Out of Cream cheese, one case
Can you substitute ricotta for cream cheese?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Whole-milk ricotta
Same amount as the cream cheese
Yes, in baked dishes, fillings and dips: use the same amount of whole-milk ricotta, drained and blended smooth. Ricotta is milder, wetter, grainier and much lower in fat than cream cheese, so add 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp salt per cup for tang. It does not firm up when cold, so it will not make a frosting or a no-bake cheesecake.
- Verdict —
- You'll taste it
- The tweak —
- Drain it in a fine sieve for at least 30 minutes, then blend or process until smooth with 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp salt per cup.
- Best for —
- baked cheesecake, Italian style
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full cream cheese card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of cream cheese | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole-milk ricottabaked cheesecake, Italian style | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 2 | Half ricotta, half mascarponecheesecake | ½ cup ricotta + ½ cup mascarpone per cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Neufchatel cheesefrosting | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 4 | Cottage cheese, blendeddips and savory spreads | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Whole-milk ricotta
milky and mild, with little tang
A fresh, fine-curd cheese. Drained and blended, it is smooth enough to stand in for cream cheese wherever the dish is baked or the cheese is stirred into something else.
- Best for
- baked cheesecake, Italian style, stuffed pasta, casseroles and baked dips, spreading on toast with something on top
- Prep
- Drain it in a fine sieve for at least 30 minutes, then blend or process until smooth with 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp salt per cup.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Frosting, no-bake cheesecake and cheese balls: ricotta stays soft when chilled and weeps liquid when beaten with sugar. Part-skim ricotta is grainier and wetter still.
A 15 oz tub is a little under 2 cups.
Half ricotta, half mascarpone
rich and mild; add lemon juice to taste for tang
Mascarpone supplies the fat and smoothness that ricotta lacks. The mix is close to cream cheese in richness and firmer when chilled than ricotta alone.
- Best for
- cheesecake, cannoli-style and sweet fillings, soft frostings and toppings
- Prep
- Drain and blend the ricotta smooth first, then fold in the mascarpone on low speed.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Still softer than cream cheese for piping.
Neufchatel cheese
the same tang, slightly less rich
When the recipe needs the cheese to hold a shape, this is the swap that does. It is sold in the same block as cream cheese with about a third less fat.
- Best for
- frosting, no-bake cheesecake, cheese balls and firm spreads
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Sets slightly softer than full-fat cream cheese.
Cottage cheese, blended
mild, lightly salty and tangy
If the ricotta is short, cottage cheese does the same job once it is drained and blended completely smooth. It is saltier and a little tangier than ricotta.
- Best for
- dips and savory spreads, casseroles and baked pasta, baked cheesecake
- Prep
- Drain off the liquid, then blend until no curds remain. Leave out the added salt until you have tasted it.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Frosting and no-bake fillings, for the same reason as ricotta: it does not firm up.
Tips for substituting cream cheese
5 tips- Drain ricotta before measuring. Thirty minutes in a fine sieve is the minimum; overnight in the fridge gives a thicker cheese.
- Blend it. Ricotta straight from the tub leaves a grainy texture that a food processor or blender removes in about a minute.
- Ricotta has little tang or salt. Start with 1 tsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp salt per cup, taste, and go up to 2 tsp lemon.
- In a baked cheesecake, swap by weight and expect a lighter, drier, more cake-like slice than a cream cheese cheesecake.
- Buy whole-milk ricotta. Part-skim is wetter and grainier and takes the dish further from cream cheese.
Questions
4 questionsCan I use ricotta in place of cream cheese in cheesecake?
In a baked cheesecake, yes. Use the same weight of whole-milk ricotta, drained and processed until smooth. The cake is lighter, less tangy and slightly grainy, in the style of an Italian ricotta cheesecake. It does not work in a no-bake cheesecake, which needs a cheese that firms up cold.
Can I make frosting with ricotta in place of cream cheese?
No. Ricotta is too wet and too lean: beaten with powdered sugar it turns loose and grainy and weeps liquid. Use Neufchatel or mascarpone for frosting. A half-ricotta, half-mascarpone mix makes a soft topping to spoon on, not to pipe.
Does it work the other way: cream cheese in place of ricotta in lasagna?
Yes, with a change in texture. Cream cheese is denser, richer and tangier than ricotta, so thin it with a few tablespoons of milk until it spreads, and expect a creamier, heavier layer. That swap is covered on the ricotta substitute page.
How much ricotta replaces an 8 oz block of cream cheese?
8 ounces by weight, which is about 1 cup once drained. A 15 oz tub covers just under two blocks.