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
- 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.
Kim - Liv Life says
Just saw this recipe on pinterest and I’m SO trying it!!! How many times have I needed ricotta and not planned ahead? These ingredients are usually in my fridge, and I will be set. Thank you!!
Blewits says
Best. Thread. Ever!
I made it but used a food network recipe using only whole milk, heavy cream and 3 TB of vinegar. I think this does basically the same thing as the buttermilk and I didn’t have any on hand.
I almost embarrassed myself standing over the kitchen sink with it. I could NOT STOP EATING IT! This stuff is DIVINE!
I am going to serve it next week as a spread for toasted garlic french bread. Just serve it in a bowl and drizzle it with a really good olive oil. To die for!
Thanks for the idea of using the whey in pancake batter. I’m using mine tonight in a potato soup recipe.
A poster above said she yielded about 2 lbs. of it and she left hers sitting on the counter for a few hours afterwards (I strained mine immediately). I wonder if this would increase my yield. Have you tried letting it sit after? Just wondering.
This is one of those things I could eat until I made myself sick. ;)
Kate says
I know, I LOVE this thread – I keep learning things! As for letting it sit, I find that if it sits more than 5 minutes it gets too dry for my taste. I don’t think it would increase the volume, but since I’ve always eaten or used it within 5 minutes I’m not totally sure, so if you try it, let me know? Ricotta for everyone!!!
Susan says
Thank you for sharing this recipe for Ricotta, I love it so much but can’t get fresh Ricotta very often, so this will be delightful. My daughter owns 3 cafe’s who knows if it comes out OK She can fill some cannoli shells with it, bet it would be a great hit. I am so excited to try this.
Kate says
I bet it would be a bestseller! Hope you (and she) love it!
Monica says
Hi Kate,
I absolutely loved your website and your pics. Thanks for making ricotta look so easy. I will, with much trepidation, give it a try. :)
I am so glad I chanced upon it!
Cheers,
Monica
Kate says
Thanks Monica! And don’t be afraid – wait until you see how easy it is! :)
Anthony says
Kate, call me frugal..but making your own ricotta is really more expensive than just buying a ready made one in the supermarket. One would have to have to buy at least a half gallon of milk, and the highly priced buttermilk and heavy cream just to make one batch as you show here. ..aside from the fact that ricotta is not very good to ‘save’ left overs in Fridge for another day or so.
Anthony, you are absolutely right that this is not the way to go if you are looking to save money – but the taste is so much better and fresher than the supermarket variety that it’s worth it to me! As for saving it, we rarely have any leftover, but if you do, you can stir a little milk or cream into it to make it creamier after it has gotten cold. Hope this helps! :)
Abdulrahman says
First of all thank you Kate for the post. I was wondering who took the great photo , it’s a pro photos really.
Kate says
My pleasure, and I took the picture – thanks for your nice words about it!
fido says
Hi,
Did anyone have any success with a truly low fat version. For example, omitting the cream entirely and using 1% milk and fat free or low fat buttermilk. Does it work or is the fat in the full fat milk doing something to the ricotta? Thanksk for the help!
Kate says
I’ve never tried with anything other than whole milk – let’s see if others have?
kwajman04 says
here is what i found on ” Fell Swoop” http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-fel1.htm (” The phrase is one of those fixed expressions that we hardly think about most of the time. It means all at once, suddenly. It’s been around in the language for at least 400 years. Shakespeare is first recorded as using it, in Macbeth: when Macduff hears that his family has been murdered, he says in disbelief:
All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?”)
Kate says
Thank you! I’ve learned so much about this expression now! :)
Rebecca says
Second time making this….Delicious. Sooo easy…won’t be sorry. Thank you
Kate says
The second time of many more to come, I hope! Enjoy!
Raksha says
hi,
Absolutely fantastic post.
Will surely prepare Ricotta like this.
Regards,
Raksha
Kate says
I’m so glad – I’m sure you will love it!
AnnaB. says
This looks fantastic! LOVE LOVE LOVE Ricotta. I was wondering what the best way to store this would be, and how long it keeps?
Kate says
Well, the only thing about fresh ricotta is that it really wants to be used right away. :) If you need to hold it for a few hours, just pop it in the fridge and when it comes time to use it, stir a little bit of warm milk into it to loosen it up a bit.
siqiniq says
Don’t throw away the whey- save it and use it when you’re making soup. It’s full of vitamins.
Kate says
I’ve never thought of using it in soup – will try!
monika says
Thank you for this awesome, easy recipe! I made it from fresh, raw milk so I didn’t add any cream, it was amazing and I made veggie lasagne with my first batch. I make my own quark cheese and yogurt as well and I use the whey for smoothies.
Kate says
You are so welcome – I’ve never made it with raw milk but I am dying to try it that way!
LB says
Made this today and guess it was a bit lower in fat because I only had 1% milk. I used 3 cups of that, 1 cup low fat buttermilk, and increased heavy cream to one cup. I had to boil for a long time, but eventually it began to thicken. I judged when to stop by how well it stuck to sides of pot and wooden spoon. It was not lumpy, but more like a thin cream of wheat consistency. I added salt to taste, then in a cheesecloth lined strainer over a pot, I poured it and stirred gently with rubber spatula occasionally while getting other ingredients ready for white pizza. It turned out wonderfully creamy and absolutely delicious! Better in taste and consistency than any I have bought in a store! I spread some on pizza crust, then added other good stuff, and it was the best!!!! Thanks so much for this recipe. I will definitely try with whole milk, but really loved this version also!
Kate says
Thanks LB – I’ve never made it with 1% milk so I appreciate you testing it out for us! :)
Theresa Murphy says
Love homemade ricotta! Or mystery CHEESE, as the last poster pointed out. It looks like ricotta to me, so that is what I am going to call it. I do mine just a bit differently; heat a gallon of whole milk and 2 cups of heavy cream to just 185 degrees then stir in 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. This rests on the counter for 2 hours, covered with a dish towel, and then I drain it into the cheesecloth. Delicious and makes about 2 pounds, give or take, of creamy cheese. Much cheaper than a 15 oz container of brand name ricotta at our grocery store. No fresh stuff available for sale in these parts, so the homemade is a fabulous option. Keep up the good work, Kate!
Theresa Murphy says
A correction to the amount of vinegar; should be 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons vinegar and not the 1/2. Sorry, the memory just ain’t what it used to be!
Kate says
Thanks Theresa! And I’m definitely going to try your version – always good to have another excuse to make whatever this is called! :)
gianfranco says
oh well done everyone, except that no one has actually made ricotta.
etymologically speaking ‘ricotta’ means re-cooked, and with good reason. When you make cheese, you curdle the casein. This is then recovered and either consumed fresh, cured in salt, or heated again to make stingy cheese. And that’s the crux: casein makes cheese, which is precisely what everyone has done here.
after you strain the casein, you’re left with the whey. this fraction still contains some protein, more specifically albumin and globulin. These can be recovered by re-heating (or re-cooking) the whey. At elevated temperatures the albumin and globulin are denatured and flocculate. Recover this protein fraction and strain it.
NOW you’ve made Ricotta. The other thing you made was just cheese.
Kate says
Well, whatever it is, it tastes good! :) Thanks for all this info.