I have a lot of recipes on this site that feature vegan ricotta cheese in some form or another. From stuffed shells, to lasagna, to pizza, I’ve found a lot of ways to incorporate dairy-free ricotta into my favorite dishes. Each of those recipes uses a slightly different version of vegan ricotta — I tend to season it up based on what I’m using it for. And for that reason I don’t always recommend using the ricotta from one of those recipes in another dish. We’ve needed a good, basic, all-purpose vegan ricotta cheese recipe around here for a while, and it’s finally here!
What You’ll Need
Raw cashews. They must be raw — not roasted. Roasted cashews have a totally different flavor from raw, and your ricotta won’t taste right if you use them.Non-dairy milk. Use something unflavored and unsweetened.Tofu. Use firm or extra-firm.Lemon juice. Fresh squeezed is best.Salt.
How to Make Vegan Ricotta Cheese
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe.
Soak your cashews in water for about 4 to 8 hours. This will help soften them up so they blend easy.
Drain your soaked cashews and place them into a food processor bowl with some non-dairy milk.Blend the ingredients together until relatively smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect — ricotta cheese is chunky, after all.Add everything else to the blending device: tofu (broken up into chunks), lemon juice, and salt.Pulse the device until the ingredients are well-mixed and the mixture resembles ricotta cheese. You can really make it as smooth or chunky as you like!
Give your ricotta a taste test and make any adjustments you like, then serve your vegan ricotta immediately, or chill it for later.
Is this recipe gluten-free? It is!Shelf-life & storage: Store your vegan ricotta in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.How is vegan ricotta cheese used? Use it just like regular ricotta cheese! Spread it on toast, use it for dipping veggies, or layer it in a vegan pasta bake like lasagna or ziti. Is there a substitute for the cashews in this recipe? I haven’t tried any, but I suspect raw sunflower seeds or macadamia nuts would work.Is there a substitute for the tofu in this recipe? Again, I haven’t tried any, but if you’d like to experiment, try steamed cauliflower, cannellini beans, or even extra cashews.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
Cashew QuesoVegan Mozzarella CheeseVegan Cream CheeseNacho Sweet Potato CheeseNacho Cauliflower Cheese
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