This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more info.
Canned pumpkin is available year round and is one of my pantry staples that I always have on hand.
My crustless ricotta pumpkin cheesecake is made with fat free ricotta, plain non fat yogurt and a spice mixture of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. It is creamy and a delicious way to end a meal.
I chose to go crustless. After greasing my pie plate, I dusted it with graham cracker crumbs. Instead you can use a regular graham cracker crust or make a crust from crusted Fiber One bran cereal.
We enjoy this cheesecake year round but you can make it one of the featured desserts of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.
Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and directions.
Ingredient Round Up
- Fat free ricotta
- Plain non fat yogurt
- Canned pumpkin – I used Libby brand.
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Egg whites
- Cornstarch
- Monk fruit with allulose or sweetener of your choice – I recently have switched to monk fruit with allulose from the erythritol version. In my opinion the allulose version gave a superior result.
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Salt
Making the Cheesecake
- The night before or at least 2 hr before use, place the ricotta and yogurt in a coffee filtered lined strainer. Place the strainer inside of a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Grease a pie plate and dust with graham cracker crumbs.
- Place the thickened ricotta and yogurt, pumpkin and sweetener in a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until blended and smooth.
- Add the cornstarch and spices to the mixture and blend with the hand mixer.
- Add the egg whites and beat until well blended.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the pie plate and place in the oven to bake.
- The cheesecake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs on it. It is normal for the cheesecake to crack on the top.
- Allow the cheese cake to cool and then refrigerate for at least 3 hr before serving. Cheesecake slices can be garnished with Reddi-wip before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
Serving Ideas
- Ricotta pumpkin cheesecake can be served plain or garnished with a dollop or Reddi-wip, drizzle of carmel sauce or sprinkle of chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans or graham cracker crumbs.
- It can be served as dessert at the end of a meal or as a mid-afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
- This cheese cake is a nice addition to a dessert buffet.
- Ricotta pumpkin cheesecake is a nice addition to a Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
WW 1 pt per slice, makes 8 servings
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 82kcal
Equipment
- hand mixer
- mixing bowl
- strainer
- Rolling Pin
- pie plate
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 15 oz fat free ricotta (1 container)
- 1 c plain non fat yogurt
- 1 sheet graham cracker (you will use just a portion of the crumbs)
- ¾ c pumpkin
- ½ c Monk fruit with allulose, or sweetener of your choice (1:1 substitution)
- 2⅓ tbsp cornstarch (2 tbsp + 1 tsp)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ⅛ tsp cloves
- 3 egg whites (you can substitute 2 whole eggs)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Prepping Ricotta & Yogurt
- Place the fat free ricotta and plain fat free yogurt into a coffee filter lined strainer. Place the strainer into a bowl and cover the strainer with plastic wrap. Place the strainer/bowl into the refrigerator and let sit for 2 hr or overnight. The whey will drain away from the ricotta and yogurt thickening it considerably.
Prepping the Pie Plate
- Place the sheet of graham cracker into a plastic bag. Use a rolling pin and crushed the graham cracker to create crumbs.
- Spray the pie plate with Pam. Use a piece of paper towel to spread and coat the bottom and sides of the plate with the Pam.
- Place the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the pie plate. Shake the pie plate from side to side to dust the bottom of the pie plate with crumbs.Slightly tilt the plate and lightly tap the plate as you rotate it to coat the sides of the pie plate. Dump out the excess graham cracker crumbs and set the pie plate aside.
Preparing the Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 325℉.
- Place the thickened ricotta, yogurt, pumpkin and sugar into a mixing bowl. Use the hand mixer to beat these ingredients together.
- Add the cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt to the cheesecake mixture. Use the hand mixer to beat these ingredients into the mixture. Taste the mixture. Depending on which sweetener you are using you may need to add more. If you need the mixture to be sweeter, add more sweetener a tbsp at a time until you're satisfied with the sweetness.
- Add the egg whites to the mixture and combine with the hand mixer until the egg whites are well incorporated.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the crumb dusted pie plate and level off with a spatula.
- Place the cheesecake in the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 min depending on your oven. I checked the cheesecake at 35 min and it was soupy in the middle when tested with a toothpick. I baked for an additional 10 min and checked it again and then baked another 5 min for a total of 50 min in the oven. The toothpick came out with cheesecake crumbs on it that were well formed and moist but not soupy. There was a small crack on top.
- Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for an hour and then place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hr before serving.
- Slice and serve the cheese cake. You can garnish it with Reddi-wip if you choose. Refrigerate the left overs.
Notes
The actually prep time is approximately 20 min. The given prep time includes the minimum time to drain away the whey. I usually put the strainer full of ricotta/yogurt in the refrigerator before I go bed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.3g | Protein: 8.4g | Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 138mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 6.5g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
