Homemade Ricotta Cheese - Spend With Pennies

Did you know it’s super easy to make homemade ricotta cheese with just 4 ingredients?

You only need milk, cream, salt, and vinegar to make deliciously creamy ricotta cheese. No special tools are required!

A Soft Homemade Cheese

Ricotta is Italian for ‘recooked’ and ricotta cheese is a soft curd cheese with a mild flavor and creamy texture. It pairs well with bold flavors like tomato marinara, basil pesto, or roasted garlic. It’s also great with fruit and a drizzle of honey over crostini.

Ricotta vs. Cottage Cheese

While they can be used interchangeably in most recipes, cottage cheese is curds so the texture is more chunky while ricotta is smoother. I find ricotta cheese to be a bit sweeter in flavor and richer.

Cottage cheese is less expensive and easier to find than ricotta.

ingredients to make Homemade Ricotta Cheese

What You Need For Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Milk: The base of this ricotta cheese recipe is milk. While I use cow milk, it can also be made with goat, sheep, or even buffalo milk. Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk (UHT).
Heavy cream gives ricotta its rich, creamy flavor.
Vinegar: Vinegar is the acidic ingredient that creates the curds. If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice is a great substitute.
Salt: Salt is added for flavor.

How to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese

It’s fun and easy to make fresh ricotta cheese!

Boil milk, cream, and salt in a large pot (recipe below).
Remove from the heat, stir in vinegar, and let it rest until it forms curds.
Strain the curds in a colander and enjoy your homemade cheese.

The liquid strained from the cheese is called whey. Whey is great to add to baked goods like bread or pizza dough or even mixed with pancake mix in place of water. Place the colander over a bowl to catch the whey.

a bowl of homemade ricotta cheese next to crostini

Storage and Leftovers

Store Ricotta cheese in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It may need to be drained or stirred before using.
It can be frozen, but it will be watery once it’s thawed because the cell structures that were once frozen will break down, so it may not perform as well in recipes. In this case, drain and make dips or spreads with thawed ricotta.

What Can Be Made with Ricotta Cheese?

Aside from a classic lasagna, this ricotta cheese recipe can be used in so many dishes! It’s is the perfect addition to pancakes, cheesecake, inside of crepes or (my personal favorite) spooned on top of tomato pasta.

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Homemade Ricotta Cheese (4 ingredients)

Homemade Ricotta Cheese is easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand—no special tools required. It’s perfect for homemade pasta dishes and more!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Drain Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat milk, cream, and salt over medium heat while stirring. Cook just until the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove from the heat, add the vinegar, and stir to combine.
Let the mixture rest undisturbed for 30 minutes to allow curds to form.
Line a fine mesh strainer or colander with 2 layers of damp cheesecloth. Gently spoon the ricotta curds into the strainer.
Allow to drain for 30-45 minutes.

Homemade ricotta cheese will last up to 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

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Adapted from: “No Whey.” Canadian Living, Sept. 2018, 9.