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Skip the dairy and make this 6-ingredient Vegan Cashew Ricotta Cheese instead! Easy to make and ultra-creamy, it’s the perfect dairy-free cheese for vegan lasagna, pasta, stuffed shells, sandwiches, and more. Nut-Free and Oil-Free Options.
This recipe for Vegan Ricotta Cheese will make everyone happy, vegan or not! It’s an ultra-versatile, incredibly luscious, 6-ingredient dairy-free cheese you’ll love layering in lasagna, stuffing in jumbo pasta shells, spreading on sandwiches, and so much more. Best of all, you only need a food processor and 15 minutes to whip it up!
Table of Contents
The Most Versatile Vegan Cheese
If I had a dollar for every time I had to hear, “I would go vegan, but I love cheese too much,” I would be very rich. Clearly, these people have not tried my Vegan Ricotta Cheese Recipe yet! It’s so cheesy and creamy that even the most devout cheese lover wouldn’t guess that it’s dairy-free.
If you can believe it, this vegan substitute for ricotta cheese is made from just 6 simple and wholesome ingredients, including tofu, cashews, and nutritional yeast. After blending together for a few minutes, you’re left with light and creamy vegan cheese that’s perfect for both savory and sweet meals. Think stuffed shells, lasagna, cannolis, and more!
You can find pre-made vegan ricotta in some grocery stores, but it’s often very expensive and frankly, not as good as the homemade stuff! I love when I can save money *and* make something even tastier with just a little effort.
Ingredients for Vegan Cashew Ricotta
While this vegan ricotta cheese recipe only calls for 6 everyday ingredients, each one is important for the flavor and texture. Here’s what you need:
- Tofu: opt for firm tofu if it’s available to you. It’s the best base for the cheese and is solely responsible for the cashew ricotta’s soft, airy, and fluffy texture. Extra-firm tofu will also work, but the ricotta will not be as soft.
- Cashews: blending soaked cashews alongside firm tofu gives this vegan cheese its rich and luxurious feel, almost like real ricotta. Make sure your cashews are raw and unsalted.
- Oil: a drizzle of olive oil gives the “cheese” extra body and richness. Feel free to omit the oil if you’d prefer an oil-free version.
- Nutritional Yeast: essential for that cheesy, umami flavor!
How to Make Vegan Ricotta Cheese
- Add the ricotta ingredients and any flavor add-ins to a food processor fitted with an S-blade attachment.
- Whip until the ricotta is creamy and fluffy.
- Serve the ricotta right away or store it for later.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Soak the cashews for the creamiest results: Soaking the cashews in cold water overnight makes them so much easier to blend because they’re soft and plump. We may not all have jars of soaking cashews in our fridge, though, which is when quicker soaking methods come in handy! Either place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with boiling water for 20 minutes, or cover them with room temperature water, microwave them for 3 minutes, then set them aside to cool before draining and blending.
- Classic ricotta cheese is not completely smooth: That’s why I recommend making this in a food processor. Once it’s done whipping, the vegan ricotta will still be slightly grainy, just like the real thing. You’re still welcome to blend it for slightly longer or until it’s completely smooth and no longer gritty if that’s what you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
You can eat this vegan ricotta cheese straight out of the bowl, but I would love to see you try it in almost any recipe that calls for regular ricotta! Check out all of these creative ways to use this versatile vegan cheese:
- Pasta: Most Italian-inspired recipes go great with ricotta, but you can never go wrong with pasta. Layer it in this Vegan Eggplant Lasagna, stuff it into these Vegan Stuffed Shells, use it as a topping on Vegan Lasagna Soup, or toss it with your favorite pasta dishes! Add a dollop on top of this Triple Garlic Pasta, this Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, or this Beet Pasta with Walnuts, then mix mix mix until it’s nice and creamy.
- Pasta Sauce: You can even thin the texture of the cheese with a little leftover pasta cooking water to turn it into a creamy vegan pasta sauce, like in this Vegan Lemon Ricotta Pasta!
- Savory Dip: Dump the creamy cashew ricotta in a serving bowl and dress it up with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of red chili flakes, and chopped fresh parsley. Surround it with pieces of crusty bread, crackers, and cut vegetables for a deliciously savory party snack.
- Dessert Dip: If you have a sweet tooth, swap the savory toppings for a drizzle of maple syrup, orange or lemon zest, or chopped fresh mint leaves. Enjoy it as a sweet dip with sliced apples, pears, apricots, or fresh berries, and a glass of prosecco on the side!
- Spread: Spread the ricotta on this Roasted Zucchini Sandwich instead of the sun-dried tomato tofu spread, on a pizza, galette, or flatbread, or on a toasted slice of this Everything Bagel Bread (it’s a fantastic substitute for vegan cream cheese).
- Sweet Things: Use it as a stuffing in vegan cannolis, spread it on toast with fruit jam or fresh berries, or add a dollop on top of a stack of this Vegan French Toast.
If you’re looking for more ways to use this vegan ricotta cheese substitute, you’ll also love it in these Vegan Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups, this Tomato Galette, and these Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells!
Or, if you’re looking for more versatile creamy dips and spreads, you’ll also love this Vegan Spinach Dip, this Vegan French Onion Dip, and this Hummus Recipe!
How to Store Dairy-Free Ricotta
Any leftover ricotta can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge. It will stay soft and creamy for up to 7 days. If it has loosened at all, give the cheese a good stir to make it thick and creamy before serving.
Freezing is not recommended.
Substitutions and Variations
- Savory Add-Ins: Whip the ricotta with garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, Italian seasoning, or fresh basil leaves for a savory twist.
- Sweet Add-Ins: Reduce the nutritional yeast to only 1 tablespoon when you plan on using the ricotta in sweet dishes.
- Cashew Substitute: You can replace the cashews with blanched slivered almonds, macadamia nuts, or pine nuts.
- Oil-Free Option: The olive oil in this recipe is optional and can be left out if preferred.
- Nut-Free Option: Double the amount of tofu and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to keep the ricotta creamy, or replace the soaked cashews with soaked raw sunflower seeds and omit the extra oil. The flavor will be slightly different, but still good.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you could use a high-speed blender with a tamper instead. Blend the cheese on high, scraping the sides occasionally with a spatula, until smooth and fluffy.
Yes, you can make this with all cashews instead. The texture will change slightly, but the ricotta will still be delicious.
I do not recommend freezing the ricotta because thawing will make the texture slightly thinner and more watery.
This recipe yields approximately 3 cups of vegan ricotta cheese.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Vegan Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce block firm or extra firm tofu, drained and quartered (do not press)
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil optional; for a creamier texture
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Savory Add-Ins:
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic use 1 tsp garlic powder for a milder flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or other spices/herbs of choice
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Whip: Set up a food processor with an S-blade attachment and add the tofu, cashews, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. Add any additional flavor add-ins, if desired. Whip the mixture for 45 to 60 seconds, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula as necessary. The final mixture should be creamy, fluffy, and melt in your mouth.
- Serve: Enjoy as-is as a dip, or use as desired in any recipe of choice! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. I do not recommend freezing any leftovers as the texture will change once thawed.
Recipe Notes
- Soaking Cashews: I like to place my cashews in a large bowl and cover them with boiling water, and let sit for 20 minutes. For a faster option you can also place the cashews in a bowl, cover them with water, microwave for 3 minutes, then let sit for 3-5 minutes before draining. Alternatively you can cover the cashews with cold water and soak in the fridge overnight.
- Cashew Allergy: Replace the cashews with blanched slivered almonds or macadamia nuts.
- Nut-Free: Double the amount of tofu, and add 2 extra tablespoons of olive oil to the mixture to keep the ricotta creamy. This version will be slightly less fluffy, but still delicious! You can also replace the soaked cashews with soaked raw sunflower seeds and omit the extra oil, but this will change the flavor of the ricotta slightly.
Love your cooking! But so sad, I thought this was the recipe from your budget Italian food video where you use the tofu ricotta for lasagna and pizza…the original recipe was WAAAAAAAAY better. I should have double checked because my expectations were off. Totally my fault. Please post the original recipe! 🙏🏻
This is my go-to recipe for dairy free lasagna. I love it! Sometimes I use fresh cashew butter instead of cashews. A double batch is perfect for a large lasagna!
I’m so happy it’s your go-to!
I struggled a little bit with the consistency in my blender. I ended up adding more lemon juice and some vegetable broth to make sure it blended correctly. And I added to my personal taste with Dijon mustard and more salt. Tasted great!
I’m glad it worked out in the end and you enjoyed!
I love tofu cashew filling. Do you have a nutritional breakdown as to macros? I’m trying to limit carbs but also need to know fat and protein content.
I don’t but feel free to plug the ingredients into any online nutrition calculator!