Melopita | Crustless Greek Honey & Cheese Pie (2024)

• Ricotta Cheese - As with most things, fresh ricotta is best here. You can feel free to make your own ricotta cheese with milk and lemon juice or vinegar, or choose a high quality brand from the grocery store. Obviously you can feel free to substitute either anthotyro cheese or a soft mizythra cheese if you're lucky enough to have access!
• Honey - Since this is a primary flavoring agent of melopita (remember it means "honey pie"), be sure to choose a high quality product here. Local wildflower honey is a favorite of mine not only because of the flavor, but also because it supports local pollinators, but any good honey will work here. Feel free to experiment with infused honeys, but be picky about what flavors you use.
• Eggs - For easy whisking, be sure your eggs are at room temperature. If you forgot to pull them out of the fridge ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water for 5-10 minutes.
• Corn Flour - Also known as corn starch, this is the thickening agent of choice for this gluten free cheesecake. If you don't have any on hand, you can substitute 2x as much rice flour or potato starch instead.
• Vanilla Extract - Vanilla is a lovely way to add depth of flavor without overpowering the honey. You can also use vanilla paste or powder, or feel free to experiment with other extracts like lemon or almond if you're feeling daring.

Expert tips

This easy recipe for Greek honey pie is about as straightforward as it gets. That said, I've learned a few things along the way that'll make for a chef-worthy melopita:

• Make sure your eggs are room temperature. The primary reason for this is that room temp egg yolks break more easily and will mix into the batter more evenly. Cold eggs can result in lumpy batter, longer bake times and a stodgy cheesecake.
• Get high quality ricotta cheese. Be sure to use a fresh, whole milk ricotta from a good cheesemonger and avoid the watery stuff found in the big hypermarkets. If you accidentally buy a package that seems watery or thin, all is not lost - simple take the time to strain it using a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
• Preheat your oven. Make sure your oven is at temperature before placing the baking tin inside. For the most accurate results, I recommend investing in an oven thermometer, as oven temps can vary widely.
• Add extra flavour. Adding a little grated lemon zest adds a hint of zing and freshness to the melopita.

What kind of cheese is the best for this recipe?

Traditionally speaking, melopita would be made using a soft Greek cheese like anthotyro or mizythra. I have substituted fresh, high quality cow's milk ricotta because it is easier to find in my area. If you have goat or sheep's milk ricotta, those should also work well.

What can I use in place of ricotta cheese?

Can I make this without dairy?

Since melopita is essentially a cheesecake, making it without dairy is a bit of a risk. I'd suggest opting for a lactose-free ricotta cheese first. However, you can try substituting silken tofu for the ricotta instead. If you do, let me know how it turns out in the comments below!

Melopita - Crustless Greek Honey & Cheese Pie

Try my recipe for melopita, the honey and cheese pie from Sifnos. This traditional Greek recipe is essentially a crustless cheesecake, but without all the fuss - there's no water bath or fancy equipment required, not even a stand mixer!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 226 kcal | Carbohydrates: 21 g | Protein: 11 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Souvlaki For the Soul

Made this recipe?Let me know how you went and tag @souvlakiman on Instagram!