Desperately in need of a last-minute goat cheese substitute? These best nine easy alternatives will get you out of trouble.
Goat cheese is pretty self-explanatory – it is cheese made from goat’s milk instead of more common cow or sheep’s milk. There are many different varieties of goat cheese, but all of them tend to be saltier and more pungent than cow cheese. Usually, goat cheese is a soft, spreadable cheese that adds a hint of flavor to salads, melting sauces, and even baked dishes.
If you skip out on the goat cheese in your recipe, you could deprive yourself of a valuable source of flavor and umami. Skipping out on goat cheese in a sauce can deprive you of a crucial melted dimension to your dish.
Even though goat cheese may be crucial to your recipe, it can be hard to find in the store, or someone in your household may not like it. If you don’t have goat cheese on hand, other cheeses can work well as a substitute.
The best substitutes for goat cheese depend on the recipe or dish you were planning on making that calls for this cheese. If you are making a salad, a crumbly, flavorful cheese such as feta or blue cheese works. If you need a creamier cheese for a spread or sauce, use fromage blanc or ricotta.
Yogurt
This is a type of fermented milk. It’s primarily famous for its probiotic properties. It is heated and combined with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.
These are both live bacteria. It comes in different flavors with numerous health benefits. The taste is slightly tangy, and this is caused by the bacteria converting the sugars in the milk.
Yogurt makes a great goat’s cheese substitute because of its creamy nature. It is also tangy, just like goat cheese has a tart taste. These are some of the factors that make yogurt a good substitute. Just use the same amount of yogurt in place of goat cheese in a recipe.
Ricotta
Ricotta is a fresh Italian cheese. The word means recooked, and it is a whey cheese that you can make from the milk of cows, goats, even buffalo. It comes about by separating milk, giving you the solids, known as curd, and the liquid, known as whey. Ricotta is then made from the liquid bit. It is one of the different cheese varieties. They differ in the way they are made, and the ingredients added. You can also make homemade ricotta with whole milk. When it is heated up, it thickens similarly.
Ricotta is not aged, and as such, it is light and fluffy and still very moist, unlike other cheeses that are aged. It has a low-fat content similar to goat cheese, making it a healthy dietary choice. However, it has a different texture. Ricotta is a good substitute for goat cheese for these reasons and because the tastes are similar. However, you will need to add a bit of salt to bring the taste up to par. You can use equal amounts of ricotta as you would goat cheese.
Mascarpone Cheese
This is another fresh Italian cheese that can be used as a goat cheese substitute. You can get it as a triple or as a double-cream cheese. It is sweet and has a silky feel to it, and also it makes a great addition to just about any savory dish. It has a high amount of saturated fat, and as such, it is rich in texture.
It makes a great goat cheese substitute because of its soft texture, similar to goat cheese. Even though it can be a bit pricey, its creamy texture is worth it. Mascarpone has 63% more calories than goat cheese and more fat as well. This means that it is creamier. To use it in place of goat cheese, you will need to mix it with some plain yogurt to make the tastes similar.
Cream Cheese
This is a fresh cheese popular in daily recipes. It is soft and has moisture in it, which is unlike aged cheeses. It has 33%fat and about 55% moisture. This makes it soft to the touch, in a similar way to goat cheese. It is made by adding lactic acid and bacteria to milk. While recipes may differ, the result should be coagulated cream after the curds and whey are separated.
It makes a good substitute because it is similar in texture to goat cheese but usually easier to find in stores. It is just as creamy if you soften the cream cheese. The two may differ in taste somewhat thanks to cream cheese having a higher fat content.
You can align the taste of cream cheese to goat’s cheese by adding some yogurt. This will help add a tartness that is similar to what you get with goat cheese. To use one in place of the other, you can use equal amounts.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese that is made from the curd of pasteurized milk. It’s a soft cheese with a mild flavor and can be substituted in recipes that call for goat’s cheese. It has several nutritional benefits, such as helping promote good bone health.
It makes a good substitute for goat cheese because it is low in calories, just like goat cheese, and it is also high in protein. The two are also similar in that they can aid in weight loss. It is also similar in texture as it is soft and creamy, just like goat cheese. You can use equal amounts of cottage cheese as you would goat cheese.
Fromage Blanc
This is a fresh French cheese that does well as a substitute for goat cheese. It’s similar to cream cheese but has a French twist to it. The name means whits cheese. It easily spreads on bread or pastries thanks to its light and fluffy nature. The more it is drained, the thicker it becomes. When you do not drain it, it can resemble thick yogurt.
It makes a good substitute because it has a similar texture to goat cheese. The fat content depends on where it is made and how. The original recipe has no fat content, but the way it is made in different places may alter the fat content. To substitute goat cheese with Fromage blanc, you can use equal amounts.
Feta Cheese
The word feta is Greek for “slice.” Feta cheese originates from Greece. It is soft and kept brine and crumbles nicely (if that’s what you are looking for). It is brine-cured for up to about six weeks. It has low-fat content and is high in protein. These are why it is a good substitute for goat cheese and a great weight loss ingredient. It also has a wealth of nutrients.
It’s a good substitute for firm goat’s cheese. This way, the textures will be similar. If your recipe calls for crumbled goat cheese, you can use the same amount of feta.
Balkan Cheese
This cheese is quite similar to Feta, and as such, you can use it in just about the same way. In some circles, it is known as Bulgarian white cheese, and you can make it from a combination of goat and sheep’s milk. It doesn’t have any particular structure. It is a type of feta that is harder than regular feta. Balkan cheese is a brined cheese. It is not only soft but also has a mild taste.
What makes it an excellent substitute for goat cheese is that it crumbles in the same way as goat cheese of the same texture. You can use it in salads that would typically require goat cheese, so the same amount of goat cheese is the amount of Balkan cheese that you would need.
Raw Halloumi
Halloumi can be made of cow’s milk even though it is traditionally made from goat’s or sheep’s milk. As such, it carries a similar taste to goat’s milk products such as goat’s cheese. Halloumi is a white cheese with a layered structure. It has quite a high salt content and a rubber-like texture. This is when it is eaten raw.
You can eat it raw and crumb it over a salad or substitute goat’s cheese with it. For a different flavor, you can grill it. It makes a good substitute because it compliments most recipes well that call for goat cheese. You can use similar amounts.
