Creamy homemade mascarpone cheese is an easy (2 ingredient!) homemade cheese recipe that’s fun to make right in your own kitchen — use it in authentic Italian tiramisu, risotto, and more!

You know I love me a good DIY project like this homemade mascarpone cheese. This one was especially satisfying because mascarpone, the creamy Italian soft cheese, is such a high end product. It can be hard to find, and it’s expensive when you do find it. You probably know it as a critical ingredient in tiramisu, and I l love to sneak it into risotto to give it a rich finish. I blend it up with whipped cream as a topping for my No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Squares and it’s even in my Roasted Fig Ice Cream!
To qualify as a great DIY project a recipe has to be relatively easy to pull off, and the finished product has to be a spot on version of the original. This homemade mascarpone ticks both boxes deliciously.
What is mascarpone cheese?
Mascarpone cheese is a rich, creamy Italian cheese made from cow’s milk. It’s known for its smooth, velvety texture and very mild flavor. It’s considered a fresh cheese because it’s not aged, and this puts it in the same category as cream cheese, ricotta, and cottage cheese.
Mascarpone is called a ‘cheese’ in the technical sense, but it is very close in flavor and texture to a British clotted cream, so it’s perfect on scones and biscuits, too.
The closest American product to mascarpone cheese is cream cheese, and it can be used in many of the same ways.
What you’ll need to make homemade mascarpone
- heavy cream
- fresh lemon juice
- a medium heavy bottomed saucepan
- a clip-on thermometer for the side of the pan
- a mesh strainer
- a clean thin-weave kitchen dish cloth or napkin
- you can use cheesecloth, but you’ll want several layers or your thickened cream will drip through.
how mascarpone is produced (both commercially and at home)
Like many fresh cheeses, this is a snap to make and easy to reproduce at home.
- Acidification:
- Heavy cream is heated to around 190ยฐF ~ this is basically a low simmer.
- An acid like lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid is added to the cream.
- Thickening:
- The cream is maintained at this temperature for several minutes. It’s creamy and smooth rather than forming distinct curds.
- Cooling:
- The cream will thicken slightly as it cools.
- Straining + chilling:
- The cooled cream is strained through a fine cloth or a cheesecloth in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. This step removes excess liquid and results in a rich, smooth, and spreadable cheese.
homemade mascarpone tips
Cook the cream and lemon juice until thickened
- If the specified time has passed and your cream is still quite thin, you need to keep cooking until it coats the back of your spoon. The cream should be hot but not furiously boiling. A gentle simmer is perfect.
make sure you cool your cream before straining
- I like to place the bowl in an ice bath to hasten the process. This step is essential and I like to get the cream to a cooler-than-room-temperature before straining.
Use a fine weave cloth to line your strainer
- Cheesecloth can be too porous and your thickened cream can flow right through. If this happens to you, start over again with a thicker cloth.
Double the recipe to get more yield
- Making homemade cheese requires a lot of liquid dairy to start with, so if you want a bigger batch of mascarpone, double the cream.
For best results use regular pasteurized cream, not ultra-pasteurized
- Most heavy cream is ultra-pasteurized nowadays, because it results in a longer shelf life, look for regular pasteurized cream at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and local dairies, Fyi I have made mascarpone with ultra-pasteurized cream, but it comes out a little softer.
Use the leftover ‘whey’ for baking
- In the case of a cream based homemade cheese the leftover ‘whey’ is still quite rich and can be used like milk or buttermilk in baking recipes. This means there is no waste in this recipe:
how I use homemade mascarpone cheese
- One of my favorite uses for mascarpone is in tiramisu. It’s a key ingredient in this rich Italian dessert ~ I use it in my easy no bake slab tiramisu, but also in my fresh summery Berry Tiramisu, and in my more decadent Nutella Tiramisu.
- Mascarpone can be used instead of or with cream cheese to make rich cheesecake.
- Substitute mascarpone for the cream cheese in cake frostings and cookie frostings.
- Mascarpone is stirred into risotto to make it extra rich and creamy. Its mild flavor means it can go with any recipe, but I particularly love it with Mushroom Risotto.
- Use mascarpone in creamy dips and spreads that call for cream cheese or sour cream.
- Try it in my Homemade Boursin Cheese Recipe!
- Use as a spread for scones or muffins.
Homemade Mascarpone
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- mesh strainer
- multiple layers of cheesecloth or light dish cloth
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream, non-ultra-pasteurized is preferable
- 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Pour the cream and lemon juice into a medium heavy bottomed pot and heat on medium until it just comes to a simmer (about 190 degrees F on a thermometer.) Heat the cream gently so it doesn't scorch, and stir almost constantly with a silicone spoonula which helps scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan efficiently.
- Gently simmer the cream for another 5 minutes, stirring gently. I found it easiest to keep moving the pot on and off the flame to maintain the gentle simmer.
- Let the cream cool completely. I like to transfer the hot cream to a glass container and place the container in an ice bath to hurry the process. The cream is ready for straining when it has a slight chill to it. Note: this step it critical: the cream will thicken as it cools.
- Line a mesh strainer with multiple layers of cheesecloth or a light kitchen cloth or napkin, and set that over a bowl to catch the dripping whey. Pour the cream into the lined strainer. Cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate for 8 hours. It is during this time that the thickened cream will transform into mascarpone.
- Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and keep in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Makes approximately 1 ~ 1 1/4 cups. Plan to use this fresh cheese within a week or so.
i didn’t know it could be this easy. I mean wow- you are going to change me into a homemade mascarpone girl instead of store-bought! lOL!
Hi Sue, this is something that I never would of thought to make myself and it is so hard to get ahold of here. What a really great idea!!!
I rarely buy mascarpone as it is so expensive – I avoid recipes requiring it. What a find this is, and what great photos.
What a fun and beautiful post! I am a DIY project nut – and I’d totally shmear this on some bread with some jam.
There is also a tang that comes from non-pasteurized cream, which I notice when I make butter sometimes. GREG
That’s interesting. I did read that ultra pasteurization can give a slight ‘cooked taste as a result of the high heat. Maybe the heat affects any tanginess, too.
One of my favorite dinners is pasta with mascarpone and asparagus. While the pasta cooks, warm mascarpone either by placing it in a bowl sitting on top of the water the pasta is cooking in or in the microwave. When it’s very soft, stir in lemon zest and juice and fresh-ground black pepper to taste. Toss asparagus in with pot with pasta when the pasta has a minute or so left to cook. Stir grated parmesan cheese into the mascarpone/lemon. Drain pasta/asparagus, dress with mascarpone/lemon. Voila! It is so good! I’m not giving specific amounts because you all are clever people, and amounts depend on how many people you are feeding.
Oh wow. Just wow! I now know what’s for dinner!
Aww, Karen you’ve made me drool all over my keyboard. Now I’m off to the store to get what I need to make the mascarpone and your pasta recipe for dinner tonight!
I rarely buy mascarpone because it is so difficult to find a really good brand and when I do, it is usually very expensive. Now, I can make my own very creamy, very delicious, very quick mascarpone! Thank you, thank you, Sue!!
Have fun!
Having spend several years in the UK, I developed quite a taste for clotted cream on my scones, and have always wondered how to make it. Thank you so much! Pinned ๐
You know I spent time in London and developed the same taste for clotted cream, too. I looked into making it and it’s very complicated, so this is a really great substitute!
I will definitely be trying this recipe!! I am looking forward to it. Blessings dear. Catherine
Wow – this is a creamy bowl of beautiful cheese! I am craving cheesecake or anything with mascarpone now – drooling! Should have eaten lunch before visiting your blog ๐ Beautiful creamy pictures too ๐
I rarely make cheesecake, but that’s another great use for this!