Mascarpone is a fresh Italian cheese made by setting cream with a food acid, and most US supermarkets shelve it in the specialty cheese case by the deli, not in the dairy aisle. No luck there? Check beside the cream cheese, then the refrigerated Italian section. Online, Amazon, Walmart.com and Murray’s Cheese all list tubs, though shipping a perishable product carries its own risk. Before you buy mascarpone, add up how many ounces the recipe needs, because retail tubs are small.
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Which Aisle to Check First, and Why It Hides
Stores file mascarpone as a specialty item, so it usually sits with the imported and deli selections rather than the block cheddar. That one fact explains most “my store doesn’t carry it” complaints. Walk the shelves in this order:
- The specialty or gourmet cheese case, usually beside the deli.
- The dairy aisle next to the cream cheese and sour cream.
- The refrigerated Italian section, near the fresh pasta.
- The fresh cheese set beside the ricotta and mozzarella.
- Behind the service counter, which means asking for it by name (mas-kar-POH-nay).
One trap sits in the same case: flavored tubs. BelGioioso sells vanilla and chocolate versions, and their labels add sugar (plus vanilla or cocoa), so they belong on a dessert board, not in a risotto or pasta sauce. Grab the plain tub unless the recipe says otherwise.
Where to Buy Mascarpone at Grocery Chains
Chains with a real cheese department are the safest bet. Store-level stock still varies, so check the chain’s app or website for your location before a special trip.
Kroger, Harris Teeter and other Kroger banners
Kroger’s online catalog lists Vermont Creamery’s Italian-style tub, and so does Harris Teeter’s. Kroger also owns Murray’s Cheese, the New York cheese shop it bought in 2017, and Kroger-family banners such as Ralphs and Fred Meyer list Murray’s own 8.8-ounce mascarpone tub for in-store pickup. In stores with a Murray’s counter, look there before the dairy aisle.
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods lists Vermont Creamery’s 8-ounce mascarpone, and stores with a staffed cheese counter often keep extra stock out of sight. Expect prices above a conventional supermarket. Treat it as the reliable option, not the cheap one.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s keeps a product page for its own plain mascarpone cheese, and it brings in sweetened Vanilla Mascarpone and Chocolate Mascarpone as limited-time items. Stock rotates, so phone ahead. Look along the refrigerated wall rather than the dairy end cap.
Publix, Walmart and regional supermarkets
Conventional supermarkets are inconsistent. At Publix, check the gourmet display first, then the fresh set near the ricotta, and check their site for your store’s assortment. Larger Walmart Supercenters may stock a brand or two while smaller stores carry none. Stop & Shop and Giant list BelGioioso tubs online. Across regional chains the rule holds: the bigger the specialty department, the better the odds.
Italian delis and cheese shops
An Italian deli is the underrated answer, especially in the Northeast, because these shops carry imported labels the chains skip and can often order a case. Search local listings for an Italian market near you. An independent cheesemonger is the next call.
Ordering Online Without a Warm Tub
Buying online answers the “does anyone near me stock it” question, but fresh mascarpone is only as good as the cold chain it rode in.
- Amazon. Amazon #ad lists a range of brands in its grocery category, and Amazon Fresh delivers chilled groceries in the areas it serves. Handling varies by seller and ZIP code, so confirm the shipping method and scan recent reviews for temperature complaints before ordering from a third-party seller.
- Walmart.com. Use it to see what your local store has for pickup or same-day delivery, which keeps the tub cold end to end.
- Murray’s Cheese. murrayscheese.com sells its own mascarpone, which Murray’s says comes from a dairy cooperative in Italy’s Alto Adige region. Freight on perishables makes it a better fit for a larger order than a single container.
Reading the Label: What Separates One Tub From Another
The ingredient line tells you how a tub was set. Every brand below uses pasteurized dairy plus one acidifier, but the acid differs, and so does the fat. This comparison uses each brand’s published or retailer-listed label.
| Brand | Made by | Size | Listed ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| BelGioioso | BelGioioso Cheese, Wisconsin | 8 oz | Cream and milk, citric acid |
| Vermont Creamery | Vermont Creamery (Land O’Lakes) | 8 oz | Cream, skim milk, glucono-delta-lactone |
| Galbani | Lactalis (US-made tub) | Varies | Not listed here; read the tub |
| Murray’s | Italian cooperative, sold by Murray’s | 8.8 oz | Cream and milk, lactic acid |
Fat content. Vermont Creamery lists its tub at 50% butterfat, against a federal minimum of 33% milkfat for US cream cheese. That gap is why an uncooked dessert made with mascarpone has a silky texture the substitutes can’t match. The two ingredients you actually need are cream and an acid, and traditional Italian makers often use tartaric acid. Gums or stabilizers aren’t automatically bad, but they signal a product built for shelf life rather than texture.
Pasteurization. Each label above lists pasteurized dairy, and that’s expected: the FDA, the federal agency that regulates food safety, permits raw milk only in cheese cured at least 60 days, and a fresh cheese is sold within weeks. It still contains milk, so read the allergen line and the lactose and calorie figures.
Date and cold chain. Pull the tub from the back of the case, check the date, put it in the cart last, and refrigerate it as soon as you’re home. Liquid pooling on top or a yellowed surface means it sat warm somewhere in the chain. Put it back.
Four Brands Worth Buying
These four were picked for wide US distribution and short ingredient lists, not a taste ranking. Prices move by store and region, so none are quoted here.
Best overall: BelGioioso Mascarpone. Made in Wisconsin by an Italian-style cheesemaker and listed by chains from Stop & Shop to Lowes Foods. Three-item ingredient list, 8-ounce tub. Check price on Amazon
Best Italian origin: Murray’s Mascarpone. Produced in Alto Adige, according to Murray’s, and stocked in Kroger-family stores as well as online. The pick for raw uses such as a topping over fresh fruit, where flavor differences show.
Familiar Italian label: Galbani Mascarpone. Galbani is an Italian dairy brand owned by France’s Lactalis, and its US tubs are made domestically. Check price on Amazon
Best for baking: Vermont Creamery Mascarpone. Its label lists 50% butterfat, which helps frostings and layered pastry hold their shape. Sold at Whole Foods and Kroger stores. Check price on Amazon
Mascarpone vs Cream Cheese, Ricotta and Other Swaps
There’s no perfect one-for-one swap. Mascarpone tastes naturally sweet and mild, closer to rich butter than to a table cheese, and every substitute trades away some of that.
- Cream cheese, straight. The common stand-in and the most likely to disappoint. It’s tangy, firmer and lower in fat, so a tiramisu built on it sets denser and tastes sharper.
- That block beaten with heavy cream. Closer. Soften it, beat in heavy cream, and the body loosens toward the original. Still slightly sour, but it works in a pinch.
- Whole-milk ricotta, blended smooth. Grainier and less rich. Drain it, then run it through a food processor. Best in baked recipes, where the crumb hides the difference.
- Skip it entirely if the recipe cooks the dairy into a hot sauce, where cream and a squeeze of lemon do the same job cheaper. If you avoid dairy, no plant-based product matches it; a dairy-free spread is a different ingredient.
The style comes from Lombardy in northern Italy, around Lodi, while Treviso in Veneto gets the credit for tiramisu, the dish most American shoppers buy it for. Next to Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, it’s a same-week product, not a cellar product. Because acid sets the dairy instead of a rennet curd, very little whey drains off, which keeps the texture dense. Buyers who need it: anyone making tiramisu, a no-bake cheesecake filling, a fruit tart, frosting for a layer cake that shouldn’t taste tangy, or a risotto finished off the heat.
Making Homemade Mascarpone When the Case Is Empty
Homemade mascarpone takes two ingredients and an overnight wait. Cooks who make mascarpone at home usually do it because no store nearby has it, not to save time.
- Warm heavy cream in a heavy saucepan to about 185°F, checked with a thermometer, without letting it boil.
- Stir in lemon juice, roughly 1 tablespoon per 2 cups, and hold the heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Pour it into a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth, cover, and drain in the refrigerator overnight.
Lemon juice can leave a faint citrus note that commercial tubs set with tartaric or citric acid don’t have. In tiramisù or a frosting, almost nobody notices.
Buying Mistakes That Waste a Tub
The costliest mistake is treating mascarpone as interchangeable with cream cheese. The rest are logistics.
- Assuming one tub is enough. Retail tubs run 8 to 8.8 ounces, and plenty of tiramisu and cheesecake recipes call for a pound or more. Read the total weight before you leave home.
- Buying it first. A tub that rides around in a warm car loses its texture. Shop the cold case last and go straight home.
- Stocking up. It doesn’t freeze well; thawed product turns grainy and weeps. With a short life once opened, bulk buying is a false economy.
- Whipping it warm. Beat it straight from the fridge. Overbeaten or warm, it can split and turn buttery, which is the usual cause of a runny or curdled dessert cream.
Start by totaling the ounces your recipe needs, then check the specialty case at the largest supermarket near you. If that comes up empty, call an Italian deli or a store with a Murray’s counter. When nothing local stocks mascarpone, order from Amazon or Murray’s, or set up a Walmart pickup so the tub stays cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is mascarpone the same as cream cheese?
No. Both are soft and spreadable, but they’re made differently and behave differently. Mascarpone is set from cream with an acid and stays mild and rich, while the American spread blends cream and milk with a lactic starter, sets firmer, and tastes tangy. US cream cheese carries a federal standard requiring at least 33% milkfat; Vermont Creamery’s tub lists 50% butterfat.
How long does an open tub keep, and can you freeze it?
Go by the printed date, and once opened use it within a few days, covered and cold. Pressing plastic wrap onto the surface slows the drying and yellowing that starts at the top. Freezing isn’t recommended, since the emulsion breaks and thawed product turns grainy and watery. If a tub was frozen anyway, cook with it instead of whipping it.
Can you eat it straight from the tub?
Yes. Mascarpone is a fresh, ready-to-eat cheese made from pasteurized dairy, so it needs no cooking. People spoon it over berries, stir in honey or cocoa powder, or spread it on toast. It’s also very high in fat, so treat it as a rich ingredient rather than an everyday spread.
Why is it more expensive than other soft cheeses?
Cream costs more than milk, and this is a cream product rather than a milk curd, so the raw material sets the floor. Little drains away in production, so most of what goes into the pot ends up in the tub. For a cheaper cooking option, a hard grating variety like cotija costs less per ounce.