No tofu cashew ricotta: four ingredients, four steps, four minutes - boom, we're done! Vegan cheese doesn't get much easier than this!
Really? Can it be true? Why yes, yes it can. My cashew ricotta really does taste almost the same as its dairy counterpart.
It's great in savoury dishes, such as lasagne, stuffed pasta shells, ravioli, gnocchi, pizza, pasta sauces, and loads more. In sweet dishes such as cheesecake, cannoli, crêpes, doughnuts, ice cream, etc. it really comes into its own.
Basically, this vegan ricotta can be used in most of the dishes where you'd use dairy ricotta.
No Tofu Cashew Ricotta That Tastes Like Dairy
Is...
- Smooth
- Creamy
- Mild
- Slightly tangy
- Gluten-free
- Soy-free
- Dairy-free
- Easy to make
- Versatile
- Delicious
However you use this vegan ricotta, I know you're going to love it! Buon appetito!
📖 Recipe
No Tofu Cashew Ricotta That Tastes Like Dairy
Mild and creamy with a slight tang, my no tofu cashew ricotta is made from just four ingredients, is ready in under five minutes, and can be used to replace dairy ricotta in most recipes.
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Rate
Calories: 329kcal
Ingredients
- 225 g raw cashews
- 120 ml plant milk
- 1.5 teaspoon lactic acid powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt optional
Instructions
- Soak the cashews for several hours, preferably overnight, until they have softened, and become plump.
- Drain, and place into a high-speed blender or food processor, along with the plant milk, lactic acid, and olive oil. Blitz until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the jar/bowl as necessary.
- If you want, add a little sea salt, blitz, taste. Add more if necessary, little by little, tasting as you go. The aim is just to enhance the overall flavour, not to create any saltiness.
- Store in an airtight jar in the 'fridge for up to a week.
Notes
- If you're in a hurry, instead of soaking the cashews, boil them for 20 minutes, then cool under cold running water.
- Re. plant milks, I find it's best to use one that's as bland as possible, and with no added gums, fillers, or flavourings. Using cashew milk is a no-brainer, of course but plain soy works really well too (obviously not suitable for people who are allergic or sensitive to soy). I don't recommend coconut milk, due to its flavour, and rice milk tends to be a bit too sweet. Of course, you may feel differently!
- Re. sea salt, I added ⅛ teaspoon to start with but found that a little more was needed, so I added another couple of pinches.
- Nutritional data does not include salt because I have no way of knowing how much you'll be using.
- Prep time does not include soaking of the cashews.
- If you don't have any lactic acid, you could use lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or citric acid - but add a little at a time, until you get the right flavour.
- The lactic acid I use comes from sugar beets and/or sugar cane, and is certified vegan.
Nutrition Facts
No Tofu Cashew Ricotta That Tastes Like Dairy
Amount Per Serving (100 g)
Calories 329
Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Sodium 22mg1%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 9g18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Do mention @yums0me and/or tag #yums0me - I'd love to see how yours turned out!
DisclaimerMeasurements in parenthesis are approximate; it is beyond the scope of yumsome to be able to provide pinpoint-accurate ingredient quantities for every type of measuring utensil. As a guideline however, I make the assumption that:
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
Brianna
I’m going to be making this tomorrow but do you know how much it makes?
Nico
About 350g (12 oz). Hope you enjoy it, Brianna! xx
aboudi najjar
can't wait to make your ricotta cashew ! i like the fact that you used cashew milk instead of water as which other pinterest guys suggested i guess the plant milk make it richer !!! am planing to use your ricotta recipe in an almond cake that ask for ricotta ! ill let gig know how it turned out !!! 😀
Nico
Thanks so much! Using water definitely makes it rather thin-tasting, so using plant milk is a no-brainer! Can't wait to hear how your cake turns out! xx
joe
Hi I made this and it turned out excellent. In fact I used some of it to make local pastizzi (ricotta in puff pastry envelopes).. Since I turned vegan about six years ago I missed this snack but now I can enjoy still. Thanks to you. If you would like to make some pastizzi google it and thee you'll find excellent know-how. You'll love them for sure.
Nico
Oh yes, I love pastizzi, Joe... although I've not had any for years. Now you've got me thinking, so thank you for the inspiration! I'm so glad the ricotta worked well for you! xx
Maroula
Hi Nico
I made this for a zucchini lasagna and it was wonderful...I was just wondering if it would freeze well in this dish..
And also could this ricotta recipe be used in a ricotta pancake?
Thanks 🙂
Nico
Hi Maroula, so glad you enjoyed this - it's great in lasagne, isn't it? Works really well in moussaka too! It's absolutely fine to freeze, by the way. Or rather, I've frozen it in lasagne, and it's been fine, but I haven't frozen it in a pot on its own. I've never made or had a ricotta pancake - I actually had to Google it! - so I'm not sure whether it would work or not... might be a bit heavy but I guess you could add a bit of baking soda to lighten it up, perhaps. I can feel a culinary experiment coming on! xx
Maroula
Yes that's exactly what I wanted to do, freeze it in a dish..Perfect, thanks.
Ha ha ha yes well I'd love to hear how you go with the pancake...
Thanks again
Nico
Not sure when I'll be trying out the pancakes but it will be soon, Maroula - thank you for the idea. And watch this space! xx
Sarah
Think I can replace the lactic with citric?
Nico
Hi Sarah, Yes you can but it may have a bit of a lemony taste. Best thing to do is add a small pinch, taste, and then add some more if you feel it needs it. The aim is to achieve a slightly sour tang, not actually to give the ricotta a distinct flavour. Good luck! xx
YoShida
I wanted to make a vegan lasagna and realized I had no ricotta . I had been soaking cashews in the fridge for a just in case emergency and they came in handy today. I checked to make sure I had the other ingredients called for in this recipe and yes I had them!! It taste delicious! Thanks for sharing! I saved to my Pinterest!
Nico
Comments like this make me so happy, Yoshida! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me (and my other readers know) - I really do appreciate it! And thank you for reminding me that I still haven't published my lasagne recipe! 😉 xx
Judith osnoe
I am looking forward to trying this as I am an Italian vegetarian transitioning to vegan and giving up the ricotta has been a sticking point for me! Thank you for making it easier for me.
Nico
That's such great news that you're transitioning to vegan, Judith - I'm really happy for you. How is it going so far? I hope you love the ricotta - it's the closest to its dairy counterpart that I've ever tasted! xx
Valerie
Nico - I have now made this twice. Simply divine!
Nico
Val, I am so happy to hear that - thank you so much for letting me know. I look forward to your feedback on other recipes too! Happy yumming! xx
Jake Tyler
Brilliant! And it seems to be easier than the dairy version. Yummy!!!
Thanks for sharing, Nico!
Nico
Hi Jake, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! Yes, it's insanely easy to make - and speedy too! x
Charlotte Oates
This sounds really delicious. I tend to use my blender for just smoothies so it looks as thought I need to branch out and try this too!
Nico
My blender gets used for as much as possible - I'm surprised it's still working, actually! In fact, I'm about to whip up another batch of ricotta because I have a cunning idea for a pie I want to try out! x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
Cashews are a fantastic ingredient aren't they. I have used them to make a canneloni sauce, this dairy free ricotta sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Nico
Cashews and nooch - vegan staples! I'm starting to wonder whether there's anything that cashews can't be used for, I use them so much!
Thanks for dropping by, Kirsty! x
Corina
I've made traditional ricotta before but had never even thought it would be so easy to make a non-dairy one and this is even easier than the dairy version, although that's pretty simple too! I imagine it would be great in desserts and it looks beautiful too. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Nico
It's stupidly easy, isn't it, Corina?
I've made dairy ricotta, paneer, cottage cheese etc., and my vegan ricotta is definitely the easiest of the lot. I just need to perfect a vegan paneer that doesn't end up essentially being tofu! LOL!