Description
Melopita is a traditional Greek crustless honey pie from the island of Sifnos, made with ricotta or Greek cheese, sweetened with honey, and flavored with lemon zest and vanilla. It's light, creamy, naturally gluten-free, and perfect served chilled with a drizzle of honey and cinnamon.
Ingredients
500g ricotta cheese (or Greek anthotyro/manouri if available)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup honey, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly grease a 9-inch pie or tart dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, honey, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk the mixture until it’s completely smooth and well blended.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is set.
- Let the pie cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.
- Before serving, drizzle with additional honey and sprinkle with ground cinnamon if desired.
Notes
Can substitute ricotta with full-fat Greek yogurt for a tangier flavor.
Orange zest can replace lemon zest for a citrus twist.
Add mascarpone to the ricotta for a richer texture.
Crushed pistachios or almonds can be mixed into the batter for crunch.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days; best served chilled.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
