I’d been hearing for awhile that homemade ricotta cheese is pretty simple to make. Let me be the first to confirm the rumors. It is indeed easy to make, provided you have cheesecloth on hand (which I do & so should you, my dears).
The ingredients are so basic, the preparation so simple, why would you buy store-bought ricotta ever again?
This recipe yields one cup of ricotta, which is enough for a whole lotta things. For the skillet pizza above, you can find the pizza crust recipe for the skillet pizza above here and the homemade pizza sauce here. And of course, all of these recipes are in Eat Happy (you should buy it, if I do say so myself).
Want more Eat Happy inspiration? Make sure you sign up for the 31 Days of Meals plan and free recipe sampler here!
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Juice of 1 small/medium lemon (about a tablespoon and a half)
Instructions
- Bring milk, cream & salt to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon so it doesn't get too filmy along the sides of the pot.
- When at a boil, add the lemon juice, turn heat down to a simmer, and stir constantly. Mixture will begin to curd after 3-4 minutes. The curds will look quite tiny and then clump only slightly more.
- Pour the curd mixture into a large bowl through a cheesecloth laid in a strainer. The liquid will drain through and the ricotta will form out of the remaining curds.
- Only strain the cheese curd mixture for 5-10 minutes to avoid the ricotta getting too dry. Cool off ricotta in the fridge until you are ready to eat it.
Hey Anna!!! Where does one get a cheese cloth?? I really want to make this!!! Love your blog and just posted a like of my FB account!
Hey Anna! Great blog! Where does one buy a cheese cloth?
Hey Anna!!! Where does one get a cheese cloth?? I really want to make this!!! Love your blog and just posted a like of my FB account!
Hey Kelly! So glad you could stop by!<br /><br />I get cheesecloth at Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel or sometimes they have it at the regular grocery story in the baking aisle. If not, order it at amazon.<br /><br />I will post salad dressing recipes soon, thanks for reminding me!!!<br /><br />XOXO
Shut. The. Front. Door. I am totally doing this. THANK YOU. PS The EH hardcover book appeared today. WOO HOO! Mwah. hb
Amazon for cheesecloth.
Cheesecloth at any dollar store, enough to make your recipe 3-4 times at least.
Even easier to make in the crockpot! I mix 1/2 gallon milk and 4 tablespoons of white vinegar in the crockpot, keep on low until it reaches 180 degrees F. It’ll take hours to get there! Then, turn off the crockpot and leave it alone for at least six hours. Strain with a cheesecloth when a solid curd has formed.
Wow, that’s awesome, thank you Stacy!!
xoxo
Anna
Anna,
Have you attempted this recipe with coconut milk and Trader Joe’s coconut cream? I have dairy. gluten, corn and soy issues.
I have not. I don’t think it would work that well. Instead, do the method I use in Eat Happy too for the Dairy Free Ranch and Dairy Free Caesar recipes: soaking raw cashews and then pureeing them. Then you can add a little bit of lemon juice if you want it to have that more tart taste.
XOXO
Anna
How long will the ricotta last on the fridge? Could I make it a day ahead?
absolutely! it will last 7-8 days in the fridge
omgeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, all the vinegar acid taste gone all the constant stirring and heating gone.. I’m never going back! sooooooooo good
Debbie!! We are pampered homemade ricotta queens and no one can tell me otherwise! So glad you enjoyed!!
XOXO
Anna