Description
Golden Greek Honey Pie Melopita is a traditional Greek dessert featuring a buttery pie crust filled with a creamy ricotta and egg custard, baked to golden perfection, then soaked with a warm, fragrant honey-cinnamon syrup. This delightful dessert offers a perfect balance of creamy, sweet, and aromatic flavors, creating a luscious and comforting treat that is both easy to prepare and irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup cold, diced butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 2–3 tablespoons ice-cold water or milk
Filling
- 2 cups full-fat ricotta cheese or drained mizithra cheese
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 lemon
Honey Syrup
- 1 cup good quality honey
- ½ cup water
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- Strip of lemon peel (avoiding the white pith)
Instructions
- Prepare Your Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Cut in the cold, diced butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and cold water or milk, mixing just until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll the dough out to fit a 9-inch pie dish, press gently, trim edges, and prick the bottom with a fork. Blind bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden, then cool slightly.
- Make the Creamy Filling: Combine ricotta (or mizithra), granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Mix until the filling is smooth and well combined.
- Assemble the Pie: Pour the prepared cheese filling evenly into the cooled, pre-baked crust. Smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the filling is set with a slight jiggle and the top is golden brown.
- Prepare the Honey Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine honey, water, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel. Simmer gently over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the honey dissolves and syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and lemon peel, and keep warm.
- Drench and Delight: Immediately after removing the pie from the oven, spoon or pour the warm honey syrup generously over the top of the pie.
- Cool and Serve: Let the pie cool completely at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Optionally refrigerate for further chilling before serving.
Notes
- For a more authentic flavor, use mizithra cheese if available, otherwise full-fat ricotta works well.
- Ensure the butter is very cold to create a flaky crust texture.
- Blind baking the crust prevents it from becoming soggy after adding the wet filling.
- The honey syrup enhances the pie with added sweetness and a lovely aromatic glaze.
- The slight jiggle in the center of the pie indicates it’s perfectly baked—avoid overbaking to keep creaminess.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Greek honey pie, Melopita, ricotta pie, honey syrup dessert, traditional Greek dessert, baked cheese pie
