John Myers
Ricotta is a cream cheese that has a few things ahead of its competitors: not only is it delicious, but it’s also low in fat and high in healthy nutrients. Unlike other cream cheese products, ricotta is made from whey rather than milk. But we don’t always have ricotta in stock when we need it. We show you 11 alternatives as a ricotta substitute.
Ricotta for baking & cooking
Ricotta is a cream cheese from Italian cuisine. It is usually made from sheep’s and/or cow’s milk. You can use ricotta for both savory dishes and sweet dishes: it is a real all-rounder. It is often used in the kitchen as a filling for cannelloni or other dumplings, as a sauce, spread, or for salads. Since ricotta is only lightly salted, it is also used in baking. The cream cheese enhances desserts, tarts, and cakes and gives them a creamy aroma.
Tip: If the alternative is runnier than ricotta, consider adding more of a dry product, such as flour, to your recipe. If the opposite is the case, you will need to add more liquid to your dish.
If you don’t have ricotta on hand, there are a few alternatives that you can use as a substitute. However, with the following alternatives for ricotta, you should adjust the quantities in the recipe depending on the consistency of the substitute product.
Ricotta substitute made from milk
The close relatives of ricotta, which are very suitable as a substitute, are milk-based. In the further course, you will also come to the vegan alternatives for ricotta.
Creme fraiche Cheese
As an alternative to ricotta, crème fraîche is characterized by its similarly creamy consistency. However, the sour cream product has a very mild taste, which is why the entire dish should in principle be seasoned more. Crème fraîche also has a fat content of at least 30% and can contain up to 15% sugar. The rich alternative can withstand a lot of heat but should be balanced with dry ingredients when cooking or baking. Otherwise, the dish with crème fraîche may become too runny.
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is one of the cream cheese varieties and is also referred to as granular cream cheese. Its taste is similar to that of ricotta. The replacement is also similar to the original when it comes to cooking behavior. However, cottage cheese is runnier and grainier, so it should be properly squeezed before processing as a ricotta substitute. This alternative shines with its lower purchase price and lower fat and calorie content.
Cream cheese
It is of course also possible to replace ricotta with cream cheese. Depending on the dish, however, you should be aware of which type of cream cheese goes well with your recipe. We recommend using classic double cream cheese for sweet dishes. For savory dishes, you can use individual varieties, such as curry cream cheese for your Indian chickpea curry. Cream cheese is also offered in different fat levels, so you are spoiled for choice here. When using it as a ricotta substitute, you should be aware of the high water content. You have to adapt your dry ingredients in the recipe as well as spices and herbs to this.
Indian panir cheese
The Indian Panir cheese is a good alternative to ricotta in terms of taste and texture. It’s flavorful and you can make it yourself. Indian cream cheese made from cow’s milk can only rarely be found in brick-and-mortar stores. You only need the following ingredients to make your own:
- whole milk
- juice of a lemon
Curd the milk with the juice over heat. Squeeze out the liquid using a cheesecloth and wrap the resulting cheese tightly and allow it to drain for a few hours.
Tip: You can make the panir even more aromatic by adding herbs and spices to the milk.
Mascarpone
Mascarpone is great for cooking as an alternative to ricotta. Because it is characterized by its similarly thick consistency. This also gives the double-cream cream cheese its particularly aromatic taste. However, with a fat content of 80%, mascarpone is very rich, which is reflected in the calorie balance. If you want to use this ricotta substitute for baking, keep that in mind.
Note: Mascarpone makes the dough much moister during baking and may not rise properly as a result.
Quark
When baking, we recommend quark as a substitute for ricotta. It is one of the cream cheese varieties and is available in various fat levels. If you drain the quark in a cloth, it will get a consistency similar to ricotta. Quark also has similar properties, such as its versatile use for sweet and savory dishes. When baking, you can portion the quark just like ricotta.
Sour cream
Like crème fraîche, sour cream is a sour cream product and is also known as sour cream. This ricotta alternative has a very mild taste and should preferably be used for cold dishes because it flakes quickly when it is hot. If you use this substitute, you should season your dish more intensely and adjust the dry ingredients to the liquid sour cream. This will give you the best consistency in your dish.
Note: With 10% fat content, sour cream is less rich than crème fraîche.
Sour cream
Schmand is the spoonable version of sour cream. Its fat content is very high at 24 to 40%. Its taste, on the other hand, is rather mild and slightly acidic. Its creamy consistency makes it a good alternative to ricotta. However, it should only be added to hot dishes at the end. Because sour cream tends to curdle when heated. In the cold kitchen, it can be prepared in a similar way to ricotta. It can also be used for baking, for example as a sour cream cake.
Vegan ricotta substitute
Of course, there are also some alternatives that do not contain any animal products at all. These usually have to be produced with little effort.
Silken tofu
The versatile tofu also helps us as a ricotta alternative. It’s even vegan and lactose-free. The consistency is similar to that of cream cheese and you can use the quantities 1:1.
You can quickly make ricotta cream from the soy product. You need these ingredients for this:
- juice of a lemon
- olive oil
- yeast flakes
- possibly: herbs
All you have to do is chop or lightly puree the tofu and mix it with all the ingredients. Your ricotta alternative is ready.
Cashew nuts as a ricotta alternative
You can also make a delicious ricotta substitute from cashew nuts. For this, you have to soak the cashew nuts in water for at least 4 hours. Pureed and mixed with water, cashew milk or cashew cream is created. For the further processing of the ricotta you now need the juice of a lemon, salt, pepper, and spices as you like – just mix everything and you have a delicious cream. This vegan alternative is also gluten and soy free. We recommend them, especially for savory dishes.
Tip: When buying cashew nuts, look for an organic or fair trade certificate in order to use sustainable and fair trade products.
Almond Ricotta
Ricotta triggers intolerance symptoms in some people. Usually, it is then due to the cow’s milk it contains. Others do without animal products entirely and live vegan. These people do not have to do without ricotta. It’s easy to make homemade almond ricotta. It is both sugar and gluten-free as well as plant-based and low in fructose. You only need the following ingredients:
- almonds
- Salt
- rice oil or olive oil
- lemon juice
- herbs and spices
Soak the almonds in water overnight. Puree with water, salt, and oil and drain in a linen towel. Squeeze the liquid out of the solid almond mixture.
You now have to chill your finished almond ricotta for 2 hours in the fridge, after which it is ready to eat.
Note: You can only store almond ricotta in the fridge for a few days, after that you should not eat it.
Make ricotta yourself
Forgot to buy ricotta but don’t want to go without it? Then just do it yourself. You only need these ingredients for this:
- whole milk
- cream
- juice of a lemon
- Salt
You even have the opportunity to freely choose the type of milk as well as the herbs and spices. The preparation is not complicated and does not require large equipment: Simply mix milk, cream, and lemon juice under heat and stir until the mixture curdles. Then mix the resulting cheese curd with a little salt and wrap it in a cheesecloth and let it drip off. The longer it drains, the firmer it becomes. You can also freeze the finished product and use it later.
Tip: Do not throw away the drained whey. Because you can drink them pure or use them for other recipes or smoothies.
