01
Cottage Cheese
10.0best for scones1 cup : 1 cup
Mild curds with similar moisture; drain well, slightly less creamy but works in lasagna and stuffed shells
10.0
ricotta substitute
in scones.
Ricotta in Scones keeps the crumb moist and short-textured. The stand-in should be cold and thick enough to blend in without over-hydrating the dough.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
Cottage Cheese holds more moisture than ricotta, so drain 45 minutes then pulse smooth and chill to 38°F before cutting into cold flour. Reduce added cream by 2 tbsp to prevent dough that's too wet for clean wedge shaping, and bake at 400°F for 18 minutes for crumbly golden ridges.
02
Feta
10.0best for scones1 cup : 1 cup
Milder, creamy; add a squeeze of lemon for tang
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Feta is too salty (1200mg per 1/4 cup) for sweet scones unless you rinse thoroughly and crumble fine, then skip all added salt. Excellent in savory scones (rosemary-thyme) at 1/3 cup crumbled per batch; fold into cold flour with butter and expect visible crumbly salty pockets in each wedge.
03
Cottage
10.0best for scones1 cup : 1 cup
Smoother texture, works in baking
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Cottage (dry-curd) mirrors ricotta's tender-crumb role with less moisture, so use straight from the fridge at 38°F and skip the drain. Fold whole curds with cold butter into flour; they keep the short crumbly texture that defines a scone rather than sliding toward biscuit layers.
show 11 more substitutes
04
Goat
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Mild and creamy, good in pasta
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Goat is tangier and 21% fat, richer than ricotta; chill to 38°F, cut into cold flour with butter, and reduce the butter by 1 tbsp per cup to prevent greasy crumb. The tangy flavor pairs beautifully with lemon zest or dried cherries folded into the shaped wedge dough before baking.
05
Queso Blanco
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Softer, works in cooked dishes
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Queso Blanco stays firm and won't tenderize the crumb like ricotta; blend with 1 tbsp cream per cup of cheese for 45 seconds until pea-size, chill to 38°F, and fold into flour with butter. Add 1 tsp lemon juice to the cream brush for the tang ricotta would normally bring to the dough.
06
Queso Fresco
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Milder, use ricotta salata if possible
10.0
07
Brie
10.01 oz : 1 1/4 oz
Spread on toast or crackers for soft texture
10.0
08
Mozzarella
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Stretchy melty cheese; less creamy than ricotta, use shredded in baked dishes not as a filling
10.0
09
Neufchatel
7.51 cup : 1 cup
Lighter, blend until smooth
7.5
10
Mascarpone
7.51 cup : 1 cup
Richer and creamier, works in lasagna
7.5
11
Avocado
7.51 cup : 1 cup
Creamy on toast, season with salt and pepper
7.5
12
Greek Yogurt
6.01 cup : 1 cup
Milder, slightly grainy; blend for smoother texture
6.0
13
Sour Cream
6.01 cup : 1 cup
Thicker, add splash of milk and lemon to thin
6.0
14
Heavy Cream
6.01 cup : 1 cup
Blend smooth with 2 tbsp milk for cream-like texture
6.0
technique for scones
technique
Ricotta in scones acts like a thick cream plus curd mixture, delivering moisture and visible short-textured flecks that bake into tender pockets. Use ricotta straight from the fridge (38°F), cut in cold butter to pea-size, and only then drizzle in 1/3 cup cold heavy cream — total liquid including ricotta should read 60% of flour weight by scale.
Fold the dough in thirds twice on a floured bench for a minimal layer effect, then pat to a 1-inch round and cut 8 wedges. Brush tops with cream, rest 15 minutes on the chilled sheet, and bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes until crumbly tops turn golden at the ridges.
Unlike ricotta in biscuits where you aim for explosive pull-apart rise from buttermilk and baking powder, scones hold a denser, shorter crumb that shatters when you bite rather than peels in sheets. Contrast with muffins: scones keep ricotta cold and chunky while muffins want it smooth and room-temp; swap and you get tough muffins and squat scones.
Contrast with pie-crust: scones want the dough shaped into a rise, not rolled thin, so gluten builds slightly rather than being minimized.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Don't let ricotta warm above 40°F before it enters the flour; warm curds smear into the butter and erase the short crumbly texture.
watch out
Avoid kneading past two thirds-folds; extra fold builds gluten and you end up with biscuit-style layers instead of crumbly scones.
watch out
Chill the shaped wedges 15 minutes before baking so the cold rise gives shape rather than spread on the hot sheet.
watch out
Don't cream ricotta with butter the way you would for cake; keep both cold and cut in separately for true scone crumb.
watch out
Brush tops with cold cream, not milk — cream gives the crust-like sheen scones need for proper golden ridges.