While tofu ricotta is a popular and delicious way to make a vegan cheese dupe fast, this recipe follows the more traditional method of heating milk and separating the curds using acid, a little more closely.
This method does take a little more patience, I promise you it makes ALL the difference to the texture and taste of your dairy-free ricotta cheese. It resembles a grainy fluffy texture similar to classic ricotta, which when spread or stirred takes on a lusciously creamy consistency.
Similar to my vegan mascarpone recipe, most of the effort is just waiting time while your ricotta strains overnight!
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🧀 What Is Ricotta?
The name ricotta translates to "recooked" in Italian. When making cheese, normally a mixture is separated into solids (curds) and liquid (whey). Most cheeses are made from curds, whereas ricotta is often made by reheating the whey a second time. (ref: Bon Appetit)
Now, I did try and follow this process using non-dairy ingredients during recipe trials, but I found it to be unnecessary in the case of this particular recipe. In fact, heating the mixture twice made the "curds" almost a little too solid and slightly tough. So the result was a ricotta substitute that was a little on the dry side and not the soft fluffy consistency we were looking for!
So while this is in no way an authentic ricotta recipe, I do think the result gives a pretty convincing flavor and consistency, without dairy or the added steps found in traditional ricotta.
If you're intrigued to make more homemade vegan cheese, try my vegan mascarpone and vegan cream cheese as well!
🧾 Ingredients
As promised, you only need 6 simple ingredients to make a perfect vegan ricotta cheese recipe from scratch:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Soy Milk: In terms of protein content, soy milk comes pretty close to dairy. Soy milk has 7g of protein per cup, pea milk has 8g (cow's milk comes in at 8g ref: Mayo Clinic). The protein content is needed for the milk to coagulate with the acids and separate.
- Vegan Yogurt: In this case, you want a thick Greek-style non-dairy yogurt or Skyr. My absolute favorite to use is Alpro Greek-style protein yogurt. It has a neutral taste and a slightly tangy cultured flavor.
- Raw Cashews: These add richness and a hint of cheesiness. While the recipe works without them, it is so much better with them! I also tried almonds and macadamia nuts, but they didn't give the same creamy texture as cashews.
- Lemon Juice and Apple Cider Vinegar: Work together to curdle the ricotta cheese mixture. It's a similar process to making vegan buttermilk.
🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this vegan ricotta recipe. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
You'll be surprised how easy it is to make creamy ricotta without dairy in just a few simple steps. Here's how:
Before you start, soak cashews in water to help make them easier to blend. Also, prepare the straining vessel which consists of a large mixing bowl, underneath a colander with a cheese mold sitting on top. If you don't have a cheese mold, muslin cloth like shown in my mascarpone recipe will do!
Step 1: Blend the soaked cashews, soy milk, vegan yogurt, and sea salt into a high-speed blender for about a minute until smooth.
Step 2: Heat the mixture in a large frying pan or saucepan until it reaches 90°C (194°F). This will take about 20 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, and let the mixture sit undisturbed for 20 minutes, as it curdles.
Step 4: Scoop the "curds" from the cashew ricotta mixture and place them into a cheese mold placed on top of a straining device.
Step 5: Fill the cheese mold all the way to the top with the vegan cheese mixture. The liquid will drip out of the mold and into the bowl underneath.
Step 6: Stir the mixture to help release some of the liquid, so that you can add the remaining curds to the mold.
Step 7: Refrigerate the vegan ricotta cheese for 8 hours, or overnight. Most of the liquid will have drained into the bowl - reserve this!
Step 8: De-mold the strained ricotta cheese by carefully holding the top of it with a clean towel and turning it out onto a serving board. You can also transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate it until ready to use!
🍽 Serving
My favorite way to enjoy this vegan cashew ricotta is on a slice of crusty baguette with a drizzle of liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave syrup, or vegan honey) and olive oil. But here are some more ideas for both savory and sweet recipes:
- Breakfast: Fold into scrambled tofu, with fresh fruit, berries, or grilled peaches, or ricotta toast with cherry tomatoes, pesto, black pepper, or fresh herbs.
- Pasta Dishes: Baked stuffed shells, vegan lasagna, vegan lemon ricotta pasta.
- Appetizers: Whipped ricotta dip, crumbled over salads, ricotta bruschetta or crostini.
- Desserts: Vegan cannoli, sweet whipped ricotta.
- Savory Tarts: Vegan quiche with ricotta and other fillings like spinach, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes, or as a pizza topping!
💭 Recipe Tips
Zero waste recipe. Reserve the leftover water and cream from step 7 to use in soups, pasta sauces, and stir-fries.
Use fresh lemon juice. Opt for fresh citrus for the best-tasting cheese. Bottled lemon juice usually contains lemon essential oil which gives an artificial aftertaste.
To keep the ricotta fresh, store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days max.
💬 FAQs
I haven't personally been able to find one in Europe yet, although there seem to be brands offering vegan cheese alternatives in the US. I'm convinced that you'll be making your own after trying this recipe though!
I did attempt this vegan ricotta without cashews during my many recipe tests and while it does work, I just found it to be lacking that slightly cheesy flavor of the cashews. That being said, it's still possible!
I did try using oat milk but it lacks a lot of the protein content, and the flavor just wasn't where it needed to be (in my opinion).
If you are going to attempt this recipe with another plant-based milk, just try to go for one that has a high protein content without an overpowering taste. The closest swap for soy milk in terms of protein content is pea milk, so that should work!
Absolutely! This dairy-free ricotta recipe can be used in any way you would use regular ricotta cheese.
🥛 More DIY Dairy-Free Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Ricotta Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 100 g (¾ cup) cashews soaked *see note 1
- 1250 ml (5 ¼ cups) unsweetened soy milk
- 225 g (1 cup) Greek-style vegan yogurt I use Alpro Greek-Style protein yogurt
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Add the soaked and drained cashews, soy milk, vegan yogurt, and sea salt to a high-speed blender and blend for about a minute until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a large deep frying pan, wok, or deep saucepan and place on low-medium heat. Heat the mixture until it reaches 90°C (194°F), then cook it at that temperature for 1 minute, stirring frequently. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes, as it curdles. (*see notes)
- Place cheese mold on top of a colander over a large mixing bowl to catch the liquid. Use a small sieve to scoop the mixture from the saucepan into the cheese mold. Fill it up to the top, then carefully stir the cheese mixture in the mold to help release some liquid and make room for the remaining "curds". Fill the mold with the remaining cheese curds and place in the fridge for 8 hours (or overnight).After the cheese is chilled and strained, you'll be left with a mixture of water and light cream in the bowl. You can reserve this and use it for other recipes like smoothies, soups, and stir-fries.
- To de-mold the cheese, grab the top with some kitchen roll or a clean kitchen towel and carefully turn the mold over onto a plate or into a storage container.
- Storage: Place the ricotta in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- Soaked cashews: soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, rinse, and drain. You can also quick-soak your cashews by soaking them in boiling water for one hour
- Reserve the leftover water and cream from step 7 to use in soups, pasta sauces, and stir-fries.
- If for some reason your mixture has not curdled, bring it up to 90°C (194°F) again anD heat for a couple of minutes until it starts to separate, allow it to sit again for 20 minutes.
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