The 10 best substitutes for burrata for your recipes

If there’s one thing Italy does exceptionally well, it’s cheese.. A large number of popular cheeses that we use in our daily cooking around the world have their origins in this European cheese mecca.

Parmigiano-reggiano, ricotta, pecorino, the list goes on. But one of the best-known cheeses in Italy is mozzarella, which is technically a term that encompasses several types of cheese.

This type of cheese is used to make these delicious little bags filled with cream cheese called Burratawhich are usually served on foods such as bread, salad and pasta.

The best substitutes for burrata

The burrata is what we call a “special cheese”, and as such it is not the most common in the world. In fact, they can be quite difficult to come by, unless you have a specific restaurant nearby that can easily make them for you.

Today we’ve put together a list of 10 burrata substitutes that you can use to get the same creamy texture and cheesy flavor for when you need to add that Italian touch to your dish.

1. Feta cheese

Originally from Greece, it is made from sheep’s (or sometimes goat’s) milk, and unlike the light and delicate nature of Burrata, Feta has a tangy, spicy quality.

So while it doesn’t exactly offer a 1:1 replacement in the flavor department, there are a few redeeming qualities that might make you want to consider feta as your go-to burrata substitute.

First, the texture, which is solid and smooth so you can easily crumble it over a salad or some pasta. It is quick and easy to serve and will still offer a good amount of flavor to the dish.

Second, feta is a healthier substitute for burrata. It is lower in fat and calories and is excellent for bone and cut health. While the burrata is an option rich in fat and calories, so it should be consumed with much more moderation.

2. Mozzarella cheese

It may seem like an obvious choice, since the burrata actually uses mozzarella cheese as part of its “shell.”

It is made with buffalo milk using a cutting technique called “pasta filata” or “pasta filata”.

But inside that shell is a considerably creamier cheese, which is one of the main reasons people love burrata so much, because of the dual texture of the tougher exterior and creamier interior.

But let’s not rule out mozzarella, which is a great substitute, since it’s still essentially the same type of cheese. It will give the dish a similar flavor, only the texture will be different.

That being said, mozzarella is a much more versatile cheese, as it can be served hot or cold, cooked, fried, or simply served straight from the package.

Mozzarella cheese also lasts much longer than Burrata, which is usually eaten within 24 hours of making it. But for the most Burrata-like experience, we recommend getting the freshest mozzarella possible, ideally not from a packet.

3. Cream cheese

If it’s primarily the creamy aspect of the burrata that you want to capture on your plate, the tougher outer coating of mozzarella is less necessary. Consider cream cheese.

It is served at room temperature, which makes it applicable to many of the same dishes that you would serve burrata with.

In particular, it makes a wonderful spread on any kind of bread, and if you refrigerate it a bit it’s also very nice when paired with salads.

4. Cashew cheese

Cashew cheese is another great substitute that, while it doesn’t provide the same creamy flavor, does offer that nice malleable quality that makes it an ideal spread.

Note that as cashew cheese ages, it develops a sharp, acidic quality that takes it away from the quality of burrata.

For this reason, we actually recommend making it at home so you can eat it fresh while the flavor is still quite mild and just as creamy.

The good thing about cashew cheese is that it is usually made with a few additional ingredients, such as lemon juice, pepper, and garlic powder. That’s why it offers a really interesting flavor profile. Although a very different one from the burrata.

5. Ricotta cheese

Although the production process of ricotta cheese is quite different from that of burrata. It’s actually still very closely related, being essentially made from the proteins left over from the same casein production of the mozzarella that’s used in the burrata.

Ricotta literally means “recooked” or “refined.” It can vary quite a bit in flavor and texture depending on the type of milk used.

Overall, it’s quite milky and creamy, and pairs exceptionally well with hot dishes where the subtle nuances of the burrata’s flavor aren’t as critical.

This makes it ideal for things like pasta, lasagna, ravioli, and even cheese soups.

6. Fresh Cheese

This is another type of cheese that lends itself particularly well to hot and cooked dishes. Often what we look for in burrata is that creamy, delicate quality that when heated, queso fresco reproduces exceptionally well and doesn’t become stringy or lumpy.

One thing to note about queso fresco is that, like most cheeses, it develops a stronger, sharper flavor the longer it ages. And it’s not uncommon for store-bought packs to have aged up to 6 months.

For this reason, you may want to specifically look for a “mild” fresh cheese to ensure that it also offers the creamy, delicate quality that burrata does.

7. Almond cheese

Like cashew cheese, almond cheese is also a great substitute for burrata if you’re looking for a vegan alternative. For health-conscious cooks, you can rest easy knowing there are no saturated fats, cancer-causing animal proteins, or growth hormones here.

It’s also a fairly underprocessed cheese, as it’s usually fermented with bacteria similar to those used in something like milk cheese.

However, it is a bit more difficult to achieve. So if you have a vegan grocery store near you, that’s a good place to look for it.

It has a fairly subdued and neutral flavor, arguably a little less sweet than burrata, but it also adds this distinctive mild, nutty flavor that is absolutely delicious and totally appropriate for most foods you would use burrata with.

8. Tofu

One of the most common “general” cheese substitutes, tofu is an ideal substitute mostly because it’s so versatile. You can get it soft (to the point of being almost a liquid), firm, you can fry it, crumble it, the list goes on.

In addition, it is super low in fat and is usually reinforced with protein.

The downside is that its taste is quite tasteless. So while you may not be able to count on it in a salad to inject that creamy flavor, what it can do is add that smooth cheesy texture to cooked dishes like pasta.

It’s also very easy to season, so there’s nothing stopping you from using herbs or spices to give it a little more of that “spready cream cheese” quality.

9. Cottage cheese

We’ve mentioned a bunch of cheese substitutes that might fit the bill texture-wise, but actually have their own unique flavors that are quite different from burrata.

Cottage cheese takes the opposite angle, in that it is very different in texture, soft and crumbly, and much more like feta than burrata.

But its flavor is sweet, light, and mild enough to be used in anything from salads to pasta dishes. Definitely a suitable substitute if nothing else is available.

10. Brie cheese

The great advantage of brie cheese is that it is very accessible. Made from plain cow’s milk, you should be able to get it at any good grocery store for a reasonable price.

It has fairly dull flavors and just gives a nice, even milky flavor. Therefore, it can be served with anything you would normally use the burrata with.

Its texture is a bit tougher, but if you slice it thin, it’s sure to enhance whatever you serve it with.

How to choose a burrata substitute

While there are certainly many alternatives available, they all have certain aspects that they excel at when it comes to making a great burrata substitute.

For this reason, we are going to give our main suggestions in a series of categories to help you better inform yourself so that you can choose the most appropriate substitute for the dish you want to make.

Flavor

Mozzarella is going to be your best bet if you’re primarily concerned with getting the flavor as close to burrata as possible.

This is for the simple fact that the burrata is also made from mozzarella, so you can’t get a more appropriate alternative option!

Just remember to buy it as fresh as possible, the newer it is, the more it will resemble burrata.

Texture

Here we recommend cream cheese. Although the burrata has a harder mozzarella “shell” on the outside, the main quality that sets it apart from regular mozzarella is the fact that the inside is so smooth and creamy.

This is where cream cheese really steps up in a way that other cheeses can’t. It is wonderfully smooth and can be served at room temperature.

Price

If you want to not spend too much on your cheese substitute, mozzarella will take the win here once again. Due to how common it is, being used in everything from sandwiches to pizza, it’s fairly cheap and easy to come by.

It’s definitely a good option to buy if you don’t want to break the bank.

Availability

Our recommendation for the most widely available cheese is feta. It’s something you should be able to get in the dairy section of any grocery store.

People love to buy it to use in salads, so you can always find it.

Our best choice

If we had to choose a single ideal substitute for Burrata, we would have to choose mozzarella.

It’s the closest in taste, it’s not too expensive, it’s easy to get, and it’s a fantastic substitute in almost any cooking situation.