Homemade Ricotta Cheese
This homemade ricotta cheese recipe calls for nothing more than milk, buttermilk, salt, and 15 minutes. I promise it will be the best ricotta you’ve ever tasted…you might not ever buy supermarket ricotta again!
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why we love this recipe
Okay, the first thing I have to say is, hang in there with me for a few minutes. I know you are thinking, make your own homemade ricotta cheese? REALLY?
Here on this blog, where I have said about a million times, it’s all about getting in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes or less? Has she finally eaten one too many piece of bacon and gone off her rocker?
Hang in there with me while I promise you these three things:
1. If you can boil water, you can make your own ricotta cheese.
2. It will take you less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
3. It will taste so good, you will wonder why on earth it took you so long to figure out that you should have been making your own homemade ricotta cheese for the past hundred years.
Let’s do this thing!
ingredients you need
ingredient notes and substitutions
- Buttermilk: You can find buttermilk near the cream in the dairy section of your supermarket…make sure you give the bottle a good shake before you pour it out.
- Milk: You have to use whole milk to make this heavenly ricotta…no low-fat or skim, please!
- Salt: We love using fine sea salt for this recipe, which you can find in the spice aisle.
how to make this recipe
STEP 1: Get out your handy strainer and put it in your sink. Line it with a little cheesecloth, which you can find in your supermarket, sometimes with the baking stuff and sometimes with the laundry stuff, for mysterious reasons. I usually fold it into a square that has about 3-4 layers until it looks like this. This will take you two minutes.
STEP 2: Now take a nice heavy saucepan and pour in 4 cups of whole milk and one cup of buttermilk.
PRO TIP: If you have any heavy cream hanging around, you can add this to the buttermilk and milk mixture – any amount up to 1/4 cup – and your ricotta will be extra super duper rich. Sometimes I do this and sometimes I don’t.
STEP 3: Set it on the stove and put the heat on to medium high and bring it to a boil.
In the early going, you may want to clip a candy thermometer on to the pot so you can watch the temperature, because when the temperature gets to about 185 degrees, the curds (the solid part) will have separated from the whey (the liquid part), and it’s time to strain it.
If you don’t have a thermometer don’t fret, because you can pretty much see it happening.
The milk mixture will boil, and it will gradually curdle and separate into the solids and the watery looking liquid. This will take about 10 minutes…sometimes less.
STEP 4: When the liquid starts to look like clearish milky yellow and you see lots of curds, take the pot off the burner and reach for your handy slotted spoon, and start scooping out the solids, letting the liquid drain off. Drop the spoonfuls of solids into your strainer.
STEP 5: I like to sprinkle a little sea salt onto the cheese every couple of spoonfuls or so. Once you are done, let it drain for about 2 minutes (if you like your ricotta moist) or 5 minutes (if you like it drier).
You can leave it right in the strainer, or you can be like I was when I first made it and hang it dramatically from your kitchen faucet.
STEP 6 (my favorite step): Taste it after a few minutes…if it’s gotten too dry just stir in a tablespoon or two of milk, and if it’s too moist for you, let it keep draining.
Fifteen minutes have now passed, and you have made your own homemade ricotta cheese. 🥳
recipe FAQ
Buttermilk is a low-fat dairy product that is high in protein. It has a slightly sour taste and a thick, creamy texture.
So many things! We love making steak marinated in buttermilk (super tender), buttermilk fried chicken tenders and of course, buttermilk pancakes!
Most supermarkets carry in either the laundry aisle, the baking aisle or both.
Pop your question the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
Recipes that are perfect for fresh ricotta
There are SO many, but I’m going to control myself and just tell you about my top three faves!
Number one on the list is scrambled eggs with ricotta. It’s comfort food on top of comfort food. And a close second is the recipe I make on repeat all summer…Summer Lasagna, full of fresh summer veggies and, yep, ricotta!
I’m also in love with this peach ricotta crostini, which is the perfect blend of a sweet and salty nibble.
And honey cheese pizza! Dolloped with this ricotta. THE BEST.
other homemade staple recipes we love
could you leave us some stars?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section. Your thoughts and advice will help both us and your fellow readers. 🥰
Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe
This homemade ricotta cheese recipe calls for nothing more than milk, buttermilk, salt and 15 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Staples
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- One cup buttermilk
- Sea salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- Line a fine mesh strainer with several folds of cheesecloth and set it in your sink.
- Combine milk, buttermilk and (if you are using it) cream in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil until cooking thermometer registers 185 degrees (if you don’t have a thermometer, keep an eye on it to see when the curds (the solid white parts) are mostly separated from the whey (the cloudy liquid). This will take about 10 minutes – stir a couple of times during the boiling process.
- Remove from heat and using a slotted spot, scoop spoonfuls of the curd into the cheesecloth-lined strainer, sprinkling with a little salt every few spoonfuls or so.
- Let the ricotta drain for about 5 minutes and then taste to check the consistency. If you like it drier, then let it drain a little more. If you like it moister, stir in a tablespoon or two of milk. This ricotta is best used right away, but will keep for a day or two in the fridge.
Notes
- Buttermilk: You can find buttermilk near the cream in the dairy section of your supermarket…make sure you give the bottle a good shake before you pour it out.
- Milk: You have to use whole milk to make this heavenly ricotta…no low-fat or skim, please!
- Salt: We love using fine sea salt for this recipe, which you can find in the spice aisle.
You are hilarious. Thank you, I’m trying this and I’m also going to stalk you site for more hilarious posts about recipes under 30 minutes (a mantra I full-heartedly agree with).
Also, I googled “fell swoop”: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/at-one-fell-swoop.html
“Shakespeare either coined the phrase, or gave it circulation, in Macbeth, 1605:
MACDUFF: [on hearing that his family and servants have all been killed]
All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?
The kite referred to is a hunting bird, like the Red Kite, which was common in England in Tudor times and is now making a welcome return after near extinction in the 20th century. The swoop (or stoop as is sometimes now said) is the rapid descent made by the bird when capturing prey.
Shakespeare used the imagery of a hunting bird’s ‘fell swoop’ to indicate the ruthless and deadly attack by Macbeth’s agents.
In the intervening years we have rather lost the original meaning and use it now to convey suddenness rather than savagery.”
I love etymology and the origin of words and phrases. That reminds me of an awesome site: http://www.mysteriesofvernacular.com/#
Amazing.
Ok, I think I’m done writing… thank you again.
Wow! I am so glad you found me, not only for your sweet words but also for the great info and I am DEFINITELY checking out the vernacular site! :)
Hi everyone,
I make this all the time, but I make it with lactose free milk and do not add any cream or buttermilk. I just add some lemon juice or vinegar till the milk curdles and strain it, et viola!! :-)
Thanks for the alternate version, Altoosa – so many variations on this great recipe! :)
i was wondering if powdered buttermilk would work as well as fresh buttermilk? thanks!
I’ve never tried it that way so I’m not sure – any readers out there, do you know the answer?
This sounds absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe.. Think I may have to put it to use tomorrow :)
I hope you do – happy ricotta-making!
An aussie explanation of one fell swoop. In Aus. it is one fowl swoop, a reference to how a chook, i.e.fowl pounces on its prey. FYI. Cheers.
Love it – thanks Steve! :)
Meant to add to “pounces on its prey” ; and consumes in one action… Sort of in one go or one hit. Seems like the same way you love your ricotta.. Dont blame you here, I am a recent convert to it. For health reasons. Cheers again..
:)
Hi, I just found your blog through Pinterest and am super excited to try this Ricotta! I live in an area where the only ricotta is the mass produced kind at the market. It doesn’t make great cannolli filling. I’m hoping this works well for that! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you found me! I’ve never made cannoli filling so I am eager to hear how yours turns out with this ricotta! :)
I made this tonight for our Baked Ziti. It tasted so much better than the store bought stuff thanks for sharing the recipe!
You are so welcome – isn’t it the best?? :)
Also, don’t waste the whey!!! You can use that to cook with. I make my own bread and use that instead of water…. gives a really nice flavor to the bread.
Totally going to try this recipe! Much easier than the others I have found. Thanks!!
You are so welcome! And the whey is also great in pancakes, I have found. :)
I’m doing the Low Carb Way Of Eating and wonder what the carb count is for this version.
Hi Lee – I’m not familiar with that program so I’m sorry I can’t tell you – maybe one of my readers knows and will tell us?
I am so thankful someone pinned this! My family LOVES, LOVES, LOVES lasagna but I can’t afford to make it all the time so this will definitely help defer the cost! Now, you don’t happen to have an easy recipe to make your own mozzarella? Thanks!
So funny you should ask that! I’ve been experimenting with mozzarella but it is MUCH more complicated. That being said, when it works (and I have had some triumphs and some disasters) it is scrumptious. So far I have been following this recipe from The Kitchn = it’s worked the best for me. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-mozzarella-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-174355
Amazing! I never knew it was THIS easy to make ricotta…. Running out now for the milk..
I know, right?? It’s hard to go back to store-bought…not that you have to any more!
What a fabulous recipe. I love it!! I have added it to my Mouth Watering Mondays. Come on over to see it at http://www.noshingwiththenolands.com Cheers, Tara
Thanks Tara – I will definitely pay your site a visit! :)
What do you do with the leftover liquid?
You can substitute it for the regular liquid you use to make pancakes – it’s amazing!
I used to make ricotta when I worked in a restaurant. we used maybe just under 1/4 cup of vinegar in addition…. it helps increase the yield and speeds up the curds forming. Also, if you can find animal or veggie renet, a few drops will do a whole world of good!
Will have to try these tips – thanks!
Yes, ridiculously easy and incredibly tasty…I totally just want to eat it with a fork, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way about ricotta before…so if I want to make a bigger batch..you know, enough for lasagna and such, keep the ratios the same?
Yes, definitely – I’ve done that in the past. Just make sure you are using a good-sized pot so it doesn’t boil over. (And I’ve been there, fork-wise. :) )