Orange Ricotta Cheesecake
with Pistachio & Apricot Topping | 8-10 servings
- Eggs
- Milk
- Tree Nuts
- Wheat
This cheesecake combines the best of both worlds: ricotta from the “light and airy” Italian school and cream cheese from the “dense and creamy” New York camp. Start by making a buttery crust you’ll press into the pan (no rolling!), then pour in a decadent orange-scented filling, bake, and top your show-stopper with colorful pistachio-apricot clusters. It’s the perfect dessert idea for celebrating with loved ones.
Ingredients
2 unit
Eggs
(Contains: Eggs)
1 unit
Apricot Jam
16 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 ounce
Pistachios
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
12 ounce
Ricotta Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
2 ounce
Dried Apricots
¾ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Orange
4 tablespoon
Brown Sugar
3 tablespoon
Flour
(Contains: Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
10 tablespoon (tbsp)
Sugar
6 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Nutrition Values
Cooking Steps
Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring cream cheese and ricotta to room temperature. Wash and dry produce.
Zest orange until you have 1 tsp; halve orange. Squeeze juice from one half into a small bowl (save other half for another use).
Place 6 TBSP butter in a separate small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, 30-60 seconds.
In a medium bowl, combine panko, melted butter, brown sugar, 2 TBSP white sugar, 2 TBSP flour (you’ll use the rest later), and a pinch of salt until a sandy mixture forms.
Press crust mixture into a thin, even layer in a 9-inch pie plate (it’s OK if some of the crust comes up the sides).
Bake on middle rack until beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
While crust cools, place cream cheese and ricotta in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix until well combined. TIP: For a smoother cheesecake, use a blender or food processor if you have one.
Add ½ cup white sugar; whisk vigorously until well incorporated, 30 seconds.
Stir in remaining flour, orange zest, one egg* (save remaining egg for another use), and a pinch of salt.
Pour filling on top of crust in an even layer.
Bake on middle rack until cheesecake is set and edges are golden, 35-45 minutes. TIP: To check if it’s set, give the pan a gentle shake—the center should only give a slight wobble and the edges should be firm.
Let cool in pan for at least 1 hour. TIP: Cool on a wire rack if you have one!
Roughly chop pistachios. Add pistachios, apricots, and jam to bowl with reserved orange juice; stir until combined and small clusters form.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many loved the unique orange-ricotta flavor, with some suggesting doubling the orange zest for extra zing 🍊.
- Ease of prep: Generally easy to make, though some found opening multiple small cream cheese packets tedious.
- Suggestions: Consider using a hand mixer or blender for smoother texture; some preferred a graham cracker crust over panko.
- Leftovers: Several noted it tasted even better the next day, keeping well for multiple servings.
- Topping: The pistachio-apricot topping was polarizing; some loved it, while others preferred the cheesecake without it.
Reviews from our home cooks
EXCEPTIONAL!!! I was leery because so many cheesecakes are not that great. This one is great! The ingredients were just right, and baking it all up was how a cheesecake is supposed to be made. The orange zest and toppings were genius! Bravo!
Amazing! The cheesecake was amazing because the crust was crisp, and the filling was so creamy, and I discovered a new love for that pistachio and apricot mix with the cheesecake. Delicious!
The combination of ricotta and cream cheese helped to make the cheesecake lighter in texture. The topping was cleaver and tasty. I used the entire orange for the juice, which I preferred.
Just as described; light and airy yet full of cheesy flavor. The apricot, pistachio topping takes this cheesecake to another level. Order it. Make it. Eat it. Now!
I've never made a cheesecake, but I do LOVE cheesecake, and this one did not disappoint. The flavor is AMAZING. And not too sweet. I never got "clusters" for the topping so I just let the nuts and fruit soak in the OJ and sprinkled them over the top. Delicious!!
This was great although it did not turn out as well as I hoped but that's on me. My first time making a cheesecake and liked the unique orange and pistachio ingredients. Wonderful recipe but some of the steps were easy to miss and bullet points would be a better guide. Did not care for the apricots but still loved this dish.
This dessert was delicious! I made it for a party with an Italian theme and everyone loved it. It was easy to make and tasted like a restaurant quality dessert. It was perfect!
The only thing I would've changed is having more orange zest and using some of the pistachios for the crust. Adding extra pistachios for that really made it taste good.
The cheesecake turned out very tasty. The Apricots were too gummy. We used Apricot preserves with chopped pistachios. It was much more flavorful. I didn't receive the pistachios. I received 5 packs of brown sugar instead. May have been a packing error.
Incredibly delicious and easy. However, mine didn't set right - not sure what I did wrong, but it stayed a bit creamy
