Cream Cheese Substitutes

Out of cream cheese? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert cream cheese between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the cream cheese converter.

What to use instead of cream cheese

  • Mascarpone

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup cream cheese = 1 cup mascarpone (1:1 by volume)

    Mascarpone is richer (around 40% fat to cream cheese's 33%) and sweeter, with no live cultures so the tang is gone. Close in weight (240 g vs 230 g per cup); expect a softer set in cheesecakes.

  • Ricotta

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup cream cheese = 1 cup drained ricotta (1:1 by volume)

    Ricotta is grainier and lower in fat (258 g vs 230 g per cup). Drain or blend smooth for no-bake fillings; in baked cheesecakes it works straight in with a slightly drier, less tangy result.

    See ricotta substitutes →

  • Greek Yoghurt

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup cream cheese = 1 cup strained Greek yoghurt (1:1 by volume)

    Lean swap: tangier and far lower in fat than cream cheese, similar weight (260 g vs 230 g per cup). Strain through cheesecloth for an hour to mimic cream cheese's body; loses richness in frostings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for cream cheese?
There are 3 workable substitutes for cream cheese, depending on what you have on hand and which property of cream cheese matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup cream cheese = 1 cup mascarpone (1:1 by volume). Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting cream cheese change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the cream cheese converter
How do I measure cream cheese accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The cream cheese converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the cream cheese converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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