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This fresh melt-in-your-mouth ricotta cream uses only 3 ingredients, it’s ready in minutes and pairs beautifully with berries or shortbread cookies.

It’s so easy, delicious, and elegant; it will blow your mind!

Two small blue bowl full of ricotta cream garnished with chocolate bits and served with strawberries.

Ricotta cheese is a staple in Italian cuisine, and I’ve already shared quite a few including this collection of wonderful that features lovely , and more!

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Today, I’m back with another super easy recipe inspired by the creamy cheese filling used for the iconic Sicilian cannoli.

But don’t let the simplicity fool you – this ricotta cream is so delicious, soft, fluffy, and perfect to please everyone!

All you need are 3 ingredients, a bowl, and an electric whisk to make a slightly sweet ricotta cream with notes of vanilla and bits of rich dark chocolate.

Spoon or pipe it into nice serving glasses or bowls and serve with beautiful fresh berries or crispy shortbread.

It’s a dessert you can whip up for dinner tonight, but it’s also an excellent make-ahead dessert for a fancy dinner (and it holds its shape!),

Want to make ricotta cream for a crowd? Double or triple the recipe and you’ll have enough for a party. Enjoy.

List of the ingredients

  • Fresh Ricotta
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla extract (optional)
  • Dark chocolate

The ingredients to make the ricotta cream are arranged over a white background.

How to make fresh ricotta cream

(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

  • Place the fresh ricotta in a clean tea towel, roll up the towel, and twist to squeeze out the excess water.
  • Transfer ricotta to a bowl, add sugar, vanilla extract and whip until soft and smooth. You can use a food processor or an electric whisk.

Two images showing some ricotta on a tea towel and a glass bowl with whipped ricotta.

  • Fold in the chocolate bits using a spatula, or spoon or pipe the ricotta cream into serving glasses and sprinkle the chocolate bits on top.
  • Enjoy with fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and crispy cookies on the side!
  • Note: use a large plain piping nozzle to pipe ricotta cream and chocolate bits.

    Top view of two blue bowls full of ricotta cream served with strawberries.

    Recipe Notes

    Ricotta cream ingredients

    Ricotta: For the best flavor and texture, use whole milk ricotta cheese, but remember that not all ricotta is equal – some brands are good, and others are not so good. Taste your ricotta and make sure you like it; you don’t want to use dry and tasteless ricotta cheese for this dessert.

    Powdered sugar: I recommend using powdered sugar that dissolves easily (icing sugar for my UK readers). But regular sugar works fine if it’s all you have on hand.

    Vanilla extract: for flavor, but I leave it optional.

    Dark chocolate: Use good-quality chocolate to make this simple dessert scrumptious. You can use chocolate chips or cut a chocolate bar using a sharp knife. I prefer small bits of chocolate to chips; they look elegant and evenly distributed.

    How to store Ricotta cream?

    This ricotta cream can be made up to 24 hours in advance and then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. You can also make single servings and keep the glasses/bowls covered with plastic wrap.

    Close-up of a spoon full of ricotta cream with shredded chocolate.

    More ricotta recipes?

    This fresh Italian cheese is brilliant for sweet or savory recipes, from scrumptious to moist . And if you have ricotta leftovers, check out these fantastic recipes:

    If you make this easy ricotta cream, or if you have a question, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!

    Ricotta Cream

    This fresh melt-in-your-mouth ricotta cream uses only three ingredients, is ready in minutes, and goes beautifully with berries or shortbread cookies. It's so easy, delicious, and elegant; it will blow your mind! The recipe yields 4 small servings.

    Prep Time5
    Total Time5
    Coursedesserts
    CuisineItalian
    KeywordRicotta cream
    Servings4
    Calories211 kcal
    AuthorKatia

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (approx 250 grams) ricotta cheese
    • 5 tablespoon powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
    • 3 tablespoons 70% Dark Chocolate, shredded or chips

    Instructions

    • First thing, place the fresh ricotta onto a clean tea towel, fold it, and twist gently but firmly to squeeze out excess moisture.
    • Place the squeezed ricotta in a bowl, add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and whisk with an electric beater for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Alternatively, combine ricotta with the other ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
    • Once the ricotta cream is ready you can fold in the dark chocolate bits, of you can transfer the ricotta cream into small serving bowl using a spoon or a piping bag and garnish with the shredded or grated dark chocolate, or chocolate chips if you like.
    • To make a more impressive dessert, serve your ricotta cream cold or at room temperature with fresh berries or shortbread cookies. Enjoy.
    Nutrition facts (per serving, estimated): the nutrition values are for one portion only and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my Calories: 211 kcal | Carbohydrates: 18 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 8 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 32 mg | Sodium: 65 mg | Potassium: 139 mg | Fiber: 0.4 g | Sugar: 14 g | Vitamin A: 279 IU | Vitamin C: 0.1 mg | Calcium: 164 mg | Iron: 0.4 mg

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