This sweet whipped ricotta cream is just the thing to lend a touch of fancy to all manner of desserts. Rely on the freshest, best quality ricotta you can find to get gloriously creamy results. (And don’t you dare even consider using reduced-fat ricotta.)–Jenny Howard
How do I use sweet whipped ricotta cream?
This cream is for when you need something more indulgent or fancy than regular whipped cream and less full tilt than mascarpone. Think anything. A bowl of berries. A fruit tart. Apple cake. Even banana bread or muffins.
Sweet Whipped Ricotta Cream
Ingredients
- 10 1/2 ounces good-quality store-bought whole-milk ricotta, preferably buffalo, or homemade ricotta
- 1 3/4 ounces superfine sugar (or just blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery)
- Vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon, preferably organic (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Line a fine-meshed strainer with a paper towel and place it over a bowl. Dump the ricotta into the strainer and lightly press the surface with more paper towels to soak up as much water as possible. Let the ricotta drain for about 20 minutes.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, whiz the drained ricotta, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Stop the processor once or twice during blending to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the whipped ricotta is evenly silken.
☞ TESTER TIP: Yep. Five minutes may seem like a long time. But wait until you experience the superlative texture of the resulting cream.
- Use immediately or, if the finished ricotta cream seems a little loose or liquidy, scrape it into a fine-meshed strainer lined with damp cheesecloth or a clean, damp dish towel. Place the colander over a bowl, cover, and refrigerate the ricotta cream for a few hours to drain.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Simple yumminess! This is the easiest recipe and so delicious! Not many ingredients and they are all pretty easy to find.
Just drain the ricotta, add the rest of the ingredients and mix it up. Mine just took 2 to 3 minutes in the food processor and come out very silken. The consistency was perfect and didn’t need additional straining. The creamy velvety smooth texture, perfect amount of sweetness, and refreshing hints of lemon make this a delicious cream. I used Calabro whole-milk ricotta.
This could be really good on a fruit tart or just by itself. I used mine with blueberries and granola perfect combination!
I use a lot of ricotta in both sweet and savory dishes, but this was new to me. We all loved it! It was creamy and sweet with a little tang.
I’ve never processed anything in my food processor for a continuous 5 minutes! After reading these instructions, I was very curious as to what the result would be. I processed the ingredients on low. I was pleasantly surprised that the ricotta cream was a perfect consistency after 5 minutes, so I didn’t have to drain it.
The result was wonderful and we enjoyed it alongside ripe strawberries. A lot was eaten out of the bowl. This is similar in ingredients and proportion to what I use to fill cannolis, but never processed it as long—but it made a wonderful difference in consistency! I was most pleased that this mixture is not too sweet and allows full expression of the creamy texture, with a hint of lemon and vanilla, producing a great balance of flavors. You would not think these few ingredients would result in so many words of praise, but it’s a classic combination that, when done right, is really delicious.
The cream turned to very sweet creamy liquid for me. I couldn’t save it even by draining – as it all flowed through my lined and very fine mesh strainer (except the small bits of zest). I followed the recipe exactly. I am an experienced cook and baker and was only able to save it by putting it in an ISI aerator. Perhaps 5 minutes is too long to process? It may depend on the food processor strength, so I’d recommend checking it a couple minutes in.
Thanks for that suggestion, Meg. We’re sorry that this didn’t turn out for you. Do you think it would help to drain it for longer in the first step? What type of ricotta were you using?
When I was growing up in an Italian immigrant home, this cream, exactly as is, was the start of a Sunday dessert. When my mother produced handmade orecchiette, after boiling them for the main meal, she removed a small amount and stirred them into this ricotta cream. The mixture was then thoroughly chilled and brought out as a dessert which was much appreciated by my father!
Josephine, thank you for sharing this memory with us! Isn’t it incredible how food can instantly take us back…?!