Milk, optional cream, lemon juice, and a few minutes of hands-on time are all you need to make the creamiest, smoothest, most delicious homemade ricotta cheese. You won’t believe how easy and foolproof this recipe is! You’ll never want to go back to store bought again.
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Homemade Ricotta Cheese is so lush and decadent
I love the creamy richness of fresh ricotta cheese. It’s so lush and so decadent. You would never catch me eating a spoonful of store bought ricotta, but fresh, Homemade Ricotta Cheese is so good. You know when you keep tasting it and each time you’re like Wow! I can’t believe how good this is? That’s this ricotta.
How is Ricotta traditionally made?
Ricotta is the Italian word for "re-cooked," which describes the two-stage heating and coagulation process that goes into making cheese and then ricotta.
First, cheese is made from milk using rennet. The casein proteins in the milk bond forming the cheese, (including much of the dairy fat), leaving the whey proteins.
The whey is then heated again, allowing the whey proteins to coagulate, forming ricotta curds.
What's it made out of?
Unless you have leftover whey from making cheese with rennet at home, you can’t make the traditional ricotta. You can, however, make a cheese that is very similar to a true ricotta. While technically a fresh cheese, it has a much better taste and texture than the ricotta you can buy in a tub in the supermarket.
Milk, with or without the addition of cream, is heated and acid, usually in the form of lemon juice or vinegar, is added which causes the proteins to coagulate and form curds. These curds, when strained, form the ricotta.
Homemade Ricotta made with milk or milk and cream
I have two recipes for ricotta that I really love, one with milk and one with milk and cream. The recipe with only milk yields a product that is closer to a true ricotta.
The recipe with milk and cream yields a product that is so heavenly and luscious. This is the recipe I use when I’m feeling particularly indulgent to dollop on top of pancakes or as a topping for toast with fresh fruit. It’s also amazing in ravioli or cannoli.
I’ve given the recipe and instructions for both below.
How to make with milk
If you want a ricotta that is closer to a traditional ricotta and made with only milk, heat the salt and milk to 185 F. Turn off the heat, and gently stir in the acid, just a time or two around the pan, then let rest, untouched for 20 minutes. During this time, keep the temperature at about 185 degrees F. It can go down to 175 F or up to 190 F, but try to keep it in that range. I just take a look at the thermometer every so often and turn on the heat for just a little while until it gets in that range. After the resting period, spoon out the curds and strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.
The whey should be clear with a bit of a greenish tinge. If you whey is still milky, you can add a little more acid to help the remaining proteins coagulate.
After the ricotta is done straining, I either give it a good whipping or put it in the food processor for a few seconds. It does wonders for the texture. It becomes so smooth and creamy.
How to make with milk and cream
Bring milk and cream just up to a boil, then turn off the heat and gently stir in salt and lemon juice, just a time or two around the pan. The curds should form pretty quickly. After they start forming, don’t stir, it may break apart the delicate curds. Let the curds rest for about 20 minutes, then strain the curds through cheesecloth. This is a less hands on method that doesn’t require a thermometer.
What kind of milk do I use
I use whole milk for the milk only ricotta. I use a combination of whole milk and cream for the richest, creamiest ricotta you can imagine.
Making Homemade Ricotta Cheese works best when using whole milk, but you can also make it with 2% milk.
Homemade Ricotta can be made using raw milk since the heating during curd formation more than meets heat requirements for pasteurization.
Avoid using UHT (ultra-high temperature) pasteurized milk. The high heat changes the protein structure of the milk and prevents it from separating. Many national organic brands are ultra-pasteurized so check the label.
How much does this recipe yield?
For the milk only ricotta, 8 cups of whole milk yields about 1.5 cups ricotta. (This batch weighed 14 ounces.) This can vary depending on how much you strain the final cheese.
For the milk and cream ricotta, 4 cups of milk and 2 cups of cream yield about 2 cups of ricotta. (This batch weighed 16 ounces.) Once again, this can vary depending on how much you strain the final cheese.
What type of acid is used
You can use lemon juice or vinegar to make ricotta. I love the light, fresh taste of ricotta made with lemon. Vinegar has more of a neutral, savory taste.
When making ricotta with only milk, I’ve noticed a slight difference in the texture of ricotta made with lemon juice vs. vinegar. I made them side by side to compare them. The ricotta made with vinegar coagulated very quickly in bigger curds. After it drained, it had more of a compressed, tighter curd. The ricotta made with lemon juice coagulated more slowly, with a finer, more delicate curd.
Homemade Ricotta made with milk and cream
How much acid should I use?
Making Homemade Ricotta is part science and part art. Acid is what makes the milk proteins separate and coagulate. A good amount of acid ensures that most of the proteins coagulate and gives a good yield of ricotta curds. Using enough acid makes making ricotta nearly foolproof. On the other hand, the more acid you use, the more acidic the cheese will taste.
Some traditional ricotta makers don’t use any acid, they use only heat. Using less acid will give the final product a truer ricotta taste. However, not using enough acid results in the proteins not coagulating and a low yield of curd. The art is in finding the balance.
For the purists, as pure as we can get with a milk based ricotta, you can make the ricotta with 8 cups of whole milk and 3 tablespoons of acid. The acid taste will be much more understated.
The ricotta using milk and cream uses 4 tablespoons of lemon juice.
How much salt do I use?
The amount of salt you use is really up to personal preference. I like about 1 teaspoon in the milk only ricotta and 1 ½ teaspoons in the ricotta made with milk and cream. Traditional ricotta makers use little to no salt.
Homemade Ricotta made with milk and cream
How long to strain
How long you strain the ricotta depends on the texture you want it to have and which recipe you use.
Generally speaking, drain the ricotta until it’s the texture that you want, shorter for a looser ricotta and longer for a firmer, dryer ricotta
The milk only ricotta forms larger curds, especially when making with vinegar. I use a slotted spoon to scoop up the curds and place them in the cheesecloth lined strainer. Pouring all the whey through might clog up the strainer. Milk only ricotta also drains faster for this reason. I strain it for about 30 minutes.
The milk and cream ricotta forms very small delicate curds. These I pour into a cheesecloth lined strainer and let strain for about 2 hours.
The amount of straining time also depends on the size of your strainer. My strainer has a wide, flat bottom, about 8-inches across. It strains a lot quicker than a smaller strainer.
Storage
Homemade Ricotta can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to five days.
How to freeze
Homemade Ricotta can be frozen for up to 2 months. Its taste will be fine, however it’s texture may be affected. Since Ricotta has a high moisture content, the moisture in the cheese turns to ice when frozen. After thawing, the texture becomes drier and more crumbly.
How to serve
There are so many uses for Homemade Ricotta. I used to use Ricotta mainly for lasagna or ravioli. After I discovered how amazing Homemade Ricotta is, I love eating it on crostini. Here are some ideas:
- In lasagna
- In ravioli
- As a topping on pizza
- As a spread on toast or crostini topped with fresh or roasted fruit and honey
- As a spread on toast or crostini topped with tomatoes marinated in basil and balsamic
- In an Italian cheesecake
- In cannoli
- Dolloped on top of pancakes or waffles
- In pancakes or waffles
- In a pasta sauce
Recipe
Homemade Ricotta (2 ways)
Ingredients
For Ricotta made with MILK ONLY:
- 8 cups whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized 2 L
- Kosher or sea salt to taste (I use 1 teaspoon)
- 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice 45ml
For Ricotta made with MILK AND CREAM:
- 4 cups whole milk 1 L
- 2 cups heavy cream ½ L
- Kosher or sea salt to taste (I use 1 ½ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 60ml
Instructions
For Ricotta made with MILK ONLY:
- Heat the salt and milk to 185 F (It will start to look a little foamy on top.)
- Turn off the heat, and gently stir in the acid, just a time or two around the pan. Don’t over stir or it will break the curds. The curds should form almost immediately.
- Without stirring, let the curds rest, untouched for 20 minutes.
- During this time, keep the temperature at about 185 degrees It can go down to 175 F or up to 190 F, but try to keep it in that range. I just take a look at the thermometer every so often and turn on the heat for just a little while until it gets in that range.
- After the resting period, spoon out the curds and strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.
- Let drain until it reaches the desired consistency.
- For a creamy smooth ricotta, either whip by hand or process in a food processor for a few seconds.
- Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For Ricotta made with MILK AND CREAM (no thermometer):
- Bring milk, cream, and salt just up to a boil (not a full boil, more of a simmer).
- Turn off the heat and gently stir in the lemon juice, just a time or two around the pan. The curds should form pretty quickly. After they start forming, don’t stir, it may break apart the delicate curds.
- Let the curds rest for about 20 minutes, then strain the curds through a large cheesecloth lined strainer.
- Let drain until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- If the whey looks too milky, add a little more acid to help the formation of the curd.
- Ricotta made with milk only results in about 1 ½ cups. Made with milk and cream it results in about 2 cups.
- Nutrition information reflects ricotta made with milk
Nutrition
Enjoy, friends!
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Seana Anderson says
I get a lot of 2% milk with my senior meals that I don't drink. I found your recipe and made the milk and cream version of ricotta. I eat it with ripe peaches in season for breakfast every day with a drizzle of honey while organic peaches are available. It is the best!
I use 8 cups of 2% milk, 2 cups of heavy cream, 1-1/2 tsp salt and 1 cup of vinegar/fresh lemon juice. It took me a while to experiment, but this is the best tasting for me.
Thank you.
Kelly says
So happy you liked it, Seana, and thanks so much for your proportions!
Mary J Robbins says
If I wanted to make the milk and cream recipe, would it work if the cream is ultra pasteurized and the milk isn’t?
Kelly says
Hi Mary, Yes, I make it that way myself sometimes.
Cristy Batula says
Hello made homemade ricotta today. But it took mo 10 hours to drain it. And the lemon flavor it too strong and i could still taste the sourness of the lemon. Is this ok?
Kelly says
Hi Cristy, It can take a while to drain, depending on the width and depth of the strainer. I haven't gotten a strong lemon flavor when I've made it. You could try to reduce the amount of lemon next time and add more if you see the curds aren't forming and the water is still milky.
Melodee says
I think I did exactly what the recipe said for the milk only one. I used raw milk and 3T fresh lemon juice and kept it at 185 but no curds formed. I added 2 or 3 more tablespoons of lemon juice and waited another 20 minutes. They finally started to form, but is it normal to have to use twice as much acid?
Kelly says
Hi Melodee, Yes it is normal to sometimes need more acid for the curds to form. The results with lemon juice can vary depending on the acidity of the lemon. Don’t hesitate to add additional lemon juice if this happens.
Jenn says
I haven't made the lemon juice version yet, but LOVE the milk only and vinegar. I am making baked ricotta with garlic and herbs for Christmas.
Kelly says
So happy you liked it, Jenn! Baked ricotta sounds wonderful! Thanks so much!
Viviane Lopes says
How do I calculate the nutritional information when making this recipe (macros)? Most of they whey is not used, how does that work?
Kelly says
Hi Viviane! I guess you could determine the nutritional information for the whey per cup, then measure to find out how much whey you have, then subtract that from the nutritional information of the original ingredients. I found this from Livestrong: https://www.livestrong.com/article/425693-the-nutrition-in-liquid-whey/. Hope it helps!
TAYLOR CRANE says
Great recipe! I used 2% milk and halved the recipe (just needed enough for two/1 pizza) and it was delicious!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Taylor! So happy you liked it! It's wonderful on pizza!
marie johson says
OMG Homemade ricotta cheese requires just a few ingredients, and the result is lighter <3 thanks for sharing
marie johson says
A less ingredient recipe with a creamy taste. So easy and delicious <3 Loved it.
David Scott Allen says
Kelly, you have me convinced that I need to try making homemade ricotta again. My first two attempts were terrible… I don’t know what I did wrong - everybody said it’s so easy.
Kelly says
Both of these versions come out really good. The one with cream is more hands-off and is so creamy and rich. The one with milk is closer to a true ricotta. One thing I did find was that if you put the milk only ricotta in the food processor for a few seconds after it's done draining, the texture greatly improves and becomes smooth and creamy. Thanks so much, David!
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
I have never made my own ricotta. It's something I would love to try. This is such a great how-to post. Bookmarking for future reference!
Kelly says
I never have it on hand when I need it so I learned how to make it myself. To my surprise, it's so much better homemade! Thanks so much, Thao!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Terrific post! SO much detail -- really appreciated. I've made ricotta, but it's been years. You're right -- there's no comparing the flavor between homemade and the commercial stuff. This is a wonderful primer and reference -- thanks.
Kelly says
It's really so much better, isn't it?! Thanks so much, John!
marcie says
Kelly, this post is so thorough, and I have the biggest craving for ricotta right now! Your photos are beautiful, and there's nothing like homemade ricotta!
Kelly says
It's so good! Thanks so much, Marcie!
Laura says
Kelly, I’ve made homemade ricotta once or twice, but Ive never made the cream version - it looks and sounds so delicious! Thanks for all of the detail, too. I’d no idea how the product varies with different acids, etc! Great Post, can’t wait to try this again!
Kelly says
I hope it's helpful! Thanks so much, Laura!
Balvinder says
I use ricotta in so many recipes and this has been on my list to try for SO long! I love how easy you make it!
Kelly says
It's super easy! Thanks so much, Balvinder!