Making Homemade Cottage Cheese in 10 Minutes is my Jam! (2024)

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ByKatie BerryPublished: August 18, 2013January 26, 2024Updated: January 26, 2024

What is Cottage Cheese?

Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese made by combining milk with an acidic ingredient to create small, firm curds. Unlike other forms of cheesemaking, you do not need rennet or additional mesophillic cultures.

In the old days, cottage cheese was made by leaving a container of milk on the counter to curdle or clabber through fermentation. I don’t recommend that approach because it’s not reliably safe. Fermenting depends on surrounding temperatures and sterile equipment — two things that vary from one home to the next. So my recipe uses the modern approach of curdling milk using an acidic ingredient.

How to Make Homemade Cottage Cheese

Do you remember the nursery rhyme about Miss Muffet eating her curds and whey? That’s homemade cottage cheese! Here’s my printable recipe that explains how you can make it yourself.

Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese

A simple recipe featuring clean ingredients that produce creamy, firm curds and a delicious, healthy cottage cheese that's ready in minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 half-cup servings

Calories: 120kcal

Author: Katie Berry

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, British

Keyword: breakfast, cheese, keto, low-carb, milk

Video

Equipment

Large pot
Measuring cups and spoons
Slotted spoon
Cheesecloth (or clean kitchen towel)
Colander
Medium bowl

Ingredients
US Customary or Metric

1 gallon whole milk
¾ cup white vinegar or 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 tbsp heavy cream (optional, see step 7)

Instructions

Pour milk into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Heat slowly to 190°F/88°C stirring regularly so the milk doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot. Slow heating is one key to forming firm curds.
Remove from heat, pour in vinegar and stir a few times. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a colander with a clean piece of doubled cheesecloth or a tea towel. Place the colander over another bowl to catch any liquid (whey) that drips out.
Spoon the solids from the pot into the lined colander. (Don't dump them or you'll crush and break the curds.) Give it 30 minutes to drain.
Gather the ends of the cloth together and hold the ball in one hand, running cold water over it. Very gently squeeze the surface of the ball with your other hand while rinsing until the ball is cool.
Unwrap the ball of cheese and gently lower it into a bowl. Break up the ball into whatever size curds you prefer.
If you started with skim or 2% milk: add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream for 2% cottage cheese. Or Add 4 tablespoons for 4% cottage cheese.
If you started with whole milk: stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream for 4% cottage cheese. (Whole milk can't make 2% cottage cheese.)
For the very best flavor, chill it for 30 minutes before serving.
Store homemade cottage cheese refrigerated in an air-tight container and eat it within a week. If you store it upside down, so the lid is on the bottom, it will form a "seal" that keeps it fresh a little longer. Signs that cottage cheese has gone bad include a sour odor and discoloration.

Nutrition

Did you try this?Leave a comment and tell me how it went!

Tips for Best Results

Heat the milk slowly. Rushing the heating process doesn’t give the milk proteins enough time to form strong curds. Also, avoid boiling: the idea is to bring it to 190°F, which is just below boiling. It will look foamy but not bubbling. (See my video for how it should look.)

Adding Flavors

Not a fan of plain cottage cheese? Use 1 cup as the base to make any of the recipes below:

•Garlic Herb Cottage Cheese: Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon snipped fresh herbs.

•Fruit-Flavored Cottage Cheese: Add 1/2 cup crushed pineapple or 1/2 cup frozen berries (thawed) or 1/2 cup applesauce.

•Chocolate Cottage Cheese: Add 1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of your preferred sweetener with the cream in Step 7. Chill 30 minutes before serving.

•Cinnamon Maple Cottage Cheese: Add in 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

Serving Ideas

Jazz up your homemade cottage cheese with one of these serving ideas.

•Savory Cottage Cheese Salad: Combine 2 cups of cottage cheese, 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped red onions and a sprinkling of furikake seasoning or black pepper.

•Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip: Blend 2 cups of cottage cheese in a food processor or blender with 2 tablespoons of homemade Ranch dressing mix. Chill 30 minutes or more to let the flavors combine.

•Lasagna: Use cottage cheese in place of ricotta in your favorite lasagna recipe. To keep it from tasting grainy, stir in 2 tablespoons cream for every 2 cups of cottage cheese used.

Cottage Cheese Snack Recipes

Looking for quick snacks featuring cottage cheese? Check out my slideshow for easy recipes.

Now check out some of my other great recipes and how-tos:

Golden Turmeric Milk Recipe: It’s Heaven in a Cup
Bacon Garlic Cheddar Crackers Recipe
Stuffed Potato Skins Recipe: A Winning Appetizer for Game Day
Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe
How To Get Ink Stains Out Of Clothes

Katie Berry

Cleaning Expert, Author

Katie Berry's cleaning advice has been featured by MarthaStewart.com, HGTV Magazine, and RealSimple and more. She is a Cleaning Editorial Review Board member at The Spruce, and the author of "30 Days to a Clean and Organized House". She founded HousewifeHowTos.com in 2011 and has helped millions of people by sharing her practical and effective cleaning methods.

Comment Policy

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Made this today using 1 gallon raw goat’s milk. I used the 1 teaspoon of salt and added another cup of whole milk (from the top, so a little extra cream) to the result. It’s cooling now but what I tasted is delicious! My yield is just over 4 cups. A very easy recipe and I will use it again. Thank you!
Reply
1. I’m glad you liked it, Debby. I think I’ll make more this weekend, too!
I made this today, started small with 1/2 gallon of whole milk – pasteurized but not ultra pasteurized – and added only a pinch of salt at the end. It came out really good with a mild, creamy flavor and a soft/crumbly feel in the mouth.
Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
1. I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorite ways to use up extra milk.
Can I use heavy cream instead of the milk?
Reply
1. Hi Ursula,
  It won’t work with without milk, which is why the cream is stirred in at the end.
Is the Whey still usable even though it is full of vinegar??
Reply
1. Yes. All cheese is made through the combination of milk and a curdling agent, which also means that all whey contains the curdling agent, too. In this case, the curdling agent is vinegar. Surprisingly, you don’t taste it at all after the reaction that produces the cottage cheese.
2. Hello. Can I use the left over liquid (whey) to make ricotta?
3. Yes, you can!
A great use for extra whey is to keep an opened ball of fresh mozzarella from going moldy. I never seem to use it all and have to toss it in a few days when it gets moldy but submerged in whey, it will last much longer. I have also used it when making sauerkraut. Nourishing Traditions lists lots of recipes to use whey.
Susan in Virginia, USA
Reply
Hi Katie
Can you tell me if this will work using skim or low fat milk please?
Thanks
Sylvia
Reply
Have just made this fabulously simple cottage cheese. Absolutely delicious. I added whipped cream at the end and I used 3 litre bottle of standard blue top milk. Now I have at least 2 litres of whey to utilise. Can’t wait for it to chill. I didn’t have a thermometer but will be getting one. Thankyou
Reply
1. Hi Fay,
  I’m so glad you liked it. Isn’t it wonderful being able to make things like this? Enjoy!
Hi, thank you so much for this recipe! Can apple cider vinegar be used instead of white vinegar? Thank you.
Reply
Canned evaporated filled milk is what is mostly available from where i live will this help me make my own cottage cheese? Thank you.
Reply
1. Hi Mina,
  Unfortunately, canned milk does not work in this recipe or any cheesemaking recipe since it’s been treated using ultra-high temperatures as discussed in the article.
Great recipe. I didn’t have any cream to mix with the cottage cheese.
So I used a scoop of previously made yogurt. It makes an excellent modifier.
The cheese yield was one quart. They whey went back in the pan with a cup of
sugar and 3/4 cup of powdered cocoa. Heat but do not boil, stir until all cocoa is dispersed.
JC
Reply
I just got done making this and it was very easy and the taste is soooo incredibly fresh! Mine turned out with a very fine curd though, it’s about the texture of Ricotta, did I do something wrong? I prefer small curd cottage cheese but would like a little bit bigger curd than I got with this.
Reply
1. Hi Annie!
  Small, fine curds are a sign that it hadn’t set up long enough. For your next batch, try waiting a bit longer. Also, be sure not to disturb the mixture — you want the curd to set I disturbed so it can form larger clumps.
I made this recipe, and it didn’t curdle very much, very tiny chunks, is that normal?
Reply
1. Hi Nancy,
  I’m sorry yours didn’t form a solid curd. That can happen for a few reasons but it is usually is because of an iffy thermometer. To check yours, clip the thermometer to the side of a pot of water and bring it to a full, rolling boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes to get the best reading. At sea level, your thermometer should read 212°F or 100°C for boiling water. If it doesn’t, keep the difference in mind for future reference and adjust accordingly.
  I hope that helps!
Can you use buttermilk?
Reply
1. Sorry, but buttermilk doesn’t work in this recipe.
Do you have a ricotta recipe from what posted somewhere?
Reply
1. I haven’t posted one yet.
I used lemon juice instead of vinegar. Lovely flavour. Thanks for the receipe/ i used to make cottage cheese years ago but I could remember what I used to do.
Reply
1. You’re so welcome!
2. Thank you for experimenting with lemon juice. I hate vinegar and was reading people’s comments to see if anyone used lemon juice – you did, and I thank you!

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Making Homemade Cottage Cheese in 10 Minutes is my Jam! (2024)

What is Cottage Cheese?

How to Make Homemade Cottage Cheese