This vegan ricotta cheese is super easy to make and tastes just like the real deal. Perfect in casseroles, pasta dishes, or for dipping!
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!
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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.
Vegan Ricotta Tips & FAQ
- 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 Queso
- Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
- Vegan Cream Cheese
- Nacho Sweet Potato Cheese
- Nacho Cauliflower Cheese
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Vegan Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra-firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Place the cashews and milk into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade, then blend them to a relatively smooth paste.
- Break the tofu into chunks and add it to the food processor, along with the lemon juice and salt.
- Pulse the food processor until the ingredients are uniformly blended and the mixture resembles ricotta cheese.
- Taste-test the mixture and add more lemon juice or salt if you’d like. You can also thin the mixture with extra milk if needed.
- Use immediately or transfer to a sealed container and chill.
Notes
Nutrition
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