Melopita | Crustless Greek Honey & Cheese Pie (2024)

If you love cheesecake but are intimidated to make it at home, you have to try my recipe for Melopita, the honey and cheese pie from the Greek island of Sifnos. This traditional Greek recipe is essentially a crustless cheesecake, but without all the fuss - there's no water bath or fancy equipment required, not even a stand mixer!

Why you'll love this

• It's simple. Melopita (pronounced meh-LOW-pita) is a delightful regional specialty of Sifnos, one of the most beautiful Greek isles, in an island group known as the Cyclades. Comprised of two words, meli which means "honey," and pita which means "pie," this simple dessert is easy to make and a real treat to eat.
• It has cheese! While the name suggests that this dessert is primarily made from honey, it actually reminds me more of a crustless cheesecake. The original recipe calls for "anthotyro" which is a soft and mild fresh cheese. Melopita can also be substituted with another Greek cheese known as "myzithra." I didn't have either of those on hand so I used ricotta, and it worked wonders!
• It's crustless. Dancing somewhere between a custard and a baked cheesecake, this honey "pie" is a real keeper. Unlike other pies that are made with pastry crusts, melopita is actually crustless and naturally gluten free. That said, you can feel free to bake the custard in a pie shell of your choosing - I'm not here to judge.
• It has only 5 ingredients. Made with just 5 ingredients plus the most basic kitchen equipment - namely a whisk, mixing bowl and cake pan - melopita is the perfect cheesecake recipe for a novice home cook. Just whisk, bake, cool, drizzle with honey, dust with cinnamon and eat. How easy is that?!?
• Melopita is the perfect light dessert. Fresh, light, and with just the right amount of sweetness, this traditional Greek dessert recipe is just begging to be on your holiday table. Now let's get to it, shall we?

What goes into this recipe

All you need to make this creamy, dreamy traditional honey pie is five (5!!!) ingredients. Here's what you'll need:

• Ricotta Cheese - As with most things, fresh ricotta is best here. You can feel free to make your own ricotta cheese with milk and lemon juice or vinegar, or choose a high quality brand from the grocery store. Obviously you can feel free to substitute either anthotyro cheese or a soft mizythra cheese if you're lucky enough to have access!
• Honey - Since this is a primary flavoring agent of melopita (remember it means "honey pie"), be sure to choose a high quality product here. Local wildflower honey is a favorite of mine not only because of the flavor, but also because it supports local pollinators, but any good honey will work here. Feel free to experiment with infused honeys, but be picky about what flavors you use.
• Eggs - For easy whisking, be sure your eggs are at room temperature. If you forgot to pull them out of the fridge ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water for 5-10 minutes.
• Corn Flour - Also known as corn starch, this is the thickening agent of choice for this gluten free cheesecake. If you don't have any on hand, you can substitute 2x as much rice flour or potato starch instead.
• Vanilla Extract - Vanilla is a lovely way to add depth of flavor without overpowering the honey. You can also use vanilla paste or powder, or feel free to experiment with other extracts like lemon or almond if you're feeling daring.

Tools

• Springform Pan (Amazon affiliate link)

How to make this recipe

This melopita recipe is seriously as simple as baking gets.

• Steps 1-4: Add the ricotta, honey, eggs and vanilla into a large mixing bowl.

• Step 5: Add corn flour to bowl with other ingredients.
• Step 6 : Whisk until the batter is smooth and uniform.
• Step 7: Pour into baking pan and cook for 45-50 mins until the top has browned and the centre of the melopita no longer wobbles.
• Step 8: Once cooked allow to cool in the pan for 5 mins. Remove the melopita and allow it to cool completely, then drizzle with remaining honey and top with cinnamon. Enjoy!

Expert tips

This easy recipe for Greek honey pie is about as straightforward as it gets. That said, I've learned a few things along the way that'll make for a chef-worthy melopita:

1. Make sure your eggs are room temperature. The primary reason for this is that room temp egg yolks break more easily and will mix into the batter more evenly. Cold eggs can result in lumpy batter, longer bake times and a stodgy cheesecake.
2. Get high quality ricotta cheese. Be sure to use a fresh, whole milk ricotta from a good cheesemonger and avoid the watery stuff found in the big hypermarkets. If you accidentally buy a package that seems watery or thin, all is not lost - simple take the time to strain it using a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
3. Preheat your oven. Make sure your oven is at temperature before placing the baking tin inside. For the most accurate results, I recommend investing in an oven thermometer, as oven temps can vary widely.
4. Add extra flavour. Adding a little grated lemon zest adds a hint of zing and freshness to the melopita.

FAQS

Video - how to make it

📖 Recipe

This post was originally published in September 2013, but was republished with new content and pictures in November 2021.

More Delicious Greek Desserts