Whipped Ricotta Cheese Tart with Honey and Fresh Blackberries

Last Updated on May 31, 2020 by Diane Hoffmaster

I grew up an hour outside of New York City.  I have an aunt who is of Italian decent and I learned early in life to appreciate a fine Italian dessert. This whipped ricotta cheese tart is similar to the filling you find in homemade cannoli.  Sweetened with honey and topped with fresh blackberries, it is a delicious summer dessert. 

Ricotta Fruit Tarts are Delicious!

The whipped and sweetened ricotta cheese filling in cannoli is heavenly and I could literally just sit down with a bowl full and eat it with a spoon.  When I was at the grocery store the other day I came across organic, whole milk ricotta cheese on clearance and I was inspired!  Who says I can’t make my own cannoli right? 

More Fruit Dessert Recipes

• Simple Fruit Tart with fresh berries
• Easy Strawberry Icebox Pie Recipe with Pretzel Pie Crust
• Lemon Raspberry Trifle Recipe

Well,  Kroger does not apparently carry premade cannoli shells and making them from scratch seemed like a wee bit more work than I really wanted to go through.  So instead, I decided to make the cannoli FILLING and then put it into a premade tart shell.

Topped with some fresh fruit, honey and a sprig of mint it was a huge hit with the family.  I chose to use fresh blackberries for this ricotta cheese tart but you could use just about any fresh fruit you wanted.

Can you make fruit tarts the night before?

If you love that sweet ricotta cheese filling but are as lazy as I am when it comes to cooking I encourage you to try out this ricotta cheese tart recipe. 

You can make the filling up ahead of time and use store bought tart shells so all you have to do is some last minute assembly.  It makes a great dessert to serve to guests at your next party…elegant yet easy! 

I don’t recommend making these ricotta fruit tarts the night before.  The tart shells WILL get soggy.  Just prepare your filling and right before you want to serve them, spoon it into your tart shells and top with berries, honey, and mint. 

How Do You Thicken Ricotta Cheese?

Store bought ricotta is not quite the same texture or thickness as homemade.  Using some cream cheese in the recipe helps thicken it up and make it a bit creamier.  You can also mix 2/3 ricotta cheese and 1/3 crumbled firm tofu. If you are using homemade ricotta you can probably leave out the cream cheese or tofu!

Do I Need to Drain Store Bought Ricotta?

Draining store bought ricotta cheese is another good way to thicken it.  To drain ricotta cheese:

1. Place a strainer over a small glass bowl and line it with cheesecloth.
2. Add the ricotta cheese
3. Using a rubber spatula, gently push and spread the ricotta into an even layer.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator over night.
5. Mix in remaining ingredients for this ricotta cheese tart and serve.

 

Whipped Ricotta Cheese Tart with Honey and Fresh Blackberries

This whipped ricotta cheese tart turned into a beautiful and tasty treat, although not quite the cannoli fix I was hopping for.  Guess I will just have to wait  until I get back to New York to indulge in my favorite decadent dessert. 

If you like this tart recipe you may want to try out my Birds Nest Pudding Tart that I made for Easter. You can also check out a few of these desserts made with ricotta cheese for more inspiration. 

 

Yield: 8

Whipped Ricotta Cheese Tart with Honey and Fresh Blackberries

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This whipped ricotta cheese tart is similar to the filling you find in homemade cannoli.  Sweetened with honey and topped with fresh blackberries, it is a delicious summer dessert. 

Prep Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

• 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
• 1/2 cup sugar (adjust sweetness based on personal preference)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 8 prebaked tart shells (I used store bought but you could make your own)
• 2 cups blackberries
• 1/4 cup honey to drizzle on top
• fresh mint

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly fluffy and well mixed.
2. Refrigerate filling 2 to 3 hours
3. To serve: Fill prebaked tart shell with ricotta cheese filling, top with fresh berries and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of honey.
4. Top with mint if desired and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 675Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 229mgCarbohydrates: 93gFiber: 4gSugar: 61gProtein: 12g