Farmers cheese is an amazing fresh and versatile cheese that can be used in both savory dishes and desserts! Here is an extensive list of delicious Farmer’s cheese substitutes for when you can’t find it (or don’t want to make it!).

It is easy to find in some areas, but since it is a fresh cheese it can be harder to find in a local grocery store. This post will dive into must-know information about Farmer’s cheese and the best substitutes for farmer’s cheese.
What is Farmers Cheese?
It is a fresh, mild cheese that is not aged nor pressed. Farmer’s cheese has a crumbly texture and does not have a strong taste.
Many countries have their own version of the cheese, but in the United States it is typically made with cow’s milk. Some people make farmer cheese with goat’s milk or even sheep’s milk. If doing a diy farmer’s cheese, any of these milks can work.
Thanks to its fresh nature, there are many ways to switch up the flavor of farmer’s cheese. When making the cheese, it can be mixed with herbs, olive oil, or red pepper flakes to give a whole different experience.
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Flavor and Texture
The taste of farmer’s cheese is mild and should be eaten fresh. It has a smooth and very mild flavor, with a subtle acidity similar to cream cheese.
Whether you are using store bought cheese or homemade farmer’s cheese, it will have a crumbly and soft texture. It is best to use fresh farmer’s cheese, as it is not a cheese that “ages.” It’s a fresh cheese, so if it is left out too long, then it will go bad.
Popular Uses for Farmer’s Cheese
Thanks to its gentle flavor, farmer’s cheese can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some of the most popular ways to use the fresh cheese.
Spread
Its texture makes it perfect to eat with a slice of bread or crackers. It’s a nice, refreshing snack. Give it a boost with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Salad
Use farmer’s cheese in place of feta cheese or ricotta, and crumble it on top of a salad. It will add a nice saltiness to the dish.
Dip
Blend it with yogurt and other ingredients to turn it into a creamy dip for veggies.
Dessert
Add farmer’s cheese into parfaits and desserts for a smooth, tangy taste. Even pastries can use a little bit of this cheese.
Cheeseboard
Its mild taste pairs beautifully with dried fruits and jams for a cheese board party.
Filling
Use it as a creamy filling for baked ziti or lasagna. It works in a similar way to ricotta and mascarpone.
11 Farmers Cheese Substitutes
If you are unable to find Farmer’s cheese in your local grocery store, no worries! There are plenty of farmer’s cheese substitutes that are just as yummy.
Mascarpone is made from heavy cream, so it is a bit sweeter in taste than farmer’s cheese. But, it is mild enough in flavor that it can be used as a substitute in farmer’s cheese recipes.
From lasagna to tiramisu, mascarpone cheese can be used in both savory recipes and sweet dishes. The Italian cheese is relatively close in texture to farmer’s cheese, so it won’t feel too different as a substitute for farmer’s cheese. Use a 1:1 ratio for the two cheeses.
This cheese is one of the best Farmer’s cheese substitutes thanks to its closeness in texture and flavor. Similar to farmers cheese, ricotta has a mild taste and adds a beautiful smoothness to recipes.
However, it’s higher in dairy, so ricotta is a bit more on the creamy side. When using ricotta as a substitute, it’s best to use it in recipes that need a silkier texture. For example, calzones, honey cheese dip, or pasta dishes work well with ricotta as a replacement.
To use ricotta instead of farmer’s cheese, use fresh ricotta. Aging ricotta has a stronger taste and a more firm texture. So, it won’t be as good of a farmers cheese substitute. Both cow’s milk ricotta and sheep’s milk work for this recipe.
You have probably heard of cottage cheese, but what about dry cottage cheese? Dry cottage cheese is essentially regular cottage cheese, but with all the liquid removed. So you’re left with only drained curds.
This gives it a crumbly texture like farmer’s cheese! So, it is the perfect cheese substitute in cases where the recipe needs a “dry” cheese. Like on top of salads, or spread on some crackers.
For the readers that are lactose intolerant, dry cottage cheese is the substitute you should use! Thanks to its cooking process, dry cottage cheese has barely any lactose in it, making it a great choice for those that can’t digest dairy.
To get the best results, substitute farmer’s cheese with one from a farmer’s market. Similar to ricotta, the fresher the dry cottage cheese, the better. It’s awesome to use in pasta dishes needing farmer cheese.
Though dry cottage cheese may be a bit tough to find, creamed cottage cheese is in many grocery stores. Creamed cottage cheese is made from adding cream into a brined curd cheese. So, it has a milder flavor that is akin to farmer’s cheese, but has a more “liquid-y” texture.
The farmer cheese substitute is great to use in light cream dressing recipes or in sweet recipes. It works best to blend the cottage cheese into a smooth creamy texture that can be used in desserts, baked goods, or even pancakes.
The versatility of creamed cottage cheese makes it one of the best farmer’s cheese substitutes. It can be used in just about anything!
Farmers cheese is usually made from cow’s milk, but it can sometimes be made from goat’s milk. This makes its consistency and flavor notes quite similar to Goat cheese! Especially fresh goat cheese, which is milder in flavor.
It is low in fat and lactose, so it is great for those that need a more digestible cheese. As goat cheese has a slightly tangy flavor, goat cheese should be used more as a substitute in savory dishes.
When using cheese made from goat milk, it is best to use fresh goat cheese over older cheese. Older and more aged goat cheese is firmer and stronger in flavor, so it doesn’t work as well as a good substitute.
Paneer cheese is an Indian cheese made from buffalo’s milk. It is a white cheese with a mild taste, soft texture, and is a non melting cheese. Both farmer’s cheese and paneer are made from curdled milk and have a bit of acid added to them.
Their similar process is what makes them so similar in nature. Paneer doesn’t melt, so it is one of the best farmer’s cheese substitutes in uncooked recipes, or Indian cuisine.
One thing to note is, unlike farmer’s cheese and other cheeses, paneer is unsalted. So to make paneer a better cheese replacement, add salt on top of the cheese.
Originating from Normandy, France is an incredibly old cheese that can actually be used today to replace farmer’s cheese. Neufchâtel has a similar soft texture, but is stronger in taste.
It’s saltier and tangier, and has a lower fat content. This makes Neufchâtel a more grainy texture than farmer’s cheese, but it’s still nice and crumbly.
Don’t let the appearance of Neufchâtel fool you. It may have an edible waxy exterior, but its taste and texture make it a lovely substitute for farmer’s cheese.
Use the substitute for farmer’s cheese in savory dishes over sweet ones. If you’re on a diet, it’s a much healthier cheese to use! There’s no wonder why this cheese is so popular in European countries.
The Mexican cheese, Queso Blanco, is a great cheese to use to substitute farmer’s cheese in recipes. It’s just as crumbly, soft, and has a mild flavor like farmer’s cheese! The main difference between the two is its taste.
Though Queso Blanco is a milder tasting cheese, it is saltier and creamier. This makes it a great farmer’s cheese substitute in savory applications, but not so much for desserts.
In the United States, Queso Blanco can be found at most grocery stores making it one of the more accessible cheese alternatives on this list. Crumble the white cheese on top of salads, or as a side with fruit and honey. The possibilities are endless with Queso Blanco!
Hailing from Denmark, Havarti is danish cheese made by adding rennet to curdled milk. When you look at Havarti, it does not seem like a great contender for a farmer’s cheese substitute. It is a semi-soft cheese that is closer to yellow in color.
Though farmer’s cheese is much more crumbly, Havarti is a slicing cheese. You may be wondering, “If it’s so different, how can it be a good farmer’s cheese substitute?”
Well, its mild flavor is to thank for Havarti’s mention on this list. With a gentle flavor that has a slight tang, its taste is often compared to farmer’s cheese. Havarti can be used as a replacement for a salad topping, sandwiches, and cold pasta dishes.
Quark is one of the lesser known farmer cheese substitutes, but it’s a great replacement. The cheese is made from cow’s milk that has lactic acid added to it.
This helps curd the cheese, and the whey is separated from the curds. The brined curds are turned into the quark. The texture is akin to a blend between cottage cheese and yogurt, so it is a bit creamier than farmer cheese.
The taste of quark is close to farmer’s cheese, and it has a very mild taste. It’s neither sweet nor sour, which makes it a good substitute. If you want to eat healthier, quark is a great cheese to choose. Its low fat content makes it a healthy alternative for farmer cheese.
If a recipe calls for farmer’s cheese in a dip, put the quark through a mesh sieve to make it smoother.
This may sound like a strange addition to this list, but cream cheese is quite close to farmer’s cheese in taste. It has a mild flavor with a slight tang, but cream cheese lacks the slightly crumbly texture.
If you are in a pinch, cream cheese can be a good substitute for farmer’s cheese in recipes that need a milky flavor or a creamy texture.
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