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Made with just four ingredients, milk, heavy cream, salt, and a splash of vinegar, this easy recipe is creamy, slightly tangy, and ultra-fresh.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Ricotta cheese is a soft curd cheese with a mild flavor and creamy texture. It’s slightly sweet with a subtle tang.
- Skill Level: This recipe is foolproof, making it great for beginners.
- Technique: Prepare this cheese with a curdling method that uses acid and heat. There is no special equipment required.
- Serving Suggestions: 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 many recipes, cottage cheese is cheese curds, so the texture is more chunky, while ricotta is smoother. I find ricotta cheese to be a bit sweeter in flavor and richer.
Ingredient Tips for Ricotta Cheese
- Milk: The base of this homemade ricotta recipe is milk. I use cow milk, but it can also be made with goat, sheep, or buffalo milk. Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk (UHT).
- Heavy cream: This gives ricotta its rich, creamy flavor.
- Vinegar: Vinegar is the acidic ingredient that creates the curds. If you don’t have vinegar, use lemon juice.
- Salt: Salt is added for flavor.
How to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese
It’s so easy to make fresh ricotta cheese!
- Boil milk, cream, and salt in a large pot (full 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.
Storage
- Store ricotta cheese in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It may need to be drained or stirred before use.
Favorite Ways to Use Ricotta
Whether it’s a sweet or savory dish, this homemade ricotta is always a star!
Did you love this Ricotta Cheese recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Homemade Ricotta Cheese (4 ingredients)
Equipment
- Saucepan heavy-bottomed
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Adapted from: “No Whey.” Canadian Living, Sept. 2018, 9.
you say this makes 4 servings but how much (measured) is a serving?
A serving is about ½ cup.
Thank you so much for this! I have not tried it yet but I will this week. Our family loves all your recipes so I know it won’t disappoint!
I’m sorry. But I’ve been making ricotta cheese for a couple of decades. I’d advise people to bring the milk and cream to a temperature slightly below the boiling point (212), don’t let it boil. Otherwise, it’s the recipe that I use.