• Contact
  • About
  • My Book
  • Video Services
  • Easy Recipes
  • Travel
  • Saving Money
  • Meal Planning
    • Real Food Meal Plans

Real Food Real Deals

Healthy food on a budget

Instant Pot Ricotta

04/05/17 | Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Jump to Recipe
Pin3.7K
Yum259
Share883
Stumble3
Tweet11
Shares 4.8K

Homemade ricotta is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. This Instant Pot ricotta recipe costs much less than store-bought ricotta, and it tastes delicious!

Homemade ricotta is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. This Instant Pot ricotta recipe costs much less than store-bought ricotta, and it tastes delicious!

Homemade ricotta cheese couldn’t be easier to make. It’s as simple as heating up some milk, adding an acid, and waiting a minute for the magic to begin.

An Instant Pot makes it even easier than my stove top homemade ricotta. The yogurt setting on the Instant Pot heats the milk up to the required 180 degrees, so all you have to do is add the vinegar and strain the mixture.

Homemade ricotta is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. This Instant Pot ricotta recipe costs much less than store-bought ricotta, and it tastes delicious!

This ricotta is a great spread for crackers or a base for pancakes and muffins. I can never bring myself to buy ricotta anymore now that I know how easy and affordable it is to make my own.

Watch this short video to see just how simple it is to make ricotta:

4.8 from 5 votes
Print

Instant Pot Ricotta

$.07 per ounce

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Author Annemarie

Ingredients

  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 2 tbs white vinegar

Instructions

  1. Pour the milk into the Instant Pot, close the lid, and set the vent to Sealing.
  2. Press the Yogurt button and press Adjust until you see Boil.
  3. Let the pot run the boil cycle. When it beeps, it means the milk has reached 180 degrees. Remove the top.

  4. Remove the inner pot to a trivet and pour the vinegar into the milk. Stir briefly. You’ll see the ricotta separating from the liquid. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
  5. Transfer the ricotta mixture to a fine mesh strainer lined with butter muslin. Let the liquid drain for a couple minutes, and add a sprinkle of salt if desired. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Instant Pot Ricotta Price Breakdown

This recipe costs a total of $.82 to make, and it yields about 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces). This comes out to $.07 per ounce ($.55 per cup). This is less than half the cost of store-bought ricotta, and the homemade version is so fresh and delicious! Try this recipe the next time you’re making something that calls for ricotta. You’ll never go back to the packaged version.

Pin it here:

Homemade ricotta is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. This Instant Pot ricotta recipe costs much less than store-bought ricotta, and it tastes delicious!

Pin3.7K
Yum259
Share883
Stumble3
Tweet11
Shares 4.8K

Related

Comments | 46 comments

Copyright

© The recipes, opinions, photos, and other content expressed on this website are those of the author/owner unless otherwise noted. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, including photos, without written permission from the author/owner is strictly prohibited. In cases where permission is granted, full and clear credit must be given to Real Food Real Deals with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Subscribe

Get all the latest tasty goodness straight to your inbox!

Disclosure

The FTC has regulations about what bloggers disclose when recommending or advertising products. This information is outlined in my disclosure policy.
« Real Food Meal Plan Week 156
Real Food Meal Plan Week 157 »

Comments

  1. Tawnie Kroll says

    April 5, 2017 at 11:27 am

    This is genius!! Need to try this asap! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Jenny Shea Rawn says

    April 5, 2017 at 2:41 pm

    Never realized how very easy it was to make ricotta … and we love ricotta in our house! Don’t have an instantpot, but checked out your stovetop version and will be trying that.

    Reply
  3. Kelli McGrane says

    April 5, 2017 at 6:16 pm

    I keep seeing posts using instapots and every time think to myself I should get one but then forget. But this ricotta looks so delicious. . .I may just have to cave and finally buy one!

    Reply
  4. Jeanette says

    April 9, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    This recipe looks great! What do you do with the leftover whey from the ricotta? (We’re “swimming” in whey at our house from making lots of Greek yogurt).
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      April 9, 2017 at 8:25 pm

      The leftover whey is great for soaking grains before baking. You can also add it to baked goods as a substitute for other liquids, or put it in smoothies.

      Reply
      • Jeanette says

        April 9, 2017 at 8:40 pm

        Wonderful! I am always looking for more ways to use up whey and not waste it. Thank you for your reply.

        Reply
        • Jaime says

          December 1, 2017 at 4:35 pm

          Whey is also good for dogs (if you have a dog). You can drizzle it over their food.

          Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 22, 2017 at 5:51 pm

      It’s also a great starter for fermentation.

      Reply
    • D says

      February 26, 2018 at 9:58 am

      Soups, gravy, liquid when making bread, put in smoothies, water the plants…..

      Reply
  5. Kelly says

    April 9, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    Can you double recipe and how long can it stay in the refrigerator? Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      April 10, 2017 at 6:34 am

      This keeps for about a week in the fridge. I haven’t doubled it, but it should work just fine. It will take a little longer for the milk to reach 180 degrees.

      Reply
  6. Deana says

    April 12, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    I’m wondering if this can be made from 2% or non-fat milk? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      April 12, 2017 at 5:48 pm

      Yes, it can, Deana. The yield might be a bit smaller and the product will be less rich, but it’s definitely doable.

      Reply
  7. Rose says

    April 20, 2017 at 12:46 am

    This sounds wonderful. Could I use the same strainer I purchased for Greek yogurt to strain the ricotta?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      April 20, 2017 at 7:06 am

      Yes, Rose, that should work fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Ina says

    April 24, 2017 at 5:25 pm

    It says to release pressure after it beeps, but mine never came to pressure – did I do something wrong? Also, do you think I can use lemon juice instead of vinegar? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      April 24, 2017 at 6:08 pm

      You can definitely use lemon juice instead of vinegar to make ricotta. I’m not sure why your pot didn’t come to pressure. Maybe you forgot to turn the knob to “sealing.” As long as the milk temperature reaches 180 degrees, you can proceed with the recipe.

      Reply
      • Ina says

        April 24, 2017 at 6:19 pm

        I ran it a 2nd time (same milk) and this time it came to pressure, but was only 150 degrees. I decided to go ahead anyway and it seemed to curdle up just fine. it is in the fridge chilling right now. Tasted pretty good, so I think it was ok! Thanks for the recipe!

        Reply
  9. marybeth says

    May 14, 2017 at 10:35 am

    I don’t have a yogurt button so how should I processed?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      May 14, 2017 at 12:44 pm

      You can use the Saute button to heat the milk to 180 degrees, or heat it on the stovetop. Either way, you’ll need a thermometer to confirm the temperature.

      Reply
      • marybeth says

        May 14, 2017 at 3:40 pm

        ok thank you so much for the quick reply back!! def going to try this today

        Reply
  10. marybeth says

    May 14, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    can I use the porridge button

    Reply
  11. Teresa says

    July 13, 2017 at 4:30 am

    Very cool, I’m excited to try this, thank you so much for this recipe. I was wondering if you could use reconstituted evaporated milk? I don’t usually buy or use regular milk or have it on hand.

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      July 13, 2017 at 7:57 am

      Teresa, I’ve never used evaporated milk for this, so I’m not sure. Please let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  12. amanda says

    July 19, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    would I be able to use lactaid milk that is lactose free?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      July 19, 2017 at 9:22 pm

      I haven’t made this with lactose-free milk. Please let me know if you try it!

      Reply
    • Diana says

      January 22, 2018 at 2:13 pm

      Fermenting milk changes the lactose—-you should be able to tolerate it just fine.

      Reply
  13. Hattie says

    October 29, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    Can I use goat milk instead of cow milk to make this recipe?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      October 29, 2017 at 8:03 pm

      I haven’t made this with goat’s milk, but I think you probably could. Please let me know if you try it!

      Reply
    • Victoria says

      March 10, 2018 at 9:16 am

      I use goat milk all the time – works great! 😊

      Reply
  14. Kathy says

    December 1, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    I will try this. I am Italian and the ricotta we had in our recipes was made from goat milk and it was light and mildly sweet. We could eat it by spoon as children. I would be so excited if this came close. I might even try using goat milk some time.

    Reply
  15. Donna says

    February 3, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    Any idea whether or not it would work with fat free or 1% milk?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      February 3, 2018 at 12:27 pm

      Yes, that milk should work, too.

      Reply
  16. Brandi says

    February 3, 2018 at 1:06 pm

    I do not have a yogurt setting. (I have the Lux6.0) What other setting could I use and for how long?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      February 3, 2018 at 7:00 pm

      I’m not sure. Before I had my Instant Pot, I made it on the stovetop. You just need to heat the milk to 180 degrees.

      Reply
  17. DJR says

    February 25, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    Will be trying this soon. I’m curious to know, where do you find 4 cups of milk for 82 cents?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      February 25, 2018 at 3:33 pm

      I hope you enjoy it! I can get milk for less than $3 a gallon at Costco and Wegman’s in my area (eastern Massachusetts). This comes out to less than $.75 for 4 cups. What does milk cost in your area?

      Reply
  18. Rochelle says

    February 27, 2018 at 10:47 am

    Will this work if I make half a recipe to see if I like it? I have a Duo 8

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      February 27, 2018 at 10:55 am

      Yes, you can definitely half the recipe as long as you use enough liquid for your pot. I have the 6 quart, and I think the minimum amount of liquid for mine is 1 cup. You should be fine using 2 cups of milk, but double check your pot’s minimum liquid amount to be sure.

      Reply
      • Rochelle says

        February 27, 2018 at 11:12 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
  19. Jill Ward says

    March 5, 2018 at 6:26 pm

    Can I use plain cheese cloth instead of butter muslin?

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      March 5, 2018 at 6:35 pm

      Yes, you can use cheese cloth. I recommend folding it over a couple times so the ricotta doesn’t slip through the bigger holes. Enjoy!

      Reply
  20. Colleen says

    March 20, 2018 at 11:43 pm

    I’m confused……..I have a 6qt Duo with the yogurt feature. You say to push the yogurt button until it reaches boil then release the pressure when it’s done. The yogurt function is not done under pressure so there shouldn’t be any pressure to release should there????

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      March 21, 2018 at 6:57 am

      Thanks for the heads up. I updated the instructions.

      Reply
  21. Amy Franco says

    April 4, 2018 at 5:57 pm

    Hi, Annemarie. I used your recipe for my first go-round with my new IP.
    I doubled the recipe ie. 1/2 gallon milk and 4 Tbsp of white vinegar.
    I ended up with less than 1 cup of ricotta. It tasted good, though.
    Where is my error?
    Please advise.
    Amy F.

    Reply
    • Annemarie says

      April 4, 2018 at 6:55 pm

      Amy, I’m not sure what happened. The yield does vary a bit from batch to batch, but I’m not sure why your yield was so low. I haven’t doubled this recipe before, so I’m not sure if that was part of the problem. Part of the issue may be that you strained it for a longer time than I do, so it ended up more dense.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome

I'm Annemarie, a regular mom who got tired of feeding my family processed food. Read More…

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Stay Updated

Sign up for my weekly email newsletter!

My Latest Videos

Click here to visit my recipe video gallery

Top Posts

Chia Coconut Pudding
Raspberry Vanilla Overnight Oats
Mexican Frittata Recipe
Instant Pot Ricotta
Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
How to Make Coconut Milk

Copyright © 2018 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316