How much protein is in ricotta?
Ricotta has 14.1 g of protein per 1/2 cup (124 g) — that's 11.4 g per 100 g, or about 3.2 g per ounce. One 1/2 cup is roughly 28% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · part-skim · FDC 171248
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup (124 g) | 14.1 g | 171 | 9.8 g | 6.3 g |
| 100 g | 11.4 g | 138 | 7.9 g | 5.1 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 3.2 g | 39 | 2.2 g | 1.4 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 171248, SR Legacy). part-skim.
Ricotta is the soft cheese most people underrate on protein. The way you actually use it is by the spoonful or the half-cup — dolloped onto pasta, layered into lasagna, or spread on toast — and a 1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta (124 g) carries about 14.1 g of protein for roughly 171 calories. Per 100 g that’s 11.4 g of protein, a modest-looking number next to a hard cheese, but the half-cup serving people eat adds up to real protein. For a cheese this creamy, that’s more than most would guess — and it’s a complete protein with a useful dose of calcium riding along.
More protein than a creamy cheese looks like
The reason ricotta surprises people is texture. It’s soft, mild, and rich, so it reads like a treat rather than a protein food — but a half-cup quietly delivers ~14.1 g of complete protein, all nine essential amino acids in usable amounts because it’s dairy. It also brings about 337 mg of calcium in that half-cup (272 mg per 100 g), so you’re getting a meaningful chunk of the day’s calcium alongside the protein. Choosing part-skim over whole-milk ricotta is what keeps the ratio sensible: it holds the fat to about 9.8 g per half cup (roughly 4.9 g saturated per 100 g) while leaving the protein essentially intact.
The honest caveats: cottage cheese wins, and full-fat is richer
Two things keep ricotta from being a slam-dunk protein pick. First, cottage cheese beats it gram-for-gram — a half-cup of lowfat cottage cheese lands near the same ~14 g of protein for roughly half the calories, so if maximizing protein per calorie is the goal, cottage cheese is the leaner tool. Second, the numbers on this page are part-skim; whole-milk ricotta is considerably higher in fat and calories for about the same protein, so the style you buy changes the calorie math more than the protein. None of that makes ricotta a poor choice — it makes it a higher-protein swap rather than a protein anchor. Where it shines is upgrading dishes you’d eat anyway: a ricotta-and-egg lasagna, a higher-protein pasta bake, or ricotta toast with fruit as a snack base.
If you want a similar complete-protein, calcium-rich profile with more protein per calorie, cottage cheese is the leaner sibling, mozzarella is the grab-and-go stick version, and Greek yogurt is the higher-protein spoonable option. To turn these per-serving numbers into a daily target for your body weight, see how much protein per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in ricotta?
About 14.1 g of protein in a 1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta (124 g), which is 11.4 g per 100 g, or roughly 3.2 g per ounce (USDA FDC 171248). That half-cup carries about 171 calories, so it delivers more protein than most people expect from a soft, creamy cheese.
Is ricotta a good protein source?
Yes, more than its reputation suggests — but with a caveat. A 1/2-cup of part-skim ricotta quietly carries about 14.1 g of complete protein plus a solid dose of calcium, which makes it a genuinely useful higher-protein ingredient. The honest catch is that cottage cheese still beats it gram-for-gram (similar protein for far fewer calories), and full-fat ricotta runs much higher in calories than this part-skim figure. As a protein-boosting swap it's strong; as your single protein anchor, leaner dairy options edge it out.
How much protein is in a tablespoon of ricotta?
A tablespoon is roughly 15 g, so it carries only about 1.7 g of protein — a small amount, since a spoonful smeared on toast or stirred into a sauce is a flavor addition, not a protein serving. To make ricotta count as protein, think in 1/2-cup portions (~14.1 g), the amount you'd dollop into pasta or layer in lasagna.
Is ricotta a complete protein?
Yes. As a dairy food, ricotta supplies all nine essential amino acids in usable amounts, so it counts as a complete, high-quality protein on its own — no pairing required. That puts it ahead of plant options like nuts or beans on protein quality, with the calcium and casein you'd expect from cheese.
What is ricotta good for nutritionally?
Calcium is the standout alongside the protein — about 272 mg per 100 g, so a 1/2-cup is a meaningful contribution to the day's calcium. Choosing part-skim over whole-milk ricotta keeps the fat moderate (about 7.9 g per 100 g here, roughly 4.9 g of that saturated) while leaving the protein intact. The honest caveat is calories: full-fat ricotta is considerably richer than this part-skim reference, so the style you buy changes the calorie math more than the protein.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-03, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 171248 (Cheese, ricotta, part skim milk; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when the underlying USDA entry changes.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data and are not assigned a Labelgrade — that score is for branded packaged products, where ingredients and added sugar/sodium actually vary. See our methodology and how much protein you need per day.