This Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe is so quick and easy. In under two hours, you will have delicious Homemade Cottage Cheese or Pot Cheese.
Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe
Not only can your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker make wonderful Instant Pot Yogurt, but you can use them to make Homemade Instant Pot Cottage Cheese, Pot Cheese, Farmer Cheese and Indian Paneer as well!
Most of the major brand of Multi Cooker machines that have a yogurt button work in much of the same way.
As a kid, I hated cottage cheese. I was forced to eat cottage cheese because my parent(s) always had me on a diet.
I did, however, love pot cheese and farmer cheese, with Creamettes, sour cream and salt and pepper, which I was recently reminded. It’s a Jewish thing. In fact, I love it so much, I created a post with my beloved recipe. Check out my Pressure Cooker Lokshen Mit Kaese recipe and I bet you will love it too!
Cottage cheese was big in Weight Watcher circles and I followed Weight Watchers as a very young kid. As I got older, I actually started liking cottage cheese. In fact, one of my favorite Weight Watchers treat is a Weight Watchers “cheese danish” made with cottage cheese, cinnamon and a sugar substitute melted on top of toast.
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe
With a few ingredients, you will end up with about five cups of Instant Pot Cottage Cheese.
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What Type of Milk to Use?
That my friends is up to you. Low fat, full fat, non-fat, whichever you please.
Just keep in mind that the less fat in the milk, the less dense and creamy cottage cheese.
Is it Cost Effective to Make Your Own?
It depends on the type of milk you are using. You will get a lot of whey out of the cottage cheese when straining. Since the homemade cottage cheese is super fresh, you could compare the cost to what you would spend in an organic store, which sells fresh cottage cheese.
Pour the Milk into the Instant Pot
Is There a Low Carb Keto Option?
Yes, pretty much there is and it is simple. Substitute the milk with heavy cream
For a low carb and keto option, use heavy cream in place of milk.
Recipes Using Cottage Cheese
I love to eat a scoop of Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe for breakfast, as a side dish to my Mexican Salsa Lime Chicken Omelet and my Pressure Cooker Spanish Tortilla and also on my Pressure Cooker One Pot Spaghetti Dinner.
Push Yogurt and then Adjust
Which Lid To Use When Making Homemade Cottage Cheese?
As Instant Pot Cottage Cheese is not made under pressure, like Instant Pot Yogurt, just a glass lid is needed.
Of course, you can use the lid that came with your pot.
The Boil Cycle is about 45 Minutes
It is easier for me to use the Instant Pot Glass Lid during the Boil Cycle, so that I can easily lift if off and Whisk the Milk.
Your Instant Pot will Beep after about 30-45 minutes, letting you know that it is ready and up to temperature.
Give the Milk a Whisking
If you Whisk the Milk a few times during the Boil Cycle, the Milk will come up to temperature quicker.
It will also prevent any milk from sticking on the bottom.
Take the Temperature
Because I am a perfectionist, I use a Digital Thermometer to take the temperature. It’s really not necessary, as exact temperature for this recipe is not key. 170-180 is fine.
There is a slight difference in getting up to 180, but really, not enough to worry, so if you feel like it, take the temp and get the milk up to 180.
By starting with a cool Cooking Pot AND Whisking during the boil cycle, I can get up to temp on the first try.
By the time I snapped this picture, the temp had already come down a bit, as I was trying a different set up and almost knocked the Instant Pot off the counter.
Slowly Pour in the Vinegar
How to Make Cottage Cheese in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.
- The milk is warmed to about 180 degrees.
- Lemon juice or White Vinegar is carefully mixed into the milk.
- The curds will separate with the whey.
- Whey is drained from the curds and cream and salt is added.
Cover and let sit for a bit
Turn off your Instant Pot or GoWise Electric Pressure Cooker and cover the Cottage Cheese.
Leave the Cottage Cheese alone for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare your Strainer
I have several Cooking Pots, so, if I am planning on saving the Whey, I place my Strainer Basket into my extra Cooking Pot, so that I can catch the Whey.
The Whey from the Cottage Cheese will have vinegar in it, which essentially turns the Whey into a good substitute for “Buttermilk,” which is awesome!
I love to use the substitute “Buttermilk Whey” in my Banana Bread recipes and in my Country Sourdough recipe.
It is also good to use in my Instant Pot Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe.
Pour the Cottage Cheese into Strainer Basket
If you want to make Farmer Cheese out of this recipe, line your basket with Butter Muslin, so that you can squeeze out all the liquid.
Keep squeezing until you get out every drop. Wrap it in plastic wrap and you can shape the Farmer Cheese.
YARKOR Tofu Press, Paneer Press, Farmer Cheese Press
Or check out this Yakor Tofu Press and easily drain the liquid. You can also use it for making Paneer, which is Indian cheese!
Cut it into cubes and you have an easy recipe for Indian paneer!
That’s it for the Farmer Cheese, Indian Paneer and tofu!
Rinse the Strainer of Cottage Cheese under Cool Water
Using a light stream of cold water and a Spatula, carefully move around the Curds, so that the Vinegar will be removed.
For Pot Cheese – drain the liquid, but don’t squeeze it out. That’s it. Stop here. You have Pot Cheese!!
Use Pot Cheese for my Pressure Cooker Creamettes and Pot Cheese recipe.
Mix Salt in the Cream
Add the Salt in to the cup with the Cream and give it a good Whisk. If you want to keep your Cottage Cheese lower in fat/calories, you can use Half & Half, if you like.
Milk actually works too, but the result will not be creamy.
Pour Cream into Cottage Cheese
Gently incorporate the Salt/Cream mixture into the Cottage Cheese, making sure not to break the Curds up too much.
For a smaller Curd, break them up more.
Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese
What a difference this Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe is from store bought.
It tastes so fresh and delicious.
Try it on top of my Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce, for a very healthy meal.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot DUO 6 Quart
- GoWise 8 Quart Pressure Cooker
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- Salbree Steamer Basket
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe
Print Pin Save RateIngredients
- 1 Gallon Whole Milk or Heavy Cream 2% or 1%
- 2/3 cup Distilled Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream or Half & Half more as needed
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Pour milk into Instant Pot cooking pot and cover with Glass Lid or Black IP Lid.
- Push the Yogurt button and then the Adjust button. The display should read "Boil."
- During the Boil cycle, remove the lid and whisk the milk a couple of times during the cycle.
- When Beep sounds, remove lid and take temperature.. Anywhere from 170-180 degrees is fine.
- Slowly pour in the lemon juice or vinegar and gently move around the milk. It will begin to look curdled.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Cover the milk with the Glass Lid and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Add salt to the cream and whisk. Set aside.
- Pour the Cottage Cheese into a Strainer Basket lined with butter muslin, sitting inside of a Cooking Pot or other device to drain.
- Remove Strainer Basket to sink and run a slow stream of cool water over the Strainer Basket to remove excess Vinegar.
- Place Cottage Cheese into bowl.
- Gently pour in the cream with the salt and incorporate.
- Refrigerate and enjoy.
Farmer Cheese and Indian Paneer
- Follow the exact same instructions for Cottage Cheese, but don't add any cream or salt.
- Instead of placing the cottage cheese into a bowl after draining out the liquid, gather the ends of the butter muslin and twist. Squeeze out as much liquid with your hands as you can. The cheese will form into a ball.
- Shape the cheese into a block.
- Place block of cheese into Tofu/Paneer Press and lock into position.
- Let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour, so that more of the moisture will be removed.
- The farmer cheese/paneer can then be cut into pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN this Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese!
Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese
Jill, your link to the RSVP Strainer is actually glass measuring cups.
Sue
Thanks, Sue. It has been corrected. Jill
I just tried for the first time. All in all I think it turned out pretty good but it didn’t really form district curds – pretty mushy. Do you think more vinegar would help? Or more heat? My temp got to 175. Just FYI, I live at 7000 ft elevation, so sometimes recipes need adjustments.
Can I do this with a half gallon? Just half the ingredients?
I just made this as a Fathers day present fir my dad . Super easy. Hope he likes it. He’s been wanting homemade cottage cheese for years. Only question is, my curds are very small which is fine. I tried to stir it gently but should I do somethimg different next time for bigger curds?
Hi PJ. Glad your dad enjoyed the cottage cheese. To make them bigger curds, you would need rennet. Jill
How would you make this to be fat free or light? Or can this even be done??
Hi. Just wanted you to know that the rsvp strainer link goes to measuring cups on amazon and not the strainer.
Thanks, Mark. It has been corrected. 🙂 Jill
The link still goes to the measuring cups, not the strainer
Michelle, it is corrected. Thank you for letting me know. Jill
Can I half the recipe and still have it turn out? I am so new at this that I haven’t even received my pot (thanks by the way for the 20% coupon off the Ultra – I can’t wait to receive it).
Hi Donna. You can easily halve this recipe. Thanks for using the coupon for the Ultra. Congrats on your new venture! Jill
I have the LUX. Can I use the saute mode to get it up to temperature?
Hi Tamera~
That would be fine, just keep a close eye on it and whisk. The slow cook mode would work too. Jill
I just made this cottage cheese and it is awesome! The recipe says it makes 5 cups, but I used a gallon of 2% milk and it only yielded about 2 cups. A ton of whey left over. Is this normal? Milk in Hawaii is about $5-6/ gallon on sale, so if it only yields about 2 cups (which my husband can just inhale it in one sitting), it may not be economical for us.
Hi Gina~
You will get the biggest yield with whole milk or a higher fat milk product like cream or Half and Half. It is not economical for everyone. Jill
If I use 1/2 gallon of milk, is it likely to scorch? I think a gallon would be way more than I could use.
Oh my. I had no idea there could be so much difference. AND so simple. Now to figure out what to do with all that whey. Can you freeze it?
Can you substitute lemon juice for the vinegar? If so, would I use the same amount? I am allergic to vinegar. Thaks
gonna certainly try your way of doing this..thanks
Cottage cheese recipe: neglects to mention that you need to press cancel button after milk reaches proper temperature. It does tell you this above under pictures.
I’ve started trying several of your recipes for the INSTAPOT, dont tell my husband,but I’m kinda falling in love with you!! 😛
Hi Renee~
Thanks for the kind words. I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes. 🙂
Jill
Would this be high in protein like store bought cottage cheese ? I was thinking it wouldn’t since you are straining the whey out?
The stuff in the store is strained also. Otherwise you would be buying curdled whey soup! I “*think* that the higher protein stuff likely has dried milk added and mixed in prior to boiling it.
Anyone tried using whole milk?
How would you do this in the Instant Pot models without a yogurt function? Also, how could you make it LARGE curd?
Just heat the milk to temperature on the stove or using the microwave. Follow the recipe from there. The temperature denatures the protein, the vinegar triggers the curdles. Simple!
Jill when I was a child my mother made cottage cheesed I loved it ….I feel like I’m a child again.This recipe is great!!!! thank you
What if you used apple cider vinegar in stead of white? Have you done it with raw milk?
Just to be clear, once the milk hits 170-180 you turn off the IP and add the vinegar? And let sit at least 30 minutes, with no heat. Correct?
I am looking forward to making this on the weekend.
Thank you