Mascarpone tastes great in desserts, but is not particularly low in calories. We'll show you delicious alternatives that you can use as a mascarpone substitute.
Mascarpone is an Italian double-cream cheese made from cream and mixed with citric acid. Due to its sweet taste and creamy consistency, mascarpone is often used for desserts such as tiramisu. However, with around 460 kilocalories per 100 grams and a fat content of 80 percent in the dry matter, it is not exactly a lightweight.
If you want to save a few calories, you can use various products as mascarpone substitutes. You should note, however, that there is no perfect alternative that can imitate the consistency and taste of mascarpone one hundred percent. We'll tell you which dairy products are the best to replace mascarpone.
Ricotta as a mascarpone substitute
In terms of taste, ricotta is similar to mascarpone and also has a firm consistency, making the cheese a good substitute. At around 174 kilocalories per 100 grams, it contains significantly fewer calories than mascarpone.
Cream cheese as a mascarpone substitute
Cream cheese is a suitable substitute for mascarpone, but you shouldn't go for a reduced-fat variant, it is best to use double-cream cream cheese, as it has a similar creamy consistency to mascarpone.
Quark as a mascarpone substitute
With a few squirts of lemon juice, the taste of quark is reminiscent of mascarpone. 100 grams of quark have only around 140 kilocalories – around two thirds less than mascarpone. To make the quark firmer, you can stir in some cream cheese, for example, as we did in our recipe for tiramisu "light".
Crème fraîche as a mascarpone substitute
Since crème fraîche is made from sour cream and therefore also contains cream, it is a good substitute for mascarpone. At 298 calories, it's not exactly light either, but it's still lower in calories than its Italian version.
Yogurt as a mascarpone substitute
Yogurt is also an acceptable and low-calorie alternative to mascarpone. However, it has a much more fluid consistency, so it is best to mix it with curd. You can also add whipped cream to the yogurt or use Greek yogurt, which is more firm.
With us you can also find out which alternatives you can use as a cream substitute, crème-fraîche substitute and sour cream substitute. Exchange ideas for more cooking tips in the BRIGITTE Community!