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Home » How to Make Mascarpone (Foolproof)

How to Make Mascarpone (Foolproof)

February 13, 2020

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If you’ve never attempted homemade mascarpone cheese before you’re in for a real treat!  Look no further for a foolproof mascarpone recipe!  Learn how to make mascarpone that’s luxuriously thick, rich and creamy.  It’s super easy, costs less than store-bought, and the results will wow you!

mascarpone recipe how to make homemade traditional authentic easy best foolproof

This foolproof homemade mascarpone recipe is so easy to make and costs less than the store-bought stuff!  I used to wince every time I had to pay the exorbitant price associated with a small tub of mascarpone at the store.  Those days of wincing over the price of mascarpone are gone!   Making it yourself is not only super easy and quick but will save you money!

What Is Mascarpone?  

Mascarpone cheese is a double or triple cream cheese that is made by heating cream over gentle, steady heat and then adding acid to thicken it.  The mixture is then left to drain in cheesecloth for a few hours where the whey will separate from the solids resulting in a thick, spreadable cream cheese.

Mascarpone originated in the Lombardy region of northern Italy and is believed to date back to the Renaissance.  It’s used in both sweet and savory dishes.  It’s best known for its use in making Italy’s famous dessert, tiramisu.

Mascarpone vs. Cream Cheese 

The taste, texture and fat content are different.  Mascarpone has at least double the fat as American cream cheese (e.g., Philadelphia) giving it a much richer, thicker and melt-in-your-mouth texture than standard cream cheese.  While cream cheese has a tangy flavor, mascarpone is much milder and isn’t tangy at all.  Cream cheese is firmer and more “rubbery” in texture while mascarpone is softer and much creamier.  Though you can use the two interchangeably the flavor and texture will be different.  A closer relative to mascarpone is the French crème fraîche or English clotted cream.

mascarpone recipe how to make homemade traditional authentic easy best foolproof

How Do You Use Mascarpone?

Mascarpone is as versatile as whipped cream and so the possibilities are endless.  Here are just few delicious ways to use it:

  • Tiramisu (we’ll state the most famous application first)
  • Mixed with berries and a little honey for a healthy dessert
  • To make parfaits or trifles
  • To make semifreddo
  • Spread on toast or bagels with a drizzle of honey
  • As a frosting for cake
  • As a filling for crepes
  • Substitute it for sour cream in cakes and muffins
  • Mascarpone cream cheese frosting for your carrot cake  (or gluten free carrot cake)
  • Serve a dollop of it with roasted fruits or vegetables
  • Add it to risotto for an extra creamy texture
  • As a substitute for whipped cream
  • To make a savory herb dip or a sweet dip for fruits
  • Use it as the white sauce for your pizza
  • Use it to make your Fettuccine Alfredo
  • As the base in your creamy sauces
  • Add some to your mashed potatoes
  • Add a dollop to your soups and stews
  • Combine with Nutella for a frosting or pie filling
  • Use it to make cheesecake
  • Add some to your vegetable or au gratin potatoes
  • Add some to your scrambled eggs
  • Add some to your Southern grits to make them extra creamy

How Long Does Mascarpone Keep?

Mascarpone should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for 3-5 days.  If it develops any mold or a strange odor toss it out.

Can You Freeze Mascarpone?

Mascarpone is not the best candidate for freezing because as with most soft cheeses it has the tendency to separate when thawed.  However once it’s thawed you can try to whip it back into shape again.  If that doesn’t work you can still use the mascarpone for cooking.  You can freeze it in heavy duty freezer bags for about 2 months and then thaw it very slowly in the refrigerator.

mascarpone recipe how to make homemade traditional authentic easy best foolproof

What Do I Need To Make Mascarpone?

  • Heavy Cream (regular or “whipping” heavy cream)
  • Milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
  • Tartaric Acid
  • Calcium Chloride
  • Thermometer
  • Cheesecloth

Tartaric Acid

Traditionally made by adding an acidic substance to thicken the cream (known as “denaturation”).  While you can use lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid, I’ve found that tartaric acid is the most foolproof and yields the best results for a really nice, thick texture.  You can find tartaric acid in any wine or cheesemaking shop.

I purchase my food-grade tartaric acid here on Amazon.

tartaric acid mascarpone recipe homemade

Calcium Chloride

Unless you’re using fresh cream straight from the cow you will need calcium chloride.  This is a necessary ingredient when using pasteurized milk and cream, it is what helps the milk/cream coagulate and thicken.

masacarpone recipe how to make homemade easy traditional authentic tartaric acid calcium chloride

Thermometer

You will need a thermometer to check the temperature of your cream.  You can use a dairy thermometer or a regular digital thermometer.  I use an instant read thermometer which I already have on hand and use regularly for bread-baking and other things.

Cheesecloth

This is what you will use to drain your thickened cream.  I use and recommend this cheesecloth because it’s 100% unbleached cotton, is high grade, is very durable for multiple uses, and you get a ton of it.  Overall it’s the best value I have found for the quality.

cheesecloth

Ready to make some perfect homemade mascarpone cheese?

Let’s get started!

mascarpone recipe how to make homemade traditional authentic easy best foolproof

How To Make Mascarpone

Pour the heavy cream and milk into a small saucepan. Thoroughly stir in the calcium chloride mixture making sure it is fully distributed throughout the cream.  Gently heat the cream over medium heat until it reaches 185-190 F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Use a dairy thermometer or an instant read thermometer.

heating whipping cream

Once the cream reaches 185-190 F adjust the temperature so that the cream remains at 185-195 F and hold it at that steady temperature for 5 minutes.

During the 5 minutes dilute the tartaric acid in 2 tablespoons of water. Stir in the tartaric acid mixture, stirring constantly for about a minute. The cream will curdle and take on a consistency of thin cream of wheat. Let it cool for 5 minutes.

thickening whipping cream tartaric acid

Pour the thickened cream into a colander that’s lined with cheesecloth.  Cover it to prevent anything from falling in it and place it in the fridge or in a cool place to let it drain for about 4 hours (or longer) until the desired consistency is reached.

Transfer the mascarpone to a bowl.  Cover and keep refrigerated.  It will keep for 3-5 days.  (See also section above about freezing mascarpone.)

how to make mascarpone

Enjoy!

mascarpone recipe how to make homemade traditional authentic easy best foolproof

mascarpone recipe how to make homemade traditional authentic easy best foolproof

Be sure to also try our Homemade Quark!

how to make quark homemade recipe

 

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mascarpone recipe how to make homemade traditional authentic easy best foolproof

mascarpone recipe how to make homemade easy best

How to Make Mascarpone (Foolproof)

Kimberly Killebrew
A foolproof homemade mascarpone recipe! Learn how to make mascarpone that's perfectly thick, rich and creamy. It's super easy and the results will wow you!
Print Recipe
4.86 from 21 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Draining Time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 25 mins
Course Ingredient
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 205 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (35-40%)
  • 1 cup milk (NOT ultra-pasteurized)
  • 1/16 teaspoon calcium chloride , mixed in 2 tablespoons water before adding it to the cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon tartaric acid , mixed in 2 tablespoons water before adding it to the cream

Instructions
 

  • Pour the heavy cream and milk into a small saucepan. Thoroughly stir in the calcium chloride mixture making sure it is fully distributed throughout the cream.  Gently heat the cream over medium heat until it reaches 185-190 F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Use a dairy thermometer or an instant read thermometer.
    Once the cream reaches 185-190 F adjust the temperature so that the cream remains at 185-195 F and hold it at that steady temperature for 5 minutes.
    During the 5 minutes dilute the tartaric acid in 2 tablespoons of water. Stir in the tartaric acid mixture, stirring constantly for about a minute. The cream will curdle and take on a consistency of thin cream of wheat. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
    Pour the thickened cream into a colander that's lined with cheesecloth.  Cover it to prevent anything from falling in it and place it in the fridge or in a cool place to let it drain for about 4 hours (or longer) until the desired consistency is reached.  
    Transfer the mascarpone to a bowl.  Cover and keep refrigerated.  It will keep for 3-5 days.  (See also section above about freezing mascarpone.)  
    Makes about 2 cups of mascarpone cheese.
    Note: This recipe can be doubled.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 45mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg
Keyword Mascarpone
Tried this recipe? We'd love to see it!Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

 

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Filed Under: Affiliate, All Recipes, By Country or Region, By Type of Dish, Disclosure, Food, Gluten Free, Italy, Sauces, Seasonings and Condiments, Vegetarian, Western Europe Tagged With: cheese, cream, heavy cream, Italian, mascarpone, tartaric acid, whipping cream

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35 Responses

  1. Moritz says

    January 18, 2021 at 7:01 am

    hey, thank you for the recipe. my mascarpone appeared to have turned out fine but when i tried it, it was very chalky. any idea why? thank you for your help :)

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 18, 2021 at 8:54 am

      Hi Moritz, that can commonly happen when the milk/cream is heated too quickly. Try heating it slowly to avoid that problem.

      Reply
  2. Food Pundit (John) says

    October 16, 2020 at 3:51 am

    Problem making “FOOLPROOF” Mascarpone, I clicked on the images of CHEESE CLOTH, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, and TARTARIC ACID, which took me to Amazon for the items suggested, I ordered them, they arrived and I bought a pint of HEAVY CREAM. I then followed the recipe directions to the letter. IT IS NOT FOOLPROOF. It did not thicken as directions indicate it should have. The mixture just ran through the cheesecloth. That was this morning. My major mistake was waiting until today to try theto make Tiramisu with it. Now I have to do a chocolate cake for backup. Someone else had this problem earlier, so I was very diligent in following your recipe. I will go back and read the response to see if there were any helpful notes. Any suggestions on what went wrong with my attempt?

    Reply
  3. Julia Katherine Bond says

    September 20, 2020 at 11:26 am

    Have no idea what I did wrong! Did not thicken as it should have. I cooked or simmered the cream in a double boiler (homemade). Several people recommended. I put a small pan inside a larger pan with just enough water to allow to float. Was a very short distance from water to pan holding cream. I stirred for over 15 min. Did. Not feel it had thickened as much as expected. It was bubbling around edges and little to center. Could I have allowed it to boil too much? I then checked and was at 189. Another 3 min and was 190! I mixed the acid in 2tbsp of water. I had doubled my Recipe so I used 1/4 versus 1/8 tsp. Acid! I did not double the recommended 2 tbsp. water. Was this a problem? I then poured over cheesecloth (sent to me with acid) with this over strainer. Half the cream immediately went into pan below. I thought my cloth should have been folded with more layers. Tried doing this with restart. Did not help. Went thru to pan – at least one half. Refrigerated. Next AM I mixed as much as I could possibly get off cloth with what was in pan. Resulted in a pudding like consistency! Used in shell stuffing recipe.
    Added 1/2cup beaten cream cheese to mixture.

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    August 17, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    I followed this recipe exactly twice and my mascarpone never thickened. I don’t know what I did wrong. Any suggestions?

    Reply
  5. Heather says

    July 20, 2020 at 3:07 am

    Kimberly! ❣️
    Thank you for this gorgeous recipe! You’re right on the button in your descriptions, comparisons and contrasts between mascarpone and other clotted cheese and creams. It’s wonderful to find a site like this with not only great recipes, but clear videos and directions, not to mention an approachable personality so easy to understand. I had wanted to try other methods to my traditional mascarpone and crème fraîche. I cater dozens of cheesecakes, quark cheesecakes, tiramisus and other cream-based desserts for a living, so you must also know the cost in crème fraîche and mascarpone!
    Thank you for adding more knowledge for all of we ‘wee’ bakers out here. I’m in southern California🍰

    Cheers!
    Heather

    Reply
  6. Paul Teal says

    March 19, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    You write. “A closer relative to mascarpone is the French crème fraîche or English clotted cream”. Sorry but I disagree, English Clotted cream is a distant relative in that it is not a cheese. Try suggesting that you might substitute clotted cream for marscapone to an Italian and you had best be standing well back. :-) If you wre to try using clotted cream to make tiramisu you will be sorely disappointed. If you think marscapone is expensive–triple the price for clotted cream, once you have applied for a mortgage you will make the tiramisu and not be able to eat it because it will be far too rich. A tablespoon of clotted cream goes a very long way. I am not trying to difficult but it is just plain folly to do it. Thank you for your time and your reply.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 19, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      Paul…..it’s a “close-ER relative” to mascarpone than cream cheese is, not a “close relative”. Note the difference. And that statement is true, both respect to texture and flavor.
      And suggesting that creme fraiche or clotted cream can be substituted for mascarpone in one recipe does not imply it can be substituted for every recipe calling for mascarpone (e.g. tiramisu). Cheers.

      Reply
  7. Paul Teal says

    March 18, 2020 at 11:23 pm

    The making of English (Cornish) clotted cream has nothing in common with marscapone except that the raw ingredient comes from a cow. There is nothing added to clotted cream, it is simply gently heated for a long period of time until the water component, (whey) has evaporated. It is not cheese.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 19, 2020 at 10:35 am

      Hi Paul, that’s correct, clotted cream is not the same thing as mascarpone and I wasn’t suggesting that to be the case. Note the context of my comment. It’s a discussion about suitable substitutes for mascarpone. The point I’m making is that if you’re going to use a substitute then use either creme fraiche or clotted cream because they are more similar in flavor and texture than cream cheese is.

      Reply
  8. Mary says

    March 8, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    I used to make my own Mascapone but stopped because I ran out of the acid that did the thickening. I bought it from a cheese maker whom I lost contact with.
    Now that I know that it was Tartaric Acid that I was using I can start making it again.
    Thanks for the information to get me going again, because it costs an arm and a leg to buy it, but it is so luscious! :))

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 8, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      Wonderful! I know, mascarpone is so expensive. Once you buy some tartaric acid it will last you a long time and for many batches and then the cost of the mascarpone is simply the cost of the cream. Very little whey is lost in the straining process so with two cups of cream you’re pretty much getting two cups of mascarpone. Score! Happy mascarpone making, Mary! :)

      Reply
    • John JOHNSTON says

      October 16, 2020 at 6:16 pm

      What I did not see in this website is that if you click on the photos in the recipe you will be taken to the site to purchase the item. CHEESECLOTH, TARTARIC, or CALCIUM CHLORIDE. I did, and immediate order, fast delivery.

      Reply
  9. Catalina says

    March 5, 2020 at 11:45 am

    I am glad to make mascarpone at home. Sounds so easy!

    Reply
  10. Amanda Livesay says

    March 5, 2020 at 10:28 am

    I had no idea homemade mascarpone was so simple! I love this!

    Reply
  11. Sara Welch says

    March 5, 2020 at 10:02 am

    What a great recipe, and so versatile too! Looking forward to enjoying this on some of your suggestions, indeed!

    Reply
  12. katerina says

    March 5, 2020 at 8:13 am

    I can’t wait to try this! THANK you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  13. Amanda says

    March 4, 2020 at 3:51 pm

    Thank you for sharing this easy to follow recipe it will be a huge help!

    Reply
  14. Erin says

    March 4, 2020 at 3:31 pm

    This Mascarpone cheese looks incredibly delicious!

    Reply
  15. Kate says

    March 4, 2020 at 10:53 am

    Kimberly, Could you use the yoghurt feature of the Instant Pot to heat up the cream?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 4, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      Hi Kate, that should work fine. Happy cooking! :)

      Reply
  16. Chelsea says

    March 3, 2020 at 8:30 am

    This is sooo amazing and so delicious! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Rachael Yerkes says

    March 3, 2020 at 7:53 am

    This makes it so simple! Love how creamy it is! Great directions.

    Reply
  18. Kellie Hemmerly says

    March 3, 2020 at 7:31 am

    This was so simple to make and ultra creamy!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 3, 2020 at 7:52 am

      I’m so glad it was a success, Kellie, thank you!

      Reply
  19. Jenn says

    March 3, 2020 at 4:32 am

    Thank you so much! I have been wanting to try a homemade version and this came out perfect!

    Reply
  20. Lilliana Demosani says

    March 1, 2020 at 11:22 am

    I need to know how to do ricotta cheese for various dishes.

    Thanks very much.

    Lilliana

    Reply
  21. Carrie Robinson says

    February 14, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    Such a great idea to make your own at home! I bet this is incredible in a homemade tiramisu recipe. :)

    Reply
  22. Krissy Allori says

    February 14, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    I love mascarpone. This is a great easy recipe that I’ll keep on hand for sure. My favorite is just as is with some berries. Yum!

    Reply
  23. Valentina says

    February 14, 2020 at 2:39 pm

    I always use mascarpone, the fact that you can make it homemade is AWESOME! I love this simple recipe.

    Reply
  24. Kristyn says

    February 14, 2020 at 6:53 am

    Wow..really is so easy!! Love the easy ingredients! We love mascarpone in so many desserts..it will be nice to have on hand!

    Reply
  25. Kara says

    February 14, 2020 at 6:39 am

    I hardly ever buy mascarpone because it’s so dang expensive. Can’t wait to try this, and I’m happy that I can buy the tartaric acid online!

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      June 9, 2020 at 1:20 pm

      You should be able to get tartaric acid at any grocery store….. that’s just another name for cream of tartar….

      Reply
      • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

        June 9, 2020 at 8:38 pm

        No, cream of tartar is not the same thing. Cream of tartar is a product that’s made “from” tartaric acid but also contains potassium hydroxide which has the effect of neutralizing the tartaric acid making it less acidic. It won’t work for making mascarpone.

        Reply
  26. Lisalia says

    February 13, 2020 at 8:19 pm

    This is always so expensive to buy in the store! Thank you for this version to try at home!

    Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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