Today in this article, I am going to share the best substitutes for Ricotta Cheese, so if you don’t know what to use instead of Ricotta Cheese, you can read this article to know about the 6 best Ricotta Cheese Substitutes.
Have you run out of your smooth creamy, mild-to-taste, and thick-textured ricotta cheese? Thinking about what you can use for your desserts and other savory dishes?
You can easily substitute ricotta cheese with cream cheese, cottage cheese, buttermilk cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, and tofu.
Are you eager to read how creamy and slightly mild-tasting ricotta cheese can be substituted in various dishes? Keep reading to know more…
Before I tell you about Substitutes For Ricotta Cheese, let’s first discuss what is Ricotta Cheese and how is it used.
What is Ricotta Cheese and How is It Used?
Ricotta cheese is a type of fresh cheese, mainly made from the milk of cows. It is not aged at all and therefore it is perishable.
Ricotta Cheese is mostly very soft and creamy, and you will see it is used mostly in Italian cuisine because it originated in Italy.
I mostly use Ricotta Cheese as a spread on my toast, and sometimes with waffles. You can even use it in baking to add moisture and texture to cakes or pastries.
For fitness freaks, Ricotta Cheese is very good because it is relatively low in fat and calories compared to many other cheeses.
Ricotta cheese is mainly used in lasagna recipes. It is also commonly used in various baked pasta dishes, ravioli, manicotti, and Italian casseroles. Because of its low salt content and creamy texture, it is used in cheesecakes and other desserts.
Ricotta cheese can also be used in most of your breakfast preparations like pancakes or even simply as spreads on toast.
Ricotta cheese is definitely worth trying if you are looking for delicious and versatile cheese to add to your food.
Now let’s discuss about the substitutes for ricotta cheese.
6 Substitutes for Ricotta Cheese
So, below I am sharing the best substitutes for Ricotta Cheese. Also, I have shared tips to substitute it perfectly.
Cream Cheese
The number one substitute for ricotta cheese, that I would recommend, is cream cheese.
This is because cream cheese, as the name suggests, is creamy in nature and is easily spreadable.
Cream cheese, like ricotta cheese, is also a type of fresh cheese. Cream cheese is made using whole milk and heavy cream as its key ingredients.
Like ricotta cheese, it has a mild taste but it is also slightly sweeter than ricotta cheese due to the heavy cream content. This is why it is suitable for dishes that need a higher fat content and a richer flavor like sips, savory dishes, and desserts.
I would advise you to be careful while using cream cheese in dishes where you are trying to get a light and fluffy texture. It is easily available in your nearest supermarket.
How to Substitute:
You can use a 1:1 ratio of cream cheese to ricotta cheese while adding it to any of your dishes. That is, for every spoonful of ricotta cheese use 1 spoonful of cream cheese.
However, if you want the cream cheese to be slightly thinner, you can make it thinner by taking 1 teaspoon of water to your desired quantity of cream cheese, and blending it till you reach the desired consistency.
Cottage Cheese
Another fresh great substitute for ricotta cheese is cottage cheese. Although it is less creamy than ricotta cheese, it does have a mild flavor, and cottage cheese also does taste good.
The key ingredients of cottage cheese are cow’s milk, salt, and vinegar. Cottage cheese has a slightly salty taste and is therefore to be used while cooking any savory dishes.
Cottage cheese has a thinner soupy consistency with small curdled lumps of cheese in it. Therefore I would suggest that it is best used as a substitute when you are making savory dishes like lasagna, casserole, and pasta or as spreads over pizzas and toasts.
The easy availability of cottage cheese makes a good substitute when in a fix.
How to Substitute:
The ratio between cottage cheese: and ricotta cheese is 1:1. For every portion of ricotta cheese you use an equal quantity of cottage cheese.
But a word of caution – cottage cheese is slightly acidic and can impart that acidic taste and nature to your dish, so use it accordingly.
Buttermilk Cheese
Buttermilk cheese is made from whole milk, whole or low-fat buttermilk, and salt. It is another type of fresh cheese.
I have observed that buttermilk cheese and ricotta cheese have similar textures and consistencies. Therefore it can be easily used as a substitute for ricotta cheese.
Because of its slightly salty nature, it is best used in savory dishes like lasagna, ravioli, manicotti, and other pasta dishes.
Buttermilk cheese can be trickier to find in your nearest grocery or departmental store.
How to Substitute:
I prefer to use a 1: 1 ratio of buttermilk cheese to ricotta cheese due to the similar taste and consistency.
Greek Yogurt
Another one of my favorite substitutes For Ricotta Cheese is Greek Yogurt.
Greek yogurt is a type of fermented dairy product. It does not come under the cheese category but can easily substitute ricotta cheese.
Greek yogurt is easily spreadable and extremely creamy in texture, so I use it whenever I need it as a substitute for ricotta cheese to spread on toast. It has a certain tangy taste to it.
Because it is creamier and low-fat (depending on the variant you use), it can be easily substituted for ricotta cheese in desserts. It also comes in handy when preparing dips or spreads because of its creamy texture.
It is easily available in supermarkets but can be slightly expensive.
How to Substitute:
While using Greek yogurt, take into consideration the thickness of the yogurt. There is no fixed amount strictly speaking for substitution. Depending on the creaminess or thickness of your preparation, use Greek yogurt accordingly. I would suggest you start with a very small quantity, to begin with.
Sour Cream
Another non-cheese substitute for ricotta cheese is sour cream.
Sour cream is made from pasteurized cream. It has a tart, tangy taste to it, and is, therefore, best used for baking food items, and for dips.
Because it has a thinner consistency and also has less fat content, you can use it as a substitute for savory dishes or baked dishes. Avoid using it in desserts.
One of the easily available substitutes, it has helped me out in a pinch.
How to Substitute:
A 1:1 ratio works best for me, and that is what I would recommend. But you might have to adjust the amount of sour cream depending on the desired sourness, and consistency of your dish.
Tofu
A non-cheese, non-dairy substitute for all the people who want to switch over to a vegan diet or simply cannot consume dairy because of lactose intolerance, tofu is a wonderful substitute for ricotta cheese.
Made from soy milk it resembles ricotta cheese when it comes to taste. So it can be used in all the recipes where you use ricotta cheese.
Texture-wise, you can achieve the desired consistency based on the type of tofu. Firm tofu, later crumbled, can give you a crumbly texture, whereas silken tofu will give a smoother, creamier consistency.
Tofu these days is easily available in your nearest supermarket
How to Substitute:
Use the same amount of tofu as ricotta cheese for any of your delicious preparations.
Conclusion
Ricotta Cheese is indeed a very popular ingredient in many dishes, however, it is sometimes hard to find it in general stores, but don’t worry now, I have already shared some of the best substitutes for Ricotta Cheese that you can use.
All these alternatives may not taste exactly like Ricotta cheese but they do have a similar texture and taste and you can easily use them in place of Ricotta Cheese.
If you do know about any other Ricotta Cheese substitutes then do let us know and we will include it in our list.