Croatian cheese pie is a shortcrust pastry filled with sweetened cottage cheese and raisins, scented with vanilla and lemon. Baked until golden. A dessert that doesn’t perform. It tastes like a grandmother’s kitchen on a Sunday in winter, and that’s exactly what it’s for.
How to Make Croatian Cheese Pie
The dough
Chill the dough before rolling. At least 30 minutes, longer if your kitchen is warm. The butter needs to stay cold or you lose the crumbly texture that makes this crust what it is.
Egg white folding
Beat the whites to stiff peaks, then fold gently into the cottage cheese mixture. Don’t stir. The folded whites make the filling lighter than it looks. Overworking it deflates that. 
Raisins
Soak the raisins in warm water for ten minutes before using. They plump up and don’t dry out during baking. Small detail. Noticeable result.
Croatian Cheese Pie
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: Serves 12 1x
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
A delightful two-crust pie filled with a creamy, dreamy cottage cheese mixture. Perfect for dessert or a special occasion!
Ingredients
- 11 oz (300 g) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 7 oz (200 g) butter
- 4 oz (100 g) sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- pinch of salt
- 4 egg whites
- 18 oz (500 g) cottage cheese (or cream cheese)
- 6 oz (180 g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp semolina
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 4 oz (100 g) raisins
Instructions
- Make the dough: Combine flour, salt, lemon zest, and baking powder. Add butter cubes and combine with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarsely ground meal. Add remaining ingredients and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate until ready to prepare the filling.
- For the filling:
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; add a pinch of salt if desired. Gradually add sugar.
- Mix cottage cheese with vanilla. Combine with egg whites using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add finely grated lemon zest, semolina, and raisins.
- Preheat oven to 392°F (200°C).
- Line a 35 x 25 cm rectangular baking pan with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough in half. Roll out the first half on a floured surface and transfer it to the prepared pan using a rolling pin.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
- Roll out the second half of the dough and transfer it on top of the filling using a rolling pin. Tuck in the edges.
- Make tiny holes using a fork or toothpick.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Let cool completely and cut into squares.
- Serve.
Notes
- To prevent a soggy bottom, pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling.
- For a richer flavor, use a combination of cottage cheese and cream cheese.
- Store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Croatian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 80
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cream cheese instead of cottage cheese for the filling?
You can, but the texture will be denser and richer. Cottage cheese gives a lighter, more traditional result. If you use cream cheese, reduce the sugar by a tablespoon or two.
Why does the recipe call for semolina in the filling?
Semolina absorbs excess moisture from the cottage cheese as the pie bakes, giving the filling a firmer, cleaner set. Without it, the center can turn watery.
Can I make this without raisins?
Yes. Simply leave them out. Some versions add dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots instead, though the traditional recipe uses raisins.
I love cheese pie, and this one is no exception. Thank you!
It’s “pressed cottage cheese” (square in plastic wrap) — not the liquidy cottage cheese in hard plastic tub. I use the low fat (o.8% fat) low sodium. Also on the same health conscious theme i lower the 200g butter to 60g and use 70g honey in the pastry rather than sugar; i focus more on a tasty filling than the nice flaky shortbread pastry. But the tastiest substitute is using using natural ground almond extract in the filling rather than vanilla. I bake in bare (no grease and no paper) clear glass.
Excellent, flaky dough, taste great. I doubled the dough, used ricotta and added two egg yolks to filling before folding in egg whites. I also substituted flour for semolina.
Will be making this often!
I was wondering what I could substitute with the semolina in the recipe? It’s kind of hard to find it where I live.
gorgeous