Make your own creamy, silky cashew ricotta in minutes using pantry ingredients. With vegan cheese often carrying a hefty price tag, this homemade version is a more affordable alternative that's rich, versatile and perfect for everything from lasagne and pizza to toast and pasta.
This soy-free vegan ricotta is delicious on crusty bread, dolloped on pizza, layered through lasagne or served alongside pesto and hummus on your next grazing platter.
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Why You Will Love Making Cashew Ricotta
Store-bought vegan cheese can be expensive and difficult to find in Australia, so making your own is often cheaper, tastes fresher and lets you control exactly what goes into it. This creamy cashew ricotta comes together in minutes and is endlessly versatile.
I use this cashew ricotta in my eggplant involtini, on toast with bananas and berries, as a base for savoury tarts, on pizza...you get the idea.
Why Make Ricotta at Home?
Ricotta is a traditional cheese product made from whey, a byproduct of cheese making. It is thick, creamy and a little sweet and salty at the same time. You can find vegan varieties at specialty stores, but they tend to be on the expensive side - here in Australia anyway.
Making your own vegan ricotta is a more budget-friendly way to enjoy this spread and making it at home allows you to customise it to your taste.
What is in Vegan Ricotta?
This vegan ricotta is made from mostly pantry ingredients including raw cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic and onion powder and dairy-free milk.
Each ingredient plays a unique role in creating a rich, smooth spread.
Cashews. We are using raw cashews here. Raw cashews create the rich, creamy texture that makes this ricotta convincing without needing coconut oil or starches.
You can also make ricotta with macadamias or try blanched almonds like on my Pizza Bianca.
Sugar and salt. I use a little sugar and salt for that slightly sweet, slightly savoury vibe.
Dairy-free milk or water. I made a cashew ricotta for Nourish magazine and simply used water. Here we're using dairy free milk - soy, cashew or almond - for a richer cashew ricotta. Both work great.
Lemon juice. A little splash of citrus to lift the flavours. You can also use apple cider vinegar - I would start with half the amount if you're using cider vinegar, taste and adjust.
Onion powder and garlic powder. If I am making this ricotta specifically to go in a sweet dish, I sometimes leave the garlic out. The onion powder has a slight sweetness to it, so I generally always use it.
Nutritional yeast. Bring on the umami! If you don't have nutritional yeast, you can add the same amount of a light miso paste.
Step-By-Step Guide
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1. Prepare the cashews
Soak cashews in water overnight or for at least 2 hours. For a sweet cheat, you can soak your cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Step 2. Drain
Drain your cashews really well.
Steps 3 and 4. Blend
Throw the ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust flavours to your liking.
To thicken your cashew ricotta, pop it in the fridge for a few hours.
Storage
Your homemade cashew ricotta will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 5-6 days. Alternatively, you can transfer it to a freezer safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours or at room temperature for a few hours.
Serving Suggestions
Like I said, this vegan ricotta is really versatile.
Ways to Customise Vegan Ricotta
Cashew ricotta is easily customisable. I strongly recommend playing with your food.
FAQs
You can use blanched almonds to make vegan ricotta or macadamia if you can get them.
Both a blender and a processor will work to make cashew ricotta. I've made this in both and it's worked out pretty much the same. If I had to choose, I'd say the blender is a touch quicker.
More Sauces & Seasonings
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Make This Recipe
Creamy Cashew Ricotta
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1½ cups raw cashews soaked overnight or in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- ½ cup dairy-free milk or water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp garlic powder optional
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Soak cashew in water overnight or for at least 2 hours. For a sweet cheat, you can soak your cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Drain your cashews really well.
- Throw the ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust flavours to your liking.
- Store in the fridge covered for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information is an estimate only and is automatically calculated using online tools. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Rene says
Can I use Creamy Cashew Ricotta on lasagna?
Amanda says
Yes! I have done. Baked vegan ricotta firms up quite a bit when baked, but it still tastes delicious. I hope you enjoy it, Rene. 🙂