This creamy Cashew Ricotta is the perfect vegan substitute for dairy-based ricotta cheese. Use this dairy-free ricotta anywhere you would use traditional ricotta, such as in pasta dishes like lasagna, baked ziti and more. It's also great for using on vegan ricotta toast, on pizza, as a spread for crackers and more! Only 4 ingredients and just minutes are needed to make this plant-based cheese!
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Ca-shew!
Bless you!
Get it? "Ca-shew!" You know, like "a-choo!"
Anyway, I saw a meme on Facebook...or maybe it was Instagram...I can't remember...but the meme said, "Ca-shew: the sound of a nut sneezing."
The things that amuse me...
like this wacky joke I made up about a peach. It goes...
A peach walks into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, "Oh, schnapps!"
Get it? "Oh, schnapps!" You know, like "Oh, snap!"
Whatever!
I'm just feeling a '90s vibe right now so just talk to the hand, OK?
Alright, alright. I'll stop.
This is "nut" the time to fool around.
Get it? "Nut the time" instead of "not the time," you know, because were talking about nuts...cashews to be exact. 😉
Cashews, as demonstrated in this recipe, are widely used in the vegan world to make not only dairy-free cheeses, but also cream sauces, soups, dressings and more.
So, what is cashew ricotta?
This cashew-based cheese mimics the consistency of dairy-based ricotta.
It is made by blending raw cashews that have been soaked to soften and then blended with other ingredients to create a similar texture and flavor to traditional ricotta cheese.
It's perfect for vegans and those following a dairy-free diet.
Ingredients you'll need
- Raw Cashews
- Water
- Nutritional Yeast
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
How to make cashew ricotta cheese
The first step is to soak your cashews.
You can do this one of two ways: covered with cold water for 6-8 hours or covered with boiling water for 15 minutes.
As a person with limited patience, I usually opt for the second method.
To boil water quickly, I use an electric kettle.
When the cashews are ready, drain and add them to a high-powered blender. I use a Ninja.
Next, add water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt to the blender.
Blend on high until cashews have been fully blended and no visible chunks remain, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
The final product should be creamy with the consistency resembling traditional ricotta. Be careful not to overblend or the consistency will become paste-like.
Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to use.
How to use this vegan cheese
You can use this cashew-based cheese anywhere you would use traditional ricotta, such as in savory dishes like vegan baked ziti, gluten-free vegan lasagna, vegan manicotti or vegan stuffed shells.
Or, try it on our vegan ricotta toast.
It's great on your favorite pizza too!
You can also spread it on crackers and top with freshly ground black pepper or herbs and enjoy as a snack.
It can also be used in sweet recipes such as vegan cannoli cream.
Storing the ricotta
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
More vegan cheese recipes
- Almond Ricotta
- Nut-Free Sunflower Seed Vegan Ricotta
- Nut-Free Tofu Ricotta
- Cashew Cheese Sauce
- Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Nut-Free Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Nut-Free Vegan Parmesan
Cashew Ricotta
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews (see instructions for soaking methods)
- 10-12 tablespoon filtered water
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- Cover cashews with boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes. You can also pre-soak the cashews in cold water for 6-8 hours, if desired.
- Drain and rinse cashews. If you are using the hot water method to soak your cashews, it's important to ensure they are rinsed under cold water so they are not hot when you add them to the blender/food processor as it will change the consistency of the ricotta.
- Add soaked and drained cashews to a high-powered blender or food processor followed by 10 tablespoons water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt.
- Blend on high until cashews have been fully blended and no visible chunks remain, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add 1-2 tablespoons more water if needed and continue to blend. The final product should be creamy with the consistency resembling traditional ricotta. Be careful not to overblend or the consistency will become paste-like. Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to use.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
Nutrition
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AmyJo
Could I use pistachio's instead of cashews?
Sherri Hall
Hi AmyJo! Sorry for the delay; I was away for a few days...I have not tried using pistachios, so I'm not sure how it would turn out. It will definitely be a different color and since the flavor of pistachios is much more pronounced than cashews, it will taste different. Let me know if you end up trying it that way. Also, I do have both an almond ricotta and a sunflower seed version on the site if it is the cashews that you are not able to have. Thanks! 🙂
Christie
Such a great way to make vegan ricotta! I love this idea! I am amazed at how simple the ingredients are as well!
Sherri Hall
Thank you so much, Christie! 🙂
Melissa
I just made this to add to baked ziti and it was great. I didn't have lemon juice so I subbed 1 tbs white vinegar and it worked fine.
Sherri Hall
That's so awesome, Melissa! I'm so happy this recipe worked for your baked ziti! And, I'm glad white vinegar worked as a sub for the lemon juice. I will definitely have to try that out. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing! Happy New Year! 🙂