I’ve been thinking of making this vegan cashew ricotta cheese for a while now. It is deliciously creamy and very quick to make.
Ricotta is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many different recipes. It’s best known as an ingredient for lasagna, but it is also widely used in sweet dishes like cheesecakes.
Traditional ricotta cheese is a popular delicacy in Italy, where it’s traditionally made using whey leftover from cheesemaking or drained during yogurt production. The key ingredient in this vegan ricotta version is cashews!
If you are looking to make cashew ricotta to add to a sweet recipe, then simply remove the garlic, salt, and pepper. You can also add a little lemon juice or vanilla extract to spice things up.
Ingredients
Yield: 2 cups of vegan ricotta cheese
Here are the main ingredients to make this delicious homemade vegan ricotta cheese:
- 1 cup (150g) of unsalted raw cashews
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 clove of garlic
- 1/2 tsp of garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp of onion salt
- 5 tbsp water
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
Vegan Cashew Ricotta Recipe
Soaking time: 8 hours or 20 minutes depending on the method chosen
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Step 1
The night before, soak the raw cashews in cold water. They should soak for about 8 hours.
If you are in a hurry, you can accelerate the soaking process by using boiling water. In this case, boil the water and let the cashews soak for about 20 minutes.
Step 2
Drain, rinse the cashews, and set them aside.
Step 3
Add the soaked cashews into a food processor along with the fresh lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and pepper.
Blend everything for a few seconds, while adding the water a little at a time. You can vary the amount of water you add to the recipe depending on the consistency you are looking for. I purposely use a small amount of water, because I like this cashew ricotta cheese to hold together.
Step 4
Once the vegan cashew ricotta cheese is has reached your desired consistency, it’s time to have a taste and add any extras if needed. If you would like more of a cheesy flavor, add more nutritional yeast or if you want more acidity then add a dash more of lemon juice.
Step 5
You can now enjoy your homemade vegan cashew ricotta cheese cold as a spread or cooked in your favorite vegan recipes.
Expert Notes and Tips
How to Store Vegan Ricotta Cheese
You can store this lovely cashew ricotta in the fridge in an airtight container for at least one week.
You can also store cashew ricotta in the freezer for about two months.
Nut-free Alternative Vegan Ricotta
If you are allergic to nuts and looking for a nut-free alternative you can substitute the cashew nuts for Tofu and make tofu ricotta. For this recipe, I would recommend using 14 oz (396 grams) of Tofu.
How to Serve Cashew Ricotta
You can use this cashew ricotta in many vegan cheese recipes. Here are some of my favorites:
- Vegan lasagna
- Vegan Manicotti
- Vegan ricotta pasta
- Vegan cheesecake
Equipment
Food processor or blender for blending the soaked cashew nuts.
