Pascha Cheese Recipe
If you ask my kids what their favorite dish is for Pascha, they will unanimously cheer “Pascha Cheese!” It has easily become our favorite Holy Week tradition to make Pascha cheese together! Rich and creamy, Pascha cheese is a beloved centerpiece of an Orthodox Paschal table. Traditionally made from farmer’s cheese (or variations like ricotta or cottage cheese), blended with butter, eggs, sugar, and cream—and sometimes studded with decorations—this sweet dish is molded into a pyramid shape and often adorned with the letters “XB,” meaning “Christ is Risen.” This recipe takes several days (at least 2) so it is good to prepare ahead of time to ensure you have enough time to allow the cheese mixture to drain and become a solid cheese. We typically make our Pascha cheese starting on Tuesday or Wednesday of Holy Week. If you are finding this recipe too late, scroll down to the bottom for a quick, low prep recipe. Pascha cheese is the perfect dish to accompany any Paschal feast and goes great with Pascha (sweet) bread! In this post, we’re sharing our recipe along with the fun variations of flavors we’ve added along the way!
As we near the end of the 40+ day Lenten fast, it is good to start planning your Pascha menu! After any fasting season, as Orthodox Christians, we feast! But when we say this is the “feast of feasts” we absolutely stand by that! What you decide to have at your Paschal feast is based on your own individual preferences, and ultimately based on what your family wants to enjoy as we break the fast. There is no feast like the Pascha feast! It is usually full of lots of variations of meats, dairy, sweet breads, and treats!
Over the years we have done different things for our feast. Our parish tradition is we all gather together after the Festal Divine Liturgy in the Parish hall, and we feast together! Everyone brings their own baskets and we share with each other. We typically put together a mixture of a traditional Pascha basket and whatever we are craving. The beauty of the Orthodox faith is the communal aspect. I don’t make everything in my basket. Often I exchange my pascha cheese for some pascha bread, or a lamb butter, etc. So don’t be shy, and consider bartering some paschal treats and share! Every year, I make Pascha cheese and share it with our parishioners. We also have started to add new flavors along the way, so be sure to check out the variable flavor options in the recipe!
You may also be interested in these blogposts:
Equipment Needed:
Pascha cheese mold or small flower pot
Canned food and plate (for draining)
Recipe
I’ve tried several recipes over the years and this is by far the best recipe we’ve attempted. The recipe below is for a vanilla flavored pascha cheese. It is very sweet on its own, but feel free to get creative with your flavors! We usually make several flavors in a row. See notes below on how we created the variations.
Pascha Cheese
This is a sweet cheese dessert made for Pascha! It is made from cheese, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream which is mixed and shaped in a pyramid-like mold, and drained for several days in the fridge and often decorated with “XB” which means “Christ is Risen”.
Symbolism: Pascha cheese is sweet and mild, reminding us of the moderation we should have towards everything.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ricotta cheese
- 3/4 C heavy cream, whipped
- 1/3 C softened butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla + 1 vanilla bean (or use 4 tsp vanilla bean paste)
- 3/4 C sugar
- Camomile flowers, sprinkles, or pomegranate seeds to decorate (optional)
- Cheese cloth
- Pascha cheese mold or small flower pot
Instructions
- Whip cream and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar thoroughly.
- Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the yummy seeds. Add the vanilla beans and the vanilla and mix well.
- Add the cheese and beat until mixture is smooth, without any curds showing. If adding additional flavors, add here. See note below.
- Fold in the whipped cream.
- Line your mold with cheesecloth and drain mixture for at least 24 hours, in the fridge, preferably longer 2-3 days. Carefully place the flower pot or mold over a bowl so the liquid can drain.
- After drained, flip over and carefully remove the cheese cloth. Decorate as you wish!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
453Fat
33 gSat. Fat
21 gCarbs
31 gFiber
1 gNet carbs
30 gSugar
28 gProtein
11 gSodium
186 mgCholesterol
104 mgAdding additional flavors:
- Lemon Blueberry - Zest of 1 lemon + 1.5 to 3 oz dried blueberries.
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry- 3 heaped tbsp cocoa powder and decorated with fresh strawberries.
- Strawberry - Grind up 3 tbsp of freeze dried strawberries to blend in and add white chocolate chips
Pascha Cheese Flavors
This year we attempted to make 3 different flavors: vanilla (original), white chocolate & strawberry, and lemon blueberry. They all turned out so good! Our favorite was lemon blueberry!
After you’ve mixed your butter, sugar, vanilla, ricotta cheese until smooth, now you can add your different flavors:
Lemon Blueberry - Zest of 1 lemon + 1.5oz to 3 oz dried blueberries
Chocolate Covered Strawberry- 3 heaped tbsp cocoa powder and decorated with fresh strawberries.
Strawberry - Grind up 3 tbsp of freeze dried strawberries to blend in and add white chocolate chips
Chocolate Chip - add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips or chocolate shavings
Cherry- 1/2 cup chopped cherries (drained)
There are so many flavor combinations you can attempt!
Decorations
This is entirely optional, but my kids LOVE to decorate the Pascha cheese, and I give them permission to be as creative as they choose. We usually buy small flowers, chocolate chips, or freeze dried fruits to decorate, but you can use raisins, or sprinkles too!
Our “draining” set up in the fridge. We add bowls to the bottom and empty the liquid regularly so it can properly dry out.
Don’t have a mold or 2 days to prepare? I’ve got you….
Two Easy and Quick Cheese Pascha Recipes:
Cream Cheese Cheese Pascha & Cream Cheese Cheese Pascha by Charming the Birds from the Trees Blog. Both of these recipes are cream cheese based, and are simply prepared by mixing the ingredients, setting them in a bowl, and decorating with a simple cross on top. Great for a last minute addition to your basket, and won’t take days of preparation. You can find the recipes HERE:
Cream Cheese Cheese Pascha
Ingredients
1lb softened cream cheese
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 sticks butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
golden raisins and/or silvered almonds for decorating
Method
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to mix. Add sour cream. Spoon into a nice serving bowl, smooth, and decorate the top with golden raisins and/or silvered almonds. Chill, covered, for several hours before serving. Enjoy spread on kulich or Greek Pascha bread (or by the spoonful!).
Grandmama's Fruity Cheese Pascha
Ingredients
12oz cream cheese
1/4 lb sweet whipped butter
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons Sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup crushed, drained pineapple
1/4 cup yellow raisins
1/4 cup chopped, drained maraschino cherries
Method
Combine ingredients. Spoon into a nice serving bowl and smooth the top. Decorate with yellow raisins. Cover and chill before serving atop kulich or Greek Pascha bread. Enjoy!
Our Pascha tablescape at home (inspo) for our family Sunday brunch!
