Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
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Indulgently creamy and rich, this homemade ricotta is the perfect spread and filling for your favorite baguettes and pasta. Made with only 4 ingredients in 30 minutes, you’re never going back to store-bought again!

Fresh Ricotta Recipe

Served with toasted baguettes or pita chips for crunch, this homemade ricotta is a creamy cloud of Italian goodness. With only 4 ingredients and still way better than store-bought, you’ll wonder why you never tried making your own before.

Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s a seriously easy recipe where not many things can go wrong as long as you don’t over-stir the mixture. Aside from that, maybe the hardest part about making this ricotta is actually waiting for it to drain without digging your spoon right in.

Naturally rich and sweet from lots of whole milk and heavy cream, it’s perfect for adding to creamy sauces and filling pasta. You’ll say “ciao, ricotta!” every time it hits the table or at least lick the bowl clean.

Is It Worth It To Make Your Own Ricotta Cheese?

Absolutely! It’s much richer, higher quality, and way creamier than anything you can find at the store. Besides, there’s nothing like homemade, right? Give it a go! You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make this specialty Italian cheese.

Ingredients for homemade ricotta.

What You’ll Need

You only need 4 simple ingredients to make the best homemade ricotta you’ve ever tried. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.

  • Whole milk – Don’t use low-fat milk or any plant-based ones.
  • Heavy cream – There is no substitute for this.
  • Salt 
  • Lemon juice – You can use white vinegar instead.
  • Cheesecloth – A lot of times you can substitute cheese cloth for tea towels, but when making something like this ricotta cheese, I highly recommend using real cheese cloth.
Close-up of homemade ricotta.

How to Make Ricotta Cheese

Making homemade ricotta is so much easier than it seems.

  • Heat the milk. Place the milk and heavy cream in a large pan and heat it until it just starts to boil. Stir occasionally and do not let it scorch. Don’t let a film form on top either.
  • Add the lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt and lemon juice. Stir well, place the lid on the pan, then let sit without disturbing for 30 minutes. Don’t skip this step, otherwise, the cheese curds won’t have enough time to form.
  • Drain it. Double or triple the cheesecloth and place in a colander. Pour the cheese into the cheesecloth and allow it to drain.
  • Store it. Once drained, remove from the cheesecloth and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tips for Success

With these tips, you’ll have no trouble making the best homemade ricotta possible.

  • Make it thicker. Let the cheese drain for longer if you want it to have a thicker consistency.
  • Add herbs. Adding 1/4 cup of finely chopped herbs like basil or rosemary will give your ricotta a nice, herby touch.
  • Go non-stick. Using a non-stick pot for this recipe will remove so many obstacles. You get bonus points if you also use a silicone spatula for stirring.
Side photo of homemade ricotta with toasted baguette slices.

Why Is My Ricotta Cheese Rubbery?

Over-stirring the mixture after you add the lemon juice is the most common cause of rubbery ricotta. This is because the movement tightens and solidifies the cheese curds a lot quicker, resulting in larger, rubbery chunks.

Drizzling a baguette slice  topped with ricotta with olive oil.

Serving Suggestions

This homemade ricotta is great on its own with pita chips, garlic bread, toasted baguettes, or even my Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips.

You can also stir it into creamy sauces for extra richness. My Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese and Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo are great recipes to try this with.

Have a sweet tooth hankering? How about these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for an amazing weekend breakfast or my favorite easy Cannoli Cheesecake!

Finally, you can add it to pasta dishes like my Ravioli Lasagna. Of course, you can also use it as a filling for your favorite ravioli too!

Homemade ricotta with baguette slices.

How Long Will Fresh Ricotta Last?

Homemade ricotta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep it away from strong-smelling foods like onions or chilis to avoid the transfer of odors. Additionally, don’t store it in stainless steel bowls because it’ll absorb a slightly metallic taste.

More Easy Homemade Condiments and Sauce Recipes

Landscape photo of homemade ricotta.
5 from 2 votes
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Yield: 4 cups

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

This rich and creamy homemade ricotta will take your pasta-night to a new level! You won't believe how quick and easy it is. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ gallon 8 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup lemon juice
  • Cheese cloth

Instructions 

  • Place the milk and heavy cream in a large pan and heat it until it just starts to boil. Stir occasionally and do not let it scorch.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt and lemon juice. Stir well, place the lid on the pan, then let sit without disturbing for 30 minutes.
  • Double or triple the cheesecloth and place in a colander. Pour the cheese into the cheesecloth and allow to drain.
  • Once drained, remove from the cheesecloth and refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

Storage: Homemade ricotta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep it away from strong-smelling foods like onions or chilis to avoid the transfer of odors. Additionally, don't store it in stainless steel bowls because it'll absorb a slightly metallic taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 249kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 874mg, Sugar: 4g

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Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.