Sifnos Honey Cheesecake Recipe (Melopita Sifnou)

Melopita is genuinely one of the oldest desserts still made on any Greek island, a completely crustless honey cheesecake from Sifnos built on nothing more than fresh mizithra cheese, eggs and honey, and some accounts trace dishes very like it back well over a thousand years, long before cheesecake as a category had spread anywhere else in Europe.

It could not be simpler to make, requiring no pastry base and no complicated technique at all, just whisking soft fresh cheese with eggs and honey and baking until just set, giving something considerably lighter than a Western baked cheesecake, closer to a firm, golden custard.

Sifnos, already featured on this site for its mastelo lamb, revithada and revithopita, clearly treats a small number of local ingredients with real seriousness, and melopita is one more genuine example of that same island tradition.

Key preparation steps

Whisk fresh mizithra with eggs and honey until smooth.
Pour into a lined tin.
Bake until just set with a golden top.
Cool before slicing, and drizzle with extra honey to serve.

The cheese

Fresh, soft mizithra, similar to ricotta, is what melopita is built on, and it needs to be well drained beforehand if it seems at all watery, since excess moisture will stop the filling setting properly. Whisk it smooth before adding the other ingredients, breaking up any lumps.

Mixing and baking

Whisk the smooth cheese with eggs and a generous amount of honey until fully combined, pour into a lined tin, and bake at a moderate temperature until the filling is just set with a slight wobble remaining in the very centre and the top has turned a deep golden colour, similar to checking any baked custard for doneness.

Cooling and serving

Cool completely before slicing, since melopita firms up considerably as it cools and cuts far more cleanly once fully cold. Serve with an extra drizzle of honey at the table, which is the traditional finishing touch on top of what is already a honey-based filling.

What matters in this dish

Drain the cheese if it seems watery

Excess moisture stops the filling from setting properly in the oven.

Check for a slight wobble, not a fully set centre

It continues to firm up as it cools. Pulling it slightly early avoids overbaking.

Cool completely before slicing

Melopita firms up considerably as it cools, and cutting it warm gives a much messier slice.

Questions people ask about Melopita Sifnou

How old is melopita?

Genuinely very old. Some accounts trace dishes very like it on Sifnos back well over a thousand years, making it one of the oldest continuously made desserts in Greek island cooking.