This vegan cashew ricotta cheese recipe is quick and easy to make with just 5 ingredients in under 3 minutes and the perfect homemade pantry staple! It is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, healthy and a delicious dairy-free ricotta alternative that adds extra nutrition and flavor to your favorite meals!
My favorite quick and easy Cashew Ricotta recipe
There are many ways to make vegan ricotta cheese but this cashew version is my favorite! I’ve already used it in my recipe for vegan dumplings stuffed with spinach and cashew ricotta but you can also find this recipe in my cookbook. Anyway, I thought that this amazing dairy-free ‘cheese’ alternative deserves an extra blog post so you can find it easily at any time!
Almond Tofu Ricotta
Here on the blog, you’ll also find an almond tofu ricotta version using almonds, tofu, and dairy-free yogurt which is also very delicious. Anyway, whatever version you’ll try – it’s so easy to make vegan ricotta from scratch. Furthermore, it’s definitely much better than store-bought alternatives!
Simple, Healthy, Homemade, Versatile
Besides, being simple, healthy, and relatively budget-friendly, this homemade vegan cashew ricotta contains no additives or preservatives, and it’s so delicious! You can use it for any Italian dishes, including pasta, ravioli, tortellini, lasagna, gnocchi, tomato soup, or whatever you love! Plus, it makes a great spread for homemade bagels, vegan Naan, toast, bread baguette, etc. – it’s so versatile!
What is Ricotta?
Ricotta is traditionally a soft Italian cream cheese made from cow, sheep, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey leftover from the cheese production. It’s creamier and richer than curd or cottage cheese and a popular cheese variety that can be used for many dishes as a topping, filling, spread, or for gratinating.
Ingredients for Vegan Ricotta
This dairy-free ricotta cheese alternative is made with only a few simple pantry ingredients – you’ll love it! While cashews and water are used as the base to create the richness and creaminess of traditional ricotta, nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor. Lemon juice is required for a little acid so that it comes closer to that traditional tangy flavor of fermented cheese. Furthermore, I’ve also added garlic, salt, and pepper for more flavor. Of course, you can also play around with the flavors and seasonings, adding a pinch of red paprika powder or curry powder or even chili flakes to make it spicier – That’s up to you!
How to make Cashew Ricotta
It takes a few minutes to soak the cashews but you can do this ahead (overnight) or speed this up by boiling the nuts for only 10 minutes on the stovetop. Then simply blend all ingredients together. Finally, serve over your favorite savory meals or refrigerate for future use!
Recipe Variation – Cashew Sour Cream
To make Vegan Sour Cream with this recipe, simply use more water (1 ⅔ cups) and blend the mixture until smooth and creamy. Additionally, you can add 2 tsp of white vinegar and 1 tsp of yellow mustard for a more tangy flavor.
This homemade vegan Cashew Ricotta recipe is:
- Dairy-free
- Plant-based
- Quick and easy to make
- Creamy
- Cheesy
- Tangy
- Rich
- Flavorful
- Versatile
- Totally delicious!
How to store?
This cashew ricotta cheese can be stored in an airtight container or sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It is also freezer friendly so you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months.
Serving Suggestions
As already mentioned, you can use this cashew ricotta as a dairy-free substitute for traditional ricotta cheese. It’s perfect as a filling, topping, or spread for various dishes, such as:
If you try this vegan cashew ricotta recipe, please leave a comment and a rating on how you liked it! And if you take a picture of your dairy-free ricotta alternative and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka, because I love to see your remakes! Enjoy!
Vegan Cashew Ricotta
Author:Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup (250 g) cashew nuts
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) water or more to desired consistency
- 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes for cheesy flavor
- 1 garlic clove or ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of paprika powder optional
Instructions
*Note: Please watch the recipe video for visual instruction!
- Soak the cashew nuts for 4 hours (or up to overnight). Alternatively, boil them for only 10 minutes to speed this up.
- Then rinse and drain the soaked cashews and place them in a highspeed blender or food processor. Add all remaining ingredients and pulse until you get a ricotta-like texture. (Stop the blender now and then to scrape off the sides as needed.) Taste and adjust salt and pepper or add more water to desired consistency as needed.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make Vegan Sour Cream, use 1 ⅔ cups of water and blend the mixture until smooth and creamy. Additionally, you can also add two tsp of white vinegar and one tsp of yellow mustard for more tangy flavor if you like.
- You can also try my almond tofu ricotta recipe.
- Storage: This cashew ricotta can be stored in an airtight container or sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It is also freezer friendly so you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months.
- Please read my blog post above for tips & helpful information, including serving suggestions.
- This recipe was first published in 2018 and can be also found in my cookbook.
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Can I use this when making GF and dairy-free lasagna?
Yes!
I was bummed because I really wanted to make manicotti but had no tofu to make tofu ricotta. This recipe came to my rescue because I did have cashews! Very tasty. I added some olive oil to my ricotta to make it richer/creamer.
Awesome! Glad you love this recipe! 🙂
Thank you! ♥️
Wow !! I just made this for an eggplant lasagna, this cheese is AMAZING !!!
Even my teenagers said this was the best, most “ cheese like” cheese I have made. Honestly, if no one told you it was vegan cheese, you wouldn’t be able to tell and you would just think it was ricotta !!
I am so excited about this cheese and all the things I can do with it !! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe !!
That’s so awesome! Thanks for your sweet feedback, Veronica. <3
I was terrified when I approached my first attempt in making vegan ricotta but this recipe was so easy and the results so perfect I am still thinking about it!
Ricotta was one of my favourite cheeses before becoming vegan and as Italian I was a bit afraid no alternative would have replace the real one… guess I was wrong 😀 I passed this recipe to at least six non-vegan people that are now curious to try themselves! So happy 🙂
So glad you love this vegan ricotta recipe! Thank you so much for your great feedback! 🙂
I made this with the zucchini involtini and it was divine and I had leftovers so I used it on other dishes and it was very good!!
So glad you enjoyed this vegan ricotta!
Thank you! 🙂
Looks so delicious! I also like to use tofu for making vegan ricotta (especially when I forget to soak my cashew nuts:)
That’s amazing! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! 🙂
Greetings from the UK and thanks for such a fabulous recipe,,,, can you cook with this vegan ricotta? I was thinking baked stuffed pasta shell bake maybe…..?
Yes, sure! You can find the recipe for stuffed pasta shells here but you could also try my zucchini involtini recipe if you like! 🙂