Mascarpone - Cheese.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the closest cheese to mascarpone? ›

Mascarpone has a one-of-a-kind silkiness and a milky flavor profile but ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, full-fat cream cheese, and Requeson cheese are all similar to mascarpone cheese.

Mascarpone is an ivory-colored, exceptionally smooth, and easily spreadable fresh cream cheese. The flavor is milky and slightly sweet. The rich, buttery texture comes from the high butterfat content (up to 75 percent).

Mascarpone is made similarly to American cream cheese, but it uses a base of whole cream rather than milk. Like cream cheese, it is a fresh cheese that is not aged before it is eaten. Cream cheese contains at least 33% milk fat, and mascarpone may contain 60-75% milk fat.

To make this mascarpone substitute, mix together 12 ounces of room temperature cream cheese (1 ½ blocks) with ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream and ¼ cup of sour cream until combined. The whipping cream will cut some of the tanginess of cream cheese while mimicking mascarpone's smooth, velvety texture.

Crème Fraîche and sour cream bring unique tastes and handle heat like pros. Then there's ricotta, Mascarpone's flavor buddy, perfect for cheesecakes and spreads. Cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese are also the go-to for rich textures.

Certain ingredients may be imported or are too pricey for our budgets and we need to find substitutes for them. Here's one quick tip I found to use cream cheese as a substitute for mascarpone cheese, which is generally used in the famous Italian dessert Tiramisu or sometimes in cheesecakes.

ALDI BelGioioso Fresh Mascarpone Cheese, Cup Same-Day Delivery or Pickup | Instacart.

A closed package of mascarpone will last in the fridge until its best-by date. If you've already opened it, the clock starts ticking, and you have around 1 week to use it all up.

Bella Casara Mascarpone Cheese, 2 kg | Costco.

Ricotta cheese and mascarpone cheese are both made from fresh milk, but these Italian cheeses differ in texture, taste, and content. Texture: Ricotta has a grainy texture, like cottage cheese, and mascarpone has a smooth, creamy texture, similar to heavy whipping cream.

What can mascarpone be used for? ›

Mascarpone cheese isn't very good to eat by itself (imagine eating a spoonful of butter), but it is perfect to use as an ingredient for savory and dessert recipes alike. Next time you want to try out a recipe calling for mascarpone cheese, give this recipe a try!

And if you're still looking for ideas on how to use mascarpone, there's always the option of smearing it on crackers or seedy toast. Maybe add a dollop of jam, maybe not—this tangy cheese can shine all on its own.

Mascarpone is a cream cheese with a 45+% of fat content. Ricotta is a dairy product made by precipitating albumine left in the whey, which is the cheese waste product, and it has a nearly 0% fat content. The two can't be used alternatively to each other. You can't substitute one to the other.

Substituting Mascarpone for Heavy Cream

Often referred to as mascarpone cheese, this thick dairy product has a fat content of about 44%. It's made in a similar way to sour cream and crème fraîche, but is much sweeter and thicker by comparison. It makes a great substitute and you can use it in soups, stews, and sauces.

Mascarpone, therefore, achieves a rich, smooth, hom*ogenous texture that is closer to freshly churned butter or a soft brie than the fluffy curds of its cousin ricotta. Likewise, mascarpone differs from often-substituted cream cheese in both matters of fat content and acid.

Mascarpone is a sweet Italian cream cheese that is versatile and delicious. At a quick glance, it seems similar to sour cream and crème fraîche, but it's a departure from its cultured lookalikes. While sour cream and crème fraîche are thick, tangy cultured dairy products, mascarpone is not cultured.