Originating from Apulia in Italy, Burrata cheese is a beautiful type of cow’s milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. This Italian cheese has an outer casing of solid cheese and inner components of Stracciatella and cream, making it unusually soft.
This cheese falls in the category of stretched-curd cheeses. There is a unique curing process after the curds are formed from curdled milk. The curds are steeped in a bath of hot whey or lightly salted water and kneaded after being removed. This forms soft, stringy, and stretchy texture cheese. Leftover mozzarella cheese is added with fresh cream and wrapped up.
Burrata has a rich and soft creamy flavor with retained milky freshness. Many have likened the texture to cheesecake. It is typically eaten within the first 24 hours to enjoy the flavor and texture fully. Because of how different the inner and outer textures are, Burrata goes well with salad, bread, pasta, or olive oil fresh tomatoes.
But Burrata cheese is not always available, given how fresh the cheese has to be when you get it. It is also one of the most expensive cheeses on the market. So, what are the substitutes for Burrata cheese when you need that Burrata creamy goodness for your meal? Read on to discover the top 5 Burrata cheese substitutes that won’t have you breaking the bank.
Top Pick: Mozzarella Cheese is an ideal burrata substitute as they’re both made from buffalo milk and have a similar semi-soft texture with a nice mild flavor.
5 Great Burrata Substitutes
1. Mozzarella Cheese
Mozzarella is a south Italian cheese traditionally made from buffalo milk. Now it can be made from cow’s milk and, in some areas, goat’s and sheep’s milk. It is a semi-soft cheese with high-fat content. Made from the special pasta filata method, it is a very fresh cheese just like Burrata cheese. It is meant to be served a day after being produced due to its high moisture content. It has a very mild flavor, and the texture is soft to semi-hard.
This cheese has a thick and stringy consistency, unlike Burrata’s soft creaminess. The flavor of mozzarella cheese is a bit muted and mellow. It doesn’t have a strong aroma and can be kept in brine for up to a week. Mozzarella cheese goes well with salads and tomatoes making it perfect as a substitute for Burrata.
2. Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is American cheese made from milk and cream. It is a soft, fresh cheese with mild flavors like Burrata. There is no aging time, so it has to be consumed fresh.
Because of the nature of the two main ingredients, cream cheese has a high-fat content like Burrata. It is very smooth and soft with a spreadable consistency. Soft in its texture, it is often spread on bread, bagels, and crackers or used as a dip. It can be used in baking instead of butter, a common cheesecake ingredient.
3. Feta Cheese
Feta cheese is a Greek cheese made from the milk of sheep, goats, or a combination of both. It is very soft and crumbly with a grainy texture. Feta cheese is a soft cheese like Burrata with a rich creaminess.
Unlike Burrata, feta cheese is aged in brine before it can be consumed. This process encourages the cheese’s tangy, salty, and powerful flavors, unlike Burrata’s more restrained flavors. It has a creamy finish, which can be added to salads and pasta recipes.
4. Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta is an Italian cheese made from whey. The whey used to make ricotta is derived from sheep, cow, goat, or water buffalo milk. Ricotta is a soft cheese-like Burrata with a creamy texture.
This whey cheese can comfortably replace Burrata as they both have a mild texture and creamy taste. Ricotta curds are creamy-white and taste amazingly fresh. It is typically used in traditional Italian dishes like lasagna, ravioli, cannoli, and even desserts like cheesecake.
5. Queso Fresco Cheese
Queso fresco is a fresh Mexican cheese. It is a white cheese made from cows or goat milk or both. And it has a mild tangy flavor with a pliable texture. Queso fresco is white and soft just like Burrata.
Older queso fresco has a more robust flavor if you’re looking for more potent cheese in your recipes. A great advantage is that this cheese melts without it taking in a stringy texture. It is mainly used as a topping once a meal is done.
Conclusion
Burrata is a soft, fresh cheese that is always readily available. This article has listed 5 great alternatives that work perfectly as substitutes for this fantastic cheese.