How to Make Ricotta Cheese

Learn How to Make Ricotta Cheese at home. It’s quick and easy: all you need is milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Above also, it’s rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious.

Technically, authentic ricotta cheese is made from cooked whey, which is a by-product of the cheesemaking process. However, this is a recipe for an easy milk-based ricotta, which is more like a fresh farmer’s cheese.

Homemade ricotta cheese has a wonderful flavor and works perfectly well in all sweet desserts and savory recipes. Filled pasta such as manicotti, ravioli, and lasagna taste even better with homemade ricotta. Fresh lemon ricotta pancakes make the best breakfast ever.

Or, try a dollop of ricotta on spaghetti and other simple pasta dishes, on soup, or even spoon it on toast. You can even use ricotta in place of heavy cream in some recipes. And ricotta cheesecake is as good as it sounds!

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Milk: Use pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized / UHT) whole milk. You can use milk from cows, sheep, or goats. And if you like buffalo mozzarella, you will love ricotta made from the milk of water buffalo.
• Lemon juice: Use regular lemons (do not substitute Meyer lemons; they don’t have enough acid to curdle the milk). Some cooks prefer citric acid as it curdles the milk without adding the taste of lemon.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Line a colander or fine-mesh strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth and set in the sink. In a liquid measuring cup, combine fresh lemon juice and vinegar.

2. In a Dutch oven or large pan over medium heat, heat milk and salt to 185 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (do not boil). Stir frequently with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching.

3. Remove pot from heat and gently stir in lemon juice and vinegar until the mixture curdles, about 15 seconds. 

4. Let rest, without stirring, until the mixture fully separates into solid curds and translucent whey, 5 to 10 minutes. If curds do not fully separate the whey looks milky, stir in 1 tablespoon of vinegar and let sit 2 to 3 minutes longer. Repeat this process until curds separate.

5. Gently pour mixture into prepared colander. Let rest, without moving, until whey has drained from edges of cheese but the center is still very moist, about 8 minutes. For a drier texture, let it drain even longer.

6. Gently transfer cheese to large bowl, keeping as much whey in center of cheese as possible. Stir well to break up large curds and incorporate whey. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours, or up to 5 days. Stir ricotta before using.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 2 pounds (4 cups) of ricotta cheese, or 32 (1-ounce) servings (2 tablespoons each).
• Storage: Store ricotta covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Leftover whey: Add it to smoothies for a protein boost or use it in place of water when making bread and pizza dough (it feeds the yeast).
• Simple spread: Drizzle some fresh ricotta cheese with honey, then sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Serve with toasted baguette slices.
• Salt: Substitute 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt for the table salt.

Put your ricotta to work

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How to Make Ricotta Cheese

By Meggan Hill

Learn how to make ricotta cheese at home. It's quick and easy: all you need is milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Cooling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 32 servings (2 tbsp each)

Course Pantry

Cuisine American

Calories 73

4.93 from 40 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 1/3 cup lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
• ▢ 1/4 cup white vinegar plus more as needed
• ▢ 1 gallon pasteurized whole milk (not ultrapasteurized or UHT)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Salt

Instructions 

• Line a colander with a triple layer of cheesecloth and set in sink. In a liquid measuring cup, combine lemon juice and vinegar.
• In a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat milk and salt to 185 degrees. Stir frequently with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching.
• Remove pot from heat and gently stir in lemon juice and vinegar until the mixture curdles, about 15 seconds. 
• Let rest, without stirring, until the mixture fully separates into solid curds and translucent whey, 5 to 10 minutes.
  
• If curds do not fully separate the whey looks milky, stir in 1 tablespoon of vinegar and let sit 2 to 3 minutes longer. Repeat this process until curds separate.
• Gently pour prepared mixture into prepared colander. Let rest, without moving, until whey has drained from edges of cheese but center is still very moist, about 8 minutes. 
• Gently transfer cheese to large bowl, keeping as much whey in center of cheese as possible. Stir well to break up large curds and incorporate whey. 
• Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours, or up to 5 days. Stir ricotta before using.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Milk: Use pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized / UHT) whole milk.
2. Lemon juice: Use regular lemons (not Meyer lemons; they don’t have enough acid to curdle the milk).
3. Yield: This recipe makes 2 pounds (4 cups) of ricotta cheese, or 32 (1-ounce) servings (2 tablespoons each).
4. Storage: Store ricotta covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
5. Leftover whey: Add it to smoothies for a protein boost or use it in place of water when making bread and pizza dough (it feeds the yeast).
6. Simple spread: Drizzle some fresh ricotta cheese with honey, then sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp (1 oz)Calories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 196mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 192IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 1mg

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Meggan Hill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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