Lemon Ricotta Pie with Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
A Make-Ahead Dessert That’s Worth Every Bite
This pie is all about contrast: the brightness of lemon and ricotta meets the rich silk of whipped white chocolate, made ethereal with a touch of orange blossom. It’s elegant, refreshing, and ideal for spring gatherings or as a refined finish to any meal.
We recommend splitting the prep into two days:
Day 1: Blind bake your crust and make the ganache base
Day 2: Bake and cool the pie, whip and top with ganache
The pie must be completely cool before topping, otherwise the ganache will melt.
You’ll need one blind-baked pie crust to begin. You can use our house pie crust recipe here.
Lemon Ricotta Pie Filling
This custard-style filling is rich yet light, with a bright lemony edge that plays beautifully with berries, citrus supremes, or stone fruit.
Ingredients
1¾ cups (455 g) full-fat ricotta
½ cup (120 g) plain full-fat yogurt
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 g) heavy cream
1 large egg
3 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon vanilla paste (or extract)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Method
Whisk all ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth. Pour into your blind-baked pie shell and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and the center jiggles just slightly.
Cool completely to room temperature.
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache (Orange Blossom)
This whipped ganache is delicate, floral, and perfectly balanced—not too sweet, with a subtle creamy texture that floats above the lemon custard.
Note: Ganache must be made the day before so it can fully crystallize before whipping.
Ingredients
11.5 oz (325 g) Valrhona Opalys or other high-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (25 g) glucose syrup (or clear corn syrup)
2 tablespoons (25 g) invert sugar (or honey)
¾ cup (225 g) heavy cream – first addition
2 tablespoons (30 g) orange blossom water
½ teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt
2½ cups (600 g) heavy cream – second addition
Method
Melt the white chocolate gently over a double boiler.
In a small saucepan, bring glucose, invert sugar, first weight of heavy cream, orange blossom water, and salt to a boil.
Gradually pour the hot cream mixture over the melted chocolate, stirring with a rubber spatula to create an emulsion.
Once fully combined, blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the second weight of cold cream and blend again.
Transfer to a shallow container, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate for 24 hours before whipping. Do not try to skip or rush this step. If the ganache doesn’t have time to set up, it will not whip properly.
When ready to use, whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Do not overwhip- it will set up more as you spread it around.
To Assemble
Once the lemon ricotta pie is fully cooled (Be forewarned-even a warm pie will melt the ganache):
Spread or pipe the whipped ganache on top in swoops or swirls. Garnish with thin slices of citrus, edible flowers, or fresh berries if desired.
Storage
The pie can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store covered in the fridge. For best texture, top with whipped ganache the day you plan to serve.
