Did you know you can make homemade ricotta cheese with just 4 ingredients you likely have on hand? No special tools are required!
A Soft Homemade Cheese
Ricotta is Italian for ‘recooked’, and ricotta cheese is a soft curd cheese with a mild flavor and creamy texture.
It pairs well with bold flavors like tomato marinara, basil pesto, or roasted garlic. It’s also great with fruit and a drizzle of honey over crostini.
Ricotta vs. Cottage Cheese
While they can be used interchangeably in many recipes, cottage cheese is cheese curds, so the texture is more chunky, while ricotta is smoother. I find ricotta cheese to be a bit sweeter in flavor and richer.
What You’ll Need
Milk: The base of this ricotta cheese recipe is milk. I use cow milk, but it can also be made with goat, sheep, or buffalo milk. Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk (UHT).
Heavy cream: This gives ricotta its rich, creamy flavor.
Vinegar: Vinegar is the acidic ingredient that creates the curds. If you don’t have vinegar, use lemon juice.
Salt: Salt is added for flavor.
How to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese
It’s so easy to make fresh ricotta cheese!
Boil milk, cream, and salt in a large pot (full recipe below).
Remove from the heat, stir in vinegar, and let it rest until it forms curds.
Strain the curds in a colander and enjoy your homemade cheese.
The liquid strained from the cheese is called whey. Leftover whey is great to add to baked goods like bread, pizza dough, or even mixed with pancake mix in place of water. Place the colander over a bowl to catch the whey.
Storage
Store ricotta cheese in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It may need to be drained or stirred before using.
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Homemade Ricotta Cheese (4 ingredients)
Homemade Ricotta Cheese is easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand—no special tools required. It’s perfect for homemade pasta dishes and more!
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Drain Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Prevent your screen from going dark
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat milk, cream, and salt over medium heat while stirring. Cook just until the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove from the heat, add the vinegar, and stir to combine.
Let the mixture rest undisturbed for 30 minutes to allow curds to form.
Line a fine mesh strainer or colander with 2 layers of damp cheesecloth. Gently spoon the ricotta curds into the strainer.
Allow to drain for 30-45 minutes.
Homemade ricotta cheese will last up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
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If you’ve never had Zeppole before, get ready — these fluffy, powdered-sugar-coated Italian donuts are dangerously good! Light, airy, and made with ricotta, this is the kind of sweet treat you’ll be making on repeat.
Years ago, my Italian friend taught me how to make these little golden clouds of joy known as Zeppole — and let me tell you, it took zero convincing for me to keep the tradition alive. These ricotta donuts are ridiculously easy to make (we’re talking one bowl, no yeast, and done in 30 minutes), which is both a blessing and a problem… because I now make them far more often than I probably should. Light, fluffy, and shamelessly coated in powdered sugar — they’re what you serve when you want people to think you’re fancy, without actually doing anything fancy.
Why You’ll Love These Ricotta Zeppole
No yeast, no drama. Seriously. No proofing, no rising, no praying to the dough gods. Just mix, scoop, and fry.
Ricotta magic. The ricotta keeps them moist and fluffy inside, which means you get that perfect soft bite every single time. No dry, sad donuts here.
30 minutes to glory. That’s right. You could be eating a warm, sugar-dusted pile of these beauties faster than it takes to watch one episode of your favorite cooking show (no judgment if it’s Kitchen Nightmares).
Crowd-pleaser. Always. Whether it’s Sunday brunch, holiday dessert, or a “just because I need fried dough” moment—these never last more than 5 minutes on the plate.
Customizable. Want them plain? Great. Filled with jam? Even better. Drizzled with chocolate? Now you’re speaking my love language.
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
Ricotta matters – Use full-fat ricotta for rich, creamy zeppole that actually taste like something. If yours is watery, give it a quick drain—unless you’re aiming for fried soup blobs (please don’t).
Don’t overmix – As soon as the wet and dry ingredients come together, stop stirring. This isn’t arm day. The less you fuss with the batter, the lighter and puffier your zeppole will be.
Temperature is everything – Fry at 350°F (175°C) and keep it steady. Too cold? Grease bombs. Too hot? Charred outsides and raw middles. Trust me, a cheap candy thermometer will save you a world of heartbreak.
Scoop smart – A small cookie scoop keeps them uniform and cooks them evenly. Two spoons work too—if you’re feeling patient and slightly chaotic.
Eat immediately – Zeppole are a “live in the moment” kind of dessert. They’re absolute perfection fresh out of the fryer, dusted with way too much powdered sugar, and eaten like you’re hiding them from someone.
How To Make Ricotta Zeppole
Whisk the dry ingredients
Flour, baking powder, salt, sugar—into a big bowl they go. Give it a good whisk. You want everything evenly mixed so you don’t end up biting into a salty or baking powder explosion later. (Ask me how I know.)
In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta, vanilla, and milk until mostly smooth. Little ricotta lumps? Totally normal. This is homemade, not factory-made—embrace the rustic vibes.
Mix it all together (gently!)
Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff and stir just until it comes together. Thick, sticky, and slightly ugly? Perfect. Stop mixing the moment it looks combined—overmixing makes tough zeppole, and nobody wants to eat little rubber balls unless they’re training a Labrador.
Heat your oil—and mean it
Get about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or skillet and bring it to 350°F (175°C). No thermometer? Drop a little batter in—if it sizzles and floats, you’re close. If it sinks like a stone or goes nuclear, adjust. Oil that’s too cool = greasy sadness. Too hot = burnt armor with raw insides.
Use a small cookie scoop (or two spoons if you’re feeling chaotic) to drop blobs of batter into the oil. Fry a few at a time—don’t overcrowd or the oil temp tanks and you end up with soggy fritters that even your dog will judge.
After about 2–3 minutes, once they’re puffed and golden, flip them over with a slotted spoon. If you’re wrestling with them, your oil’s probably too cold—turn the heat up a smidge and carry on.
Drain and sugar like you mean it
Scoop them out onto a paper towel-lined plate. Don’t be shy with the powdered sugar—you want that snowstorm effect. If people aren’t coughing sugar clouds across your kitchen, you didn’t use enough.
Zeppole do not age gracefully. These are a fry-them-and-eat-them situation. Pour some coffee, park yourself next to the plate, and pretend you might share. (You won’t.)
Serving Suggestions
These donuts are pure magic warm and dusted with powdered sugar — but if you want to take things up a notch (and why wouldn’t you?), here’s how:
Jam or preserves: Raspberry, strawberry, apricot — basically anything sticky and sweet you can dunk them into.
Nutella or melted chocolate: Because sometimes you just need to go full “treat yourself” mode.
Honey drizzle: For when you’re feeling fancy but lazy.
Espresso or strong coffee: Perfect excuse to call it “breakfast” and not feel guilty about eating six.
Feeling extra indulgent? Pair these zeppole with a few more of my favorite treats:
Absolutely. Slice them open like little sandwich buns and stuff with jam, Nutella, pastry cream—whatever makes your heart (and waistband) happy. Just make sure they’re cooled a bit first or you’ll have a hot mess on your hands. Literally.
Can I air fry them instead?
Not this recipe, no. The batter is way too soft and loose—you’d need a much thicker dough to even stand a chance. If you try to air fry this version, you’ll just end up with sad, flat blobs. Real talk: these were made to be fried the old-fashioned way. It’s faster, it tastes better, and your kitchen will smell like an Italian bakery instead of dashed dreams.
Can I make the batter ahead?
Nope. This is a mix-and-go situation. If you let the batter sit around, the baking powder will lose its mojo and your donuts will fry up sad and flat. You deserve fluffy.
How do I keep them fresh?
Short answer: you don’t. Zeppole are best eaten fresh—like, within an hour. If you have to save them, keep them loosely covered at room temperature and pop them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes to crisp back up. Just know… they’re never as good as that first glorious bite.
Can I freeze them?
Honestly? Not recommended. Fried donuts just don’t freeze well. They turn weirdly chewy and sad. If you must, freeze the raw batter in dollops on a baking sheet, then fry straight from frozen. But fresh is king here.
Try These Delicious Donuts Next
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Easy Ricotta Zeppole (Italian Donuts)
Prep 15 minutesminutes
Cook 15 minutesminutes
Total 30 minutesminutes
Fluffy Ricotta Zeppole, fried to golden perfection and buried under powdered sugar — ready in just 30 minutes!
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick and sticky.
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or skillet to 350°F (175°C). Use a candy thermometer to maintain the temperature.
Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, drop tablespoon-sized portions of the batter into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and puffed. Use a slotted spoon to turn them as they cook.
Remove the zeppole with a slotted spoon and drain them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Once slightly cooled, dust the zeppole generously with powdered sugar.
Serve warm, with optional sides like chocolate sauce, honey, or fruit preserves for dipping.
Notes
Ricotta: Use full-fat ricotta. If it’s very wet, drain it a little in a fine mesh sieve so your batter isn’t too loose.
Oil Temperature: Keep the oil steady at 350°F (175°C). Too cold = greasy. Too hot = burnt on the outside, raw inside. A cheap candy thermometer is worth it.
Don’t overcrowd: Fry just a few at a time. Adding too many drops the oil temp fast and gives you sad, soggy donuts.
Best served fresh: Zeppole are at their peak warm and fluffy, right after frying. They don’t store well—make them, eat them, no regrets.
Optional fillings: Once cooled, slice and fill with jam, Nutella, or pastry cream for a next-level treat.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American
