Cashew ‘Ricotta’ Cheese
Cashew Ricotta – Thick and creamy, this versatile vegan cheese is ready in as little as 10 minutes with a few pantry staples! It’s ultra-creamy and can be used anywhere ricotta is called for!
Anyone looking for plant-based cheese options will be thrilled to have this easy non-dairy recipe in their culinary library! I absolutely love this cashew ricotta, and so does everyone else who tries it!
Honestly, it tastes even better than the ricotta I grew up with before starting my vegan journey. It’s simple and easy to customize by adding herbs and spices.
Why We Love This Recipe!
The ingredients are easily accessible, making it a great basic recipe for anyone experimenting with vegan nut cheeses. You can taste and feel the difference compared to processed cheese products. You will not be disappointed!
- Quick and easy to make
- Healthy, dairy-free & soy-free (no tofu) option
- WFPB
- Clean eating
- Creamy and delicious!
★ Looking for a nut-free, lower-fat, or lower-calorie option? Try this easy Tofu Ricotta.
How To Make Cashew Ricotta Cheese
Step 1: It’s best to soak the cashews in water before starting. There are 2 ways to soak:
- Soak cashews in cool water for 2-3 hours, then drain and rinse (this method is best for digestion).
- For a quick soaking method, let cashews sit in hot water for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse, and continue with the recipe.
Why soak cashews? Soaking softens the cashews, plumps them up, and helps them blend more easily. It’s also beneficial for digestion and mineral & vitamin absorption. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step and still make a wonderful cashew ricotta. You just may need to add a bit more water while blending.
Step 2: Next, place cashews, water, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a food processor/blender and blend until creamy. Place in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use. You can also use it right away in any recipe calling for ricotta.
And now you’re ready to enjoy! Fresh vegan ricotta made easy and delicious.
How To Use Vegan Ricotta
You may find yourself eating it right out of the bowl. Enjoy it everywhere you would use ricotta cheese!
- Served as is, it’s great smeared on crackers with fruit.
- Layer it in Vegetable Vegan Lasagna or Simple Lasagna and Asparagus
- As a stuffing for Cheese Manicotti, Spinach Vegan Stuffed Shells, or Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- It’s wonderful mixed in this Zucchini Ricotta Pasta with Basil + Mint
- Use in baking, like these Ricotta Persimmon Scones (minus the garlic, onion powder, and pepper)
Storage & Freezing
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in a covered container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Cashew ricotta is freezer-friendly and can be stored in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link) for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge and give a good stir before using.
More Kitchen Basics!
- Easy Vegan Mayo (easy & tofu-based)
- Almond Parmesan (quick & easy)
- Vegan Cream (light or heavy creamer)
- Vegan Sour Cream (creamy & cashew-based)
- Cashew Sweet Cream (great for tarts & fruits)
If you try this vegan ricotta, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
Print Recipe
CASHEW ‘RICOTTA’ (VEGAN CHEESE)
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes 2 Cups, Serves 8 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Vegan
Description
Creamy cashew ricotta is a fabulous replacement for traditional ricotta. It’s fresh, delicious, and can be used anywhere you would use ricotta: lasagna, stuffed shells, smeared on crackers, or used in baking (with modifications). This will be a welcome addition to your plant-based lifestyle!
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked
- 2/3 cup water
- juice of 1 large lemon (or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, optional
Instructions
Soak Cashews: First, it’s best to soak your cashews in water before starting. There are 2 ways to soak:
- Soak cashew in cool water for at least 2 hours in a bowl of water, covering the cashews about 2 – 3 inches of water as they will swell up.
- For a quick method of soaking, let cashews sit in hot water for 5 minutes.
Blend: Drain cashews and place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, process until creamy stopping to scrape down the sides every few minutes. Taste for flavors adding any additional ingredients. Some like a salty ricotta so feel free to add as much salt as you want.
Chill: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for an hour or two, this will stiffen the mixture a bit. You can also prepare your dish straight away without refrigeration if needed. Refrigeration will thicken the mixture a bit. If it becomes too thick, add a tad of water and mix well.
Makes approx. 2 cups
Serves 8 – 1/4 cup per serving
Notes
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days. To keep longer, store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Give a good stir before using. You could do just as well without the nutritional yeast if you don’t have it.
We recommend only using raw cashews, as they have a neutral flavor.
If the mixture isn’t blending on its own, add a little extra water or lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons at a time), and be sure to stop to scrape down the sides as needed.
If using for baking: Omit the onion powder, garlic, nutritional yeast, and pepper.
Nut-free: Allergic to nuts or want to keep it lower in fat and calories, try this Tofu Ricotta.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Category: Condiment
- Method: blend
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this ricotta was so unbelievably creamy, i can’t believe it. delicious!! especially for not using a non-dairy milk but just water.
wondering if this base could be used to make cashew cheese sauce for vegan mac n cheese? it’s similar ingredients, minus the paprika and turmeric. has anyone tried it that way?
Yes, you can thin this cashew ricotta with a little extra water, or see our Vegan Mac & Cheese recipe which has a cashew based cream sauce! Thank you for sharing, Michele :)
I absolutely love this recipe. I use it whenever I make lasagna. I’m the only vegan in my family and everyone else says they prefer my lasagna to “regular lasagna.” I recently made it for my neighbor who had a heart attack and he loves it. He just told me his family makes it often. Thank you!
This is so, so delicious. I’m not vegan, but I make this all the time because it’s so good.
I imagine it might just be the brand/type of cashews I used (like maybe they were wimpy!), but using the instructed portions resulted in a watery consistency for me. I just added another soaked 1/2 cup of cashews and that did the trick! Everything else listed including 1 tbsp nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp salt made a wonderfully tasty and super easy “ricotta” cheese for us. Thank you for sharing!!
Of course I was hesitant because I’m not a vegetarian and was going to a plant-based potluck. 10 minutes is a lie, girl. But it was worth every hour. It was the best most delicious lasagna roll ups ever in the world!! Of course I used a lot more garlic and a lot of parsley oregano and basil and a couple of sorted Italian spices. But nobody can stop talking about it!!! Magnifico!!!!
This ricotta was easy. Mine did not have a ricotta texture but it was more tasty than other vegan ricotta I have made. It was delicious on my homemade pizza. Like you, I only used a small amount of nutritional yeast. As it sat in fridge for a few days it got even better and firmer, great on crackers. Thank you for the recipe, Julie.
Delicious! Good for lasagna or any pasta recipe that calls for ricotta cheese. I would even use it as a dip for crackers or chips.
I made this last night. I omitted the nooch because I am allergic. I added a can of navy beans, italian seasoning, and add a splash or two more of water. Soooooo good!
I mixed it with cooked pasta and put spaghetti sauce on top and baked it in the oven. My family loved it and went back for seconds.