Cashew ‘Ricotta’ Cheese
Vegan Cashew Cheese – Thick and creamy, this versatile cashew ricotta cheese is ready in as little as 10 minutes and tastes fantastic! It’s the best vegan ricotta ever and can be used anywhere ricotta is called for!
As vegans and those eating a plant-based diet, you will be thrilled to have this easy, vegan cheese in your culinary library! I absolutely love this stuff and so does everyone else who tries it, vegan or not!
Why We Love This Recipe!
Vegan cashew ricotta cheese tastes just like the ricotta I was accustomed to for many years before becoming vegan. It’s soy-free (no tofu) and a simple recipe with lots of possibilities. You can add your own tastes to this basic cheese by adding herbs and spices.
The ingredients for this vegan ricotta cheese are very common making it a great basic recipe for anyone starting out experimenting with vegan nut cheeses. Make yourself some fresh cashew ricotta cheese and taste and feel the difference compared to processed cheese products. You will not be disappointed!
- Quick and easy to make
- Healthy, dairy-free option
- WFPB
- Clean eating
- & So incredibly delicious!
Use this vegan ricotta in Lasagna, Manicotti, or Stuffed Shells, as a topper for crackers or as a spread for sandwiches. I’ve even used it in a Persimmon Ricotta Scone recipe that came out wonderful (I omitted the pepper, onion powder, and garlic). You can use this with a few adjustments for any recipe that calls for ricotta.
If you are allergic to nuts or want a lower fat and calorie option, try this Tofu Ricotta.
How To Make Cashew Ricotta Cheese
Step 1: It’s best to soak your cashews in water before starting. There are 2 ways to soak:
- Soak cashews in cool water for 2 – 3 hours, drain, and rinse (this method is best for digestion).
- For a quick method of soaking, let cashews sit in hot water for 5 minutes, drain, rinse, and continue with the recipe.
Why soak cashews? Soaking will help soften the cashews by plumping them up with water and helps the cashews blend easily. Soaking is also said to be beneficial for digestion and mineral & vitamin absorption. If you’re in a hurry, you can still make this cashew ricotta cheese successfully without soaking. 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 cheese.
And that’s it, vegan cashew ricotta cheese made easy and delicious!
How To Use Vegan Ricotta
You may find yourself eating it right out of the bowl. Enjoy everywhere you would use ricotta cheese!
- Served as is, vegan ricotta is great smeared on crackers with fruit.
- Use it in Vegetable Vegan Lasagna or Simple Lasagna and Asparagus
- Use it for stuffing, like these Cheese Manicotti, Spinach Vegan Stuffed Shells, or Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- It’s wonderful in this Zucchini Ricotta Pasta with Basil + Mint
- Use in baking for these Ricotta Persimmon Scones
How To Store + Freeze
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a covered container.
- Freezer: Cashew ricotta is freezer-friendly and can stored in freezer-safe containers for up to two 2 months.
More Kitchen Basics Recipes!
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.
PrintCASHEW ‘RICOTTA’ CHEESE
A fabulous replacement for traditional ricotta. Use it anywhere you would use ricotta. This will be a welcome addition to your plant-based lifestyle!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes 2 Cups, Serves 8 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: blend
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked
- 1/2 cup water
- juice of 1 large lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 – 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- himalayan sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste
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.
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a 5 – 6 days. To keep longer, store in the freezer for up to 2 months in a freezer safe container. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Give a good stir before using.
Makes approx. 2 cups
Serves 8 – 1/4 cup per serving
Notes
You could do just as well without the nutritional yeast if you don’t have it. I only added a small amount, probably pretty unnoticeable. I will be trying more next time to play around with it a bit. If you do add it, it will add a bit more cheesy flavor and some good nutritional value.
If you have trouble with the mixture blending on it’s own try this because it’s too thick, add a little extra water.
Allergic to nuts or want to keep it lower in fat and calories, try this Tofu Ricotta.
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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.