No-Bake Ricotta Cheesecake with a Shortbread Cookie Crust

I originally made this recipe to celebrate 4th of July weekend (cue the red, white and blue berries,) but this no-bake ricotta cheesecake is *truly* great for any occasion. The cheesecake filling itself is extremely creamy, and not overly sweet. I used powdered sugar to sweeten it, which is then paired with the subtle sweetness and fluffy texture from the ricotta. While the cheesecake itself is only 3 ingredients, it tastes much more complex than that and makes a beautiful canvas for any kind of crust, or any kind of topping. There’s something about the ricotta in this cheesecake that makes it taste more “cheesecake-y” than most no-bake cheesecakes I’ve tried, which are more reminiscent of cream cheese-based no-bake pudding pies.

Crusts and Toppings

Of course, today, I’m going with summer fruity vibes. It’s no secret that I absolute love butter (I mean, have you seen my brown butter sticky rolls?!?!) so a shortbread cookie crust was calling my name for this recipe. While I think it’s the best pairing with the cheesecake and berries, you can use any kind of cookie or cracker that you want. Just use the same measurements of the cookie of your choice and butter. The same thing goes with toppings — if you do a different crust, feel free to try different toppings! Oreo crust? Add Oreos on top. Biscoff crust? Top with biscoff cookies, cookie butter and whipped cream. Nutter butter crust? Top with peanut butter and chocolate candies. Wow I am feeling hungry and inspired right now…

Which pan should I use?

With no-bake pies or cakes, using the right pan is always important so that you can create a crust with a beautiful shape. I recommend using a springform pan or one of those disposable pie pans that you can find at the store. I tested this recipe a few times and used up all of my disposable pie pans, so I ended up lining a cake pan with foil and then using that foil to lift the cheesecake out. It totally worked, but you can see a few divots in my crust that aren’t *perfect,* but it still looks delicious and held its shape. The safest bet with this recipe is to use a spring form pan.