Cream cheese Substitutes — Tested Swaps & Ratios

Cream cheese substitutes^A

Tested swaps for cream cheese, with ratios and sources.

1 cup cream cheese^A = 1 cup whole-milk ricotta^A, strained and pureed smooth (Food52)
Works in spreads and some cheesecakes; texture is lighter and slightly grainier. Not a true match for a New York-style cheesecake.
← Whole-milk ricotta converter
1 cup cream cheese^A = 1 cup mascarpone^A (with a squeeze of lemon for tang) (Food52)
Richer and sweeter than cream cheese; best in frostings, dips, and no-bake fillings rather than classic baked cheesecake.
← Mascarpone converter

Safety

Measure substitutes by weight where you can. The Cream cheese converter gives the grams.

Note: our substitutions are direct, not chained — we don't recommend substituting a substitute.

Cream cheese substitutesA