This post is part of an original TIDBITS recipe, first seen HERE on tidbits-cami.com.
Homemade ricotta cheese made in an electric pressure cooker is super quick, easy and an extremely yummy way to make ricotta cheese in your very own home – with only 3 ingredients needed! Printable recipe included.
Did you know you could make ricotta cheese at home? And that it will be super easy and taste better than store bought? AND you can make it in your Instant Pot electric pressure cooker? No, you’re not pressure cooking it per se, but the pressure cooker makes it that much easier! Read on for details!
The ricotta cheese is made using the yogurt function, similar to Homemade Yogurt.
You see, one of my favorite breakfasts is to take a generous scoop of ricotta cheese + a generous scoop of plain Greek yogurt + a liberal swirl of honey and mix it all up. Then I top that on whole wheat toast, add some blueberries and drizzle more honey on top. It is soooooooooo good. (and something I learned from Jillian Michaels).
My kids and I also love my sister Cami’s Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins. Manicotti is also a favorite around my house, where we use plenty of ricotta cheese for the stuffing.
So yes, I was thrilled to learn I could make ricotta cheese in my pressure cooker – in no time flat.
A shorter strain = Thick and Creamy
You don’t get that option at the grocery store 😉 Now, let’s talk details. Follow the simple printable recipe to learn how easy it is to make in a pressure cooker or to adapt to the stovetop. But here are a few things you need to consider or have on hand before you begin.
*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you!
- This is most easily done with the Instant Pot pressure cooker, or other electric pressure cookers that have the yogurt function. (or you can just boil your milk until it reaches 190 degrees F). The Instant Pot makes this easy with a push of the button and does not scorch the bottom, which is why this is our preferred method. (And because we are slightly obsessed with pressure cookers).
- You will need something to strain the curds from the whey. Here are 3 options:
- A colander lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth.
- Nut Milk Bags
- Or this handy yogurt strainer.
- You can experiment with 2% milk, but it does seem to make a more watery ricotta cheese than whole milk.
- Distilled white vinegar can be used in place of the lemon juice. We’ve liked the taste and consistency we get with the lemon juice better.
- Don’t throw away the whey! It can be used as a buttermilk substitute or we’ve recently started using it in place of water in our whole wheat bread.
- ½ gallon whole milk
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- Combine the milk and salt in the pot of the Pressure Cooker. Put the lid in place and set valve to seal position. Press the yogurt feature and press adjust until it says boil.
- When the Instant Pot beeps, remove the lid (it won’t have built up any pressure), give the milk a stir and then use a thermometer to check the temperature. Press saute and warm the milk to 190 degrees, stirring often.
- When the milk reaches 190 degrees, unplug the pressure cooker and add the lemon juice. Give it a very gentle stir. The milk will start to separate immediately.
- Let the pot of milk sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. The milk will separate into white, milky curds and watery, yellow colored whey.
- Without stirring it, pour the curds in either a colander lined with a double layer of cheesecloth, a nut milk bag, or a handy yogurt strainer.
- Let the ricotta drain for 10-60 minutes depending on how thick you want it. If it becomes too thick, you can stir some of the whey back into the ricotta.
- Scrape the ricotta into a bowl. It can be used right away or stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
I would love to hear if you give it a try or if you have any questions we can help you with! Thanks for being here, and don’t forget to pin the recipe for later.
*This post contains affiliate links, but I only recommend products I use and/or love and would recommend even to my sisters!
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