluten-Free Pie Crust

Here's what you need to make a gluten-free sweet pie crust recipe without a rolling pin:

Ingredients displayed on a table to make a gluten-free pie crust.

Gluten-free flour blends: I love to mix gluten-free all-purpose flour from King Arthur and Teff flour, which is also gluten-free.
Sweetener: Coconut sugar and vanilla extract add an extra hint of sweetness.
Butter: Instead of cold butter, the recipe calls for butter at room temperature (soft enough to easily combine it by hand with the rest of the ingredients).
Eggs: I'm adding two large, beaten eggs to make the pie crust dough compact.
Brandy or rum: Adds nutty and vanilla flavoring notes. You can choose either, but I'll go for Brandy if I have both available. Don't skip this ingredient.

Note: It's a healthier version of pie dough than the one normally used in an authentic Italian ricotta pie recipe. It's made with a combination of Teff flour—an ancient grain—and gluten-free all-purpose flour.

How To Make The Ricotta Filling

Let's make the ricotta filling first. It's super easy. Then, refrigerate the creamy mixture while preparing the crust to firm it up a little.

Just follow the step-by-step photos.

A series of first steps to make ricotta filling for a pie.

Step One (Picture 1 above) - Place the egg whites in a clean, large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until firm. Set aside.

Step Two (Picture 2 above) - Add the ricotta cheese, honey, flour, and grated orange zest in a medium bowl.

Step Three (Picture 3 above) - Whisk all the ingredients until well combined.

A series of final steps to make ricotta filling for a pie.

Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Add the firmed egg whites to the ricotta cheese mixture.

Step Five (Picture 5 above) - Gently fold the egg whites into the honey-ricotta mixture with a spatula.

Step Six (Picture 6 above) - Continue until you get a light creamy ricotta filling. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator while making the bottom crust.

How To Make The Pie Crust, Assemble & Bake

A series of first steps to make a gluten-free ricotta pie.

Step One (Picture 1 above) - In a large bowl, combine flour and coconut sugar. Make quick swishing motions with a fork or whisk to mix the ingredients and fluff them.

Step Two (Picture 2 above) - Add the butter, vanilla extract, eggs, and Brandy to the dry ingredients. Combine everything by hand until you have a rough bowl.

Step Three (Picture 3 above) - Transfer the dough to the center of a lightly buttered and removable tart/pie pan. Using your hands, push the dough into the pan and up the sides. The dough should be even throughout and have no thick corners. Use the tines of a fork to prick holes all over.

A series of final steps to make a gluten-free ricotta pie.

Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Take the creamy ricotta cheese filling out of the fridge and gently drop it onto the pie crust in the pan.

Step Five (Picture 5 above) - With a spatula or wooden spoon, divide the filling evenly over the crust's surface. Now it's ready to go into the oven.

Step Six (Picture 6 above): Bake until the filling in the middle is set. Serve on a pie plate.

Helpful Tips

If using part-skim ricotta, the box can sometimes contain excess liquid. Therefore, always drain it to obtain a solid and creamy texture.
Use a Microplane or any grater to zest half to one orange—depending on its size—to get one tablespoon of orange zest.
Only zest the colorful part of the peel, not the white part, to avoid the more bitter flavors of the orange pith. You can use some of the orange peel to decorate the top of the pie, and I usually rework the peeled orange into a green smoothie.
I've never tried it before, but I imagine you could easily use brown sugar instead if you don't have any coconut sugar to make a sweet crust.
Go for unsalted butter if you can, but I've used salted butter before as well.
For best results, remove the eggs 30 minutes before making the pie dough and let them come to room temperature.

A piece of ricotta pie lifted up from a whole pie.

Easy Pie Decorations

This is one of those hand pies that doesn't need any garnish. Once baked, it looks incredible with its golden colors.

But if you want to take it further, keep it simple with orange rind matchsticks.

Cut the peel of the other half of the orange (or a second small orange) into large segments.
Remove any thick white parts from the inside of the peel.
Flatten the segments out on the cutting board with the palm of your hand.
And then, with a sharp knife, cut from end to end into thin sticks.
Give each orange stick a light squeeze to bend them and arrange them crisscrossed on one side of the tart—see picture.
You can add some edible flowers, sprinkle extra orange zest, sift on top some powdered sugar, or use some dried or fake eucalyptus leaves—these are just a few suggestions.

Rustic-looking ricotta pie with gluten-free pie crus.t — Served without powdered sugar.

Equipment

This is one of the easiest ricotta bakes you'll ever make. Since most of it is made by hand, you don't need much special equipment.

I do recommend a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
And if you have a stand mixer to whip the egg whites, perfect, if not, a hand mixer can work too.
Other than that, I recommend a whisk and a spatula, as they are handy for combining the cheese filling and evenly dividing it into the pie crust.

Storage

Any leftovers are stored easily in the fridge for up to one week. They are best stored in an airtight container or at least covered.
You can make the gluten-free pie crust in advance and store it in the fridge for a few days, well-wrapped with parchment paper or saran wrap before baking this ricotta pie.