Today I want to share a little secret with you: mascarpone is probably the easiest cheese to make at home. Really. Anyone can make it and it only requires 2 ingredients: cream and lemon juice. I usually buy mine at the grocery store, but I must confess I am not totally happy with the mascarpone I can get here. It is somewhat “grainy”, while Italian mascarpone is absolutely smooth and creamy. Just like very thick cream. So, I decided to make my own and the result was so much better than anything I can get at my local store. Italians use mascarpone for both savoury and sweet recipes, even though I must confess I prefer to use it in my desserts. Everyone knows tiramisù, but there are many other delicious recipes you can make with mascarpone, like my Dates filled with mascarpone and gorgonzola… or something I will share in my next post! So, stay tuned!
Home-made Mascarpone
How to make delicious Mascarpone at home with just 2 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 500 ml – 2 cups cream for whipping
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
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Put the cream in a pot and cook it on a medium-low flame in a double boiler, stirring constantly, until it reaches 85/90°C – 185/195°F (this will take about 15 minutes).
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Add the lemon juice and keep cooking and stirring until the cream thickens and coats the spoon.
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Remove the pot with the cream from the fire and keep it to cool down for 20 minutes.
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Line a colander with a double layer of cheese cloth and put it on top of a big bowl (so you can collect the whey that will come out of the cheese).
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After the 20 minutes are up, pour the thickened cream in it and let it cool down completely.
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Then cover it with some cling wrap and put it the fridge to drain slowly and thicken overnight or, better, for 24 hours.
Recipe Notes
This keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
I know it could be easily made at home, but I never made it…
I must try it… maybe for my next tiramisu! 🙂
That is so cool!! Since mascarpone is never used in Indian cuisine therefore it is not easily available here and the imported ones cost a bomb! This simple and wonderful recipe will be soooo handy. Thanks a ton for sharing 🙂 Can’t wait to try it asap…
Did you use whipped cream or just simple regular cream?
Hi there! I am so happy this is useful! 🙂
I use regular fresh cream, the one used for whipping (but without whipping it)… I hope it makes sense! 🙂
Hi now what I’m about to say is probably ridiculous. But I don’t have any lemons so I thought I could get away with tasty cheese blended with thickened cream. It would give that creamy but grainy texture. Also it has an oil but I wouldn’t cook it I don’t think. Just let me know what you think.
Hi Debby!
What do you need the mascarpone for? If you tell me what the recipe is, I may be able to help you find a substitute.
You could also use white vinegar instead of lemon juice (same amount).
Cheers,
Manu
I love making cheese and mascarpone is easy and as you said, better than you can buy. I haven’t made it for a while – it’s definitely time.
Although I imagined the main ingredient was cream, I did not know you make mascarpone with lemon juice!
I had no idea this was used in tiramisu. I’m so used to the Americanized version of Italian food, it’s ridiculous. Thanks for sharing!
Absoutely brilliant! Never knew this!
That’s all??? Even easier than ricotta!
I know, right?? 🙂
I always find cooking a chore. However, since becoming lactose intolerant I’m finding foods and actually enjoyment making my own non dairy foods from scratch. Thankyou I’m tiring this receipe today to spoil myself with making Tiramisu.
Hi Jae! I have very recently found out I am lactose intolerant as well! I still have to try to make my m=own lactose free mascarpone! Do let me know how it comes out!! Did you use lactose-free cow milk or did you use something else? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Manu, I just found your recipe and am wondering if you had any success making this with lactose free cream?
I thought I’d try it for a dairy sensitive family member that always misses out on creamy desserts!
Fantástica a solução caseira para fazer mascarpone. Aqui no Brasil, além de caro é dificil de encontrar para comprar de modo especial no interior do país.
Okay this might sound dumb, but which part becomes the mascarpone? The whey that is caught on top of the cheese cloth OR the part that drains through the cheese cloth into the bowl??? Thanks
Hi Cheryl! It’s the thick cream on top of the cloth. Make sure you put a double layer of cheese cloth (or if the wholes are too big, even triple), so you don’t lose all the cream. If you forgot to double layer the cloth and you haven’t thrown out the whey yet, you should be able to still save it by putting it on the cheese cloth again. 🙂
I will be making this tomorrow my husband loves it and we love it when fresh fruit.
Hi, may I know how much mascarpone does this recipe yield ?
I just need 125g of mascarpone, how much cream should I use? Thanks.
Hi Gary, the recipe yields about 10 oz. (between 250 and 300 gms, depending on how much it drains), so I suppose you could make a half dose to get 125 gms. 🙂
I want to make a filling with the mascarpone for crepes to serve as dessert. Can I use ordinary sugar for this? Any tips for smooth incorporation?
You can, but I’d suggest using confectioners (icing) sugar so that it melts faster. If you over mix mascarpone, it could split. If you don’t have confectioners sugar at home, simply blend your normal sugar to make it thinner. 🙂
Thank you , Manu. The first(small) batch I made of mascarpone was heavenly, but the second just fell apart as soon as it was out of the fridge and became runny. (It was still delicious though.) What did I do wrong?
Cream is my doubt. ….whipping creams available in powderform or the thick cream to b used
This is the liquid cream that can be used for whipping. In some places it is also called heavy cream and it’s about 35% fat. It’s just pure cream (no gelatines, no powder). Hope it helps!