Homemade Ricotta Cheese | Done in under 30 minutes

Let’s cut right to the chase. This technically isn’t a traditional ricotta cheese recipe, but what it IS is the easiest (and best) homemade ricotta cheese recipe out there. Women of cheese everywhere will agree.

This ricotta recipe takes under 30 minutes, and it only takes three ingredients. Plus if you do this for a party, your guests will be super impressed. It’s a win all around.

This is the kickoff to my Progressive Dinner Series, where I’m making one component of a dinner party every day, so by the end of the week you’ll be ready to make the whole meal! I’m super excited about it, but that’s also why I’m starting with the easiest (but most important) part of a party – the cheese.

What is ricotta cheese?

Now let’s talk about why this isn’t ricotta cheese, but why it also IS. (confusing, I know).

Ricotta cheese is traditionally made from leftover whey from cheesemaking or drained from yogurt. That whey is then recombined with milk to begin the process for ricotta. So the word ricotta literally means “re-cooked.” Which is kind of cool in and of itself.

But you can still get the creamy, soft, spreadable texture of ricotta without using whey. It’s not the traditional way, but it takes half the time and half the supplies. And that’s why it’s my favorite! Plus that’s why I’m sharing it with you 🙂

So now that we have the background, let’s get to what you’ll need.

Ingredients for this ricotta cheese recipe

• 1/2 gallon whole milk – pasteurized is fine, but make sure it is not “ultra pasteurized”
• 1 tsp citric acid – you can find this on amazon or in some specialty grocers, lemon juice will also work, but you’ll need about 1 tbsp!
• 1 tsp kosher salt

As you can see, the ingredients list is super simple. I know citric acid is bit hard to find, but lemon juice can also work in its place. I just prefer citric acid for the more consistent and quick results.

What supplies do you need for homemade ricotta cheese?

There are two main tools you need to make ricotta cheese:

• a cheese cloth
• a fine mesh strainer

The cheese cloth is imperative for straining the cheese. You can also use another fine fabric that you can strain things through.

The mesh strainer is equally important because it will hold the cheese cloth as you strain the ricotta. Ricotta takes a few minutes to fully drain out, so it’s imperative to have something that will hold the cheese cloth while the ricotta soaks. And that’s where the strainer comes in.

Both of these items are super easy to find, so I hope they aren’t too much of a roadblock in you achieving your best cheese dreams.

How to make homemade ricotta cheese

So you have what you need – let’s get to how to do it!

1. Pour the milk into a large pot and place the pot on medium heat.
2. Warm the milk on the stove until it is almost at a boil. Stir occasionally with a spatula to prevent the bottom from scorching. Use a food thermometer to measure the temperature, and take the pot off the heat when the milk is between 185F-195F degrees.
3. Once the milk is at temperature, remove the thermometer and remove the pot from the heat. Add 1 tsp of citric acid and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir it in. You’ll immediately see the milk begin to separate into curds and whey.
4. Let the milk sit and separate for about 15 minutes.
5. Place the cheese cloth on top of a strainer placed in a large bowl, and pour the milk mixture into the cheese cloth. They whey (the liquid) will drain out of the strainer, but let the curds (the cheese part) sit in the strainer for 5 minutes to continue draining. You want it to mostly drain, but still retain some moisture. Stir in the 1 tsp of salt.
6. After the time is up, gently squeeze any excess liquid out of the cheese cloth.

https://youtu.be/omFPclAIzyI

And that’s it for this cheese recipe! If you make your own cheese at home, I’d love to hear about your results! Please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram because I always love to see, I’m highly invested in what you all create (idk why but seeing story posts with recipes make my DAY).

And it would mean the world to me if you left a rating below, it helps more than you know! But in the meantime – enjoy the cheese bbs!