Best Mascarpone Substitutes

Mascarpone. An Italian-origin fresh cheese that tiramisu fans all over the globe like. However, some individuals despise it because to its high calorie content (approximately 400 calories for 100 grams of mascarpone).

And if that’s not incentive enough to hunt for a mascarpone alternative, what is? Mascarpone is likewise difficult to come by and pricey. Its high fat level and light but creamy flavor make it tough to substitute with other dairy or nondairy products, but with minor tweaks, you may replicate its texture and flavor.

So, whether you’re looking for a healthy substitution, a vegan alternative, or a solution that doesn’t go bad as quickly as mascarpone when opened, there are many options to utilize in both sweet and savory dishes.

What Is Mascarpone?

Mascarpone is a soft, mellow cream cheese with a somewhat sweet flavor. It is made from cow’s milk that has been milked in the morning, pasteurized, then centrifuged to create cream with 35% fat.

Unlike other cheeses, milk cream is no longer curdled by rennet coagulation (rennet is an enzyme derived from the stomachs of lambs or calves). Mascarpone is instead made by adding citric or acetic acid and processed for 5-10 minutes at high temperature. This cheese’s creamy texture is due to the mix of acid and high temperature.

It is important to remember that mascarpone should be eaten fresh. It rapidly gets rancid and should therefore be kept in the refrigerator and used within a few days after opening.

The most well-known dish made with mascarpone is, of course, tiramisu. It’s also wonderful in other sweets like cheesecake, tarts, and trifles. It is often paired with liqueurs and coffee, but its flexibility does not end there.

Everything is possible with this delightfully creamy cheese, from canap-style appetizers to pizza toppings and gourmet omelets. It is often used in savory dishes to thicken sauces and soups, as well as to season pasta and risotto in instead of butter.

Cream Cheese

Are you seeking for a mascarpone alternative in tiramisu that no one will notice or think isn’t genuine mascarpone cheese?

Cream cheese is a good substitute if combined with whipped cream and butter.Regular cream cheese, on the other hand, has less fat and a more acidic flavor than mascarpone.

8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, and 2 teaspoons melted butter, combined until smooth. This will yield around 300g of mascarpone.

A baked cheesecake may be substituted with cream cheese. Its somewhat acidic tang adds richness to cheesecakes, but the decreased fat percentage makes them lighter than mascarpone cheesecakes.

Crème Fraîche

Crme Frache is a French variation of Mascarpone that is less thick, less sweet, and more tangy. It also has less fat (approximately 30-45%) than mascarpone, which has at least 47% fat.

Crme frache may be used as a substitute in a variety of recipes, from baking to finishing soups and producing dessert toppings. The nicest thing is that it does not curdle when added to soups or sauces.

It’s simple to create at home. All you have to do is combine equal parts sour cream and heavy whipping cream. 1 cup crme fraiche substitutes 1 cup mascarpone.

Ricotta

Mascarpone and ricotta are both spreadable and smooth, although ricotta has a grainier texture. Mascarpone is a kind of cream, while ricotta is a type of cheese. It also has a lot less fat, so the flavor and texture will be less thick and smooth (not a suitable substitute for tiramisu, after all).

Mix ricotta with whipped cream and cream cheese to compensate for some of their differences.

Furthermore, plain ricotta is a terrific bargain as a savory pasta filler or any other form of pasta that captures this creamy cheese.

Full Fat Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is very healthy, affordable, and widely available. It does, however, have certain downsides. For example, it is not as creamy and rich as mascarpone and has a tangier flavor. It may, however, be used in baking recipes, sweets, and fruit bowls.

It’s one of the greatest ingredients for giving your soup or sauce that nice creamy texture. It may curdle if cooked at high heat since it has less fat than mascarpone. Add it near the conclusion of the cooking process or at a very low temperature. 1 cup of yogurt equals 1 cup of mascarpone.

Sour Cream

Sour cream has a similar texture to mascarpone but far less fat (at least 18% fat content). As a result, substituting sour cream for mascarpone will result in a loss of creaminess. It also has a tangier flavor, which means it may hold up better to savory meals like sauces and casseroles rather than sweet sweets.

Sour cream, in general, is a fantastic component in baking and cake frosting recipes. It’s also fantastic in some of our favorite creamy sauces and dips.

Cottage cheese

If you’re watching your calories, cottage cheese is a terrific low-fat option. It is considerably higher in protein than mascarpone.

It lacks the creamy smoothness of mascarpone due to the curds in the cheese, but you can make it smooth and spreadable by breaking up the curds in a food processor or blender.

You may use cottage cheese in a healthy keto cheesecake recipe and other delicious treats, or you can go savory.

Dairy-Free Alternatives To Mascarpone

• Coconut milk mixed with cashew butter
• Coconut cream blended with lemon juice
• Vegan cream cheese
• Silken soft tofu with vegan cream