If you’ve never tasted homemade ricotta, you absolutely need to make this recipe. I promise that once you do, it will be hard to go back to the store-bought version.
With just a few ingredients that most people already have at home and a few minutes of cooking, you’ll end up with a rich, creamy ricotta that’s incredibly satisfying.
One important note: you’ll need a piece of cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel for straining.
Homemade Ricotta – there is nothing better, truly.
Have you checked out my TikTok page yet? Come on over, it’s delicious!
The whey left over from making the cheese is wonderful for baking bread, challah, rolls, and other baked goods.
For about 10½ ounces (300 grams) ricotta:
1 quart (1 liter) whole milk or 2% milk
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and salt. Heat over medium heat until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer. You're looking for the point just before a full boil, not vigorous bubbling.
- Add the vinegar or lemon juice and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking over low to medium heat until the curds separate from the whey. You'll see soft mounds of cheese forming on the surface that resemble cottage cheese. At this stage, avoid stirring. You can gently move the curds aside to check that the whey has separated, but don't mix everything together.
- Turn off the heat and let the mixture rest in the pot for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and line it with cheesecloth or a thin, kitchen towel. It’s important that it’s thin so the liquids can pass through.
- Carefully pour the curds and whey into the lined strainer. Let the liquid drain away. Empty the collected whey from the bowl occasionally so it doesn't touch the bottom of the cheesecloth.
- After about 1 hour, the ricotta is ready and deliciously soft. For a firmer ricotta, continue draining for several more hours, or transfer the entire setup to the refrigerator and let it drain overnight. The longer it drains, the firmer the ricotta will become.
- Transfer the finished ricotta to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Homemade Ricotta - the longer the cheese drains, the closer it is to cream cheese
Notes
- The ricotta is ready after about 1 hour of draining, but I recommend letting it drain for around 3 hours for a richer texture.
- If you add a second container of heavy cream and drain the mixture for 4 hours to overnight, you'll end up with an incredible homemade cream cheese-style spread.
- Don't worry about the vinegar or lemon juice—they won't leave a sour taste. Their purpose is simply to separate the curds from the whey.
- The leftover whey is perfect for baking. Store it in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and use it in place of water in bread, challah, pizza dough, or other baked goods.
- Once the ricotta is ready, try mixing in chopped chives, dill, garlic powder, or any seasoning blend you enjoy in cream cheese spreads. Almost anything works beautifully.
