Ricotta is simple to make, but what would you do if you’re allergic to dairy or you’re vegan? You don’t have to feel left out anymore with this soft & Creamy Vegan Ricotta spread! Just as creamy and just as delicious as regular ricotta. Bonus – this vegan version is even easier to make!
My mornings are fairly uncomplicated. Aside from the fact that I’m not at all a morning person, I mean. I know what I want for breakfast and it’s usually not much. Eggs and toast or cereal. I prefer eggs and toast. On a weekend morning though, my favourite breakfast would look like the last picture in this post – a piece of toast with ricotta spread on top, two slices of tomatoes, some chopped onions and parsley and some salt and pepper. Especially that cheese. Lots of cheese.
BUT what do you if you were vegan or you couldn’t eat dairy products? Recently we had visitors over who had grown up loving cheese but had become lactose intolerant later in life. I’m happy to report that I have found a solution.
THIS right here folks! THIS right here is the solution! Whether you like your ricotta soft or firm (personally, I like mine soft), this Creamy Vegan Ricotta is a must have! A must do!
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Ingredients:
- 1 heaped cup of raw whole cashews soaked in water overnight
- 5 oz of firm tofu
- 5 oz of silken soft tofu for soft ricotta OR 5 oz of firm tofu (for firm ricotta)
- Salt to taste about 1/4 tsp for sweet fillings, 1/2 tsp for savoury use
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions:
- Drain the water from the cashews. Add the cashew nuts into your food processor.
- Add the tofu (combination of firm and soft OR all firm), salt, lemon juice and process until you have a paste - just a couple of minutes.
- Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours.
- Can be stored in a container with a tight lid and in the fridge for up to 5 days.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
I can honestly say this was one of those creations that I didn’t think I would like, didn’t think would work, but I was pleasantly surprised to be proven very very wrong. As it turns out, this dairy-free, vegan ricotta is every bit as delicious as the real deal! (As an aside, I still also love the dairy ricotta I make. I use this recipe from Served from Scratch to make my regular ricotta from scratch and I LOVE it!). But honestly, you’d find it pretty hard to tell the difference with this vegan substitute.
This creamy vegan ricotta went perfectly with my breakfast toast (and my coffee), and it tasted just as good as ricotta made with milk. Also, it takes a lot less effort to make this vegan version. All you got to do is put everything in the food processor and blend it all together. How easy is that?
So why did I use Cashew and Tofu?
Tofu gives the creaminess to the vegan ricotta. The cashews give a really awesome nutty texture plus an extra level of creaminess. So whatever this ricotta may be, you know it’s going to be creamy. 🙂
While this recipe is for soft ricotta, you could easily make it firm by using firm tofu only. On the other hand, if you only have firm tofu and you want soft ricotta, you can add a plant-based milk to dilute your firm tofu and make soft ricotta. Having said that, I personally prefer adding soft tofu instead of milk, just so that I avoid any off-putting liquid separation that could occur by adding milk.
So by using two types of tofu in this recipe (soft and firm), I make this vegan ricotta delightfully soft without compromising on consistency.
I used this soft vegan ricotta to spread on toast and crackers, but it would also work really well for vegan lasagna! The extra creaminess would be ideal as a replacement for Bechamel sauce. It would work just as well on pizza, as a dip, as a creamy salad dressing, whatever. It’s super versatile!
I have also made the firm vegan ricotta version (with firm tofu only), which is also great on toast! It’s also great to stuff cannelloni. Recently I used firm vegan ricotta for a far more spectacular recipe and you guys can find out all about it, when I share that recipe in a couple of days! 🙂 Check out that post on the blog now!
Cannoli Cream Vegan Crepe Cake!
If you’re not vegan or allergic to dairy products, chances are you won’t need to make vegan ricotta. However this is the perfect, I mean PERFECT vegan substitute which should come in handy at parties or any time you’ve got guests over who might be either vegan or lactose intolerant. Besides, this is so damn creamy and delicious, even those who can eat regular ricotta won’t know the difference with this one.
Case in point? My husband! He doesn’t much like tofu but he ate this. And loved it. I didn’t tell him it was all tofu until after, and he was speechless! 🙂
If you liked this recipe don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes and updates by entering your email address below (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
Audrey Bean says
What happens to the consistency if baked?
Dini says
Hi Audrey,
Unfortunately I haven’t tried to bake this recipe, so I can’t be sure. I have only used it as is to spread on toast or crepes.
Sorry about that…
Audrey Bean says
Update: I used it in 2 recipes.
1-pizza. I put dollops of it randomly, then drizzled some leftover oil on top–I had cooked onions and peppers in the oil. The texture is the same baked and ricotta-like in texture and appearance.
2-Mixed in lemon juice, some brown Truvia and vanilla extract, then put it in a graham cracker crust. This is really tasty.
Both tasted good, had the appearance and texture of ricotta.
I can’t say it tastes much like ricotta to me though. I tasted some plain and in these dishes, and it tastes like tofu/lemon/cashews to me, in a very mild sort of way.
Thanks very much for this idea.
Candace MacPherson says
I use this in lasagna. The firm is thicker and holds its shape. I prefer med-firm which works nicely when cooked in that dish. I have not tried it in any other dish.
Samantha says
Can you freeze the extra or will that change the consistency?
Dini says
Hi Samantha
I haven’t frozen this recipe before, so unfortunately I can’t be sure if the consistency would change.
Erin says
I use this recipe all the time. I’ll use a whole containers of firm and silken tofu and 3 cups of cashews, which fills the food processor and make a few things. I use this for lasagna, stuffed shells and manicotti and even non vegans think it’s delicious. This recipe literally takes 5 minutes and it’s awesome.
Ella says
Amazing! I made a few additions including vegan parmasean, vegan cream cheese, nutritional yeast, and almond milk for some added flavor. Thank you for this great recipe
Kim Marlow says
This was absolutely fabulous!!
Madeline Anderson says
This is a great recipe I am newbie to the vegan lifestyle and I do miss and love cheese. Very much like the real thing I added garlic salt and oregano.
Lita Watson says
What a great combination of raw whole cashews and two types of tofu (soft and firm) in this recipe! in fact, if we just use one type of tofu, we can’t really achieve that creamy melting cheese.
Beth says
I love this recipe, I have made it multiple times. In fact I just featured it on my blog in a recipe I created. Thanks for this great dairy-free recipe.
Jay says
Great recipe for lactose intolerant people.
Christine says
I have been loving homemade ricotta lately and can’t wait to try your version. Looks every bit as fantastic as the full dairy version. And that toast! Perfection. Beautiful pix too D.
Carlee says
Oh man, I am not sure I could live without dairy! (kidding, kind of!) But this is handy to know for when I am hosting guests with diet restrictions.
Life Diet Health says
I love the addition of tofu in this cheese 🙂 I would usually just use the nuts… I think I’m going to have a play this weekend! 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
You are a mad food scientist without the mad!
Kaila (GF Life 24/7) says
I have a milk allergy, so I really appreciate this recipe. It’s good to hear that you thought it would be a flop, but it turned out so well. (Honestly, I’m worried about them being a flop with most vegan cheeses.) Your making me want to consider tiptoeing back into the world of vegan cheeses.
Thank you so much for bringing this dish to the fiesta as well, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 😀
Bam's Kitchen says
Thanks so much Dini! I am one that can’t have dairy and this has just opened up a tons of culinary options for me. Pinning and sharing my friend.
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
What an amazing recipe! This looks exactly like ricotta. I bet your friends were astounded … in a really good way!