Vegan Cashew Ricotta Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan ricotta cheese made of? ›

In general, there are two main methods for making vegan ricotta: one with soy milk and the other with blended nuts and tofu. They are both delicious. However, we recommend you try the soy milk method, which yields ricotta that is ridiculously similar to real Italian ricotta.

There are a few plant-based ricotta cheese brands and alternatives out there. I've used Tofutti ricotta and made my own tofu ricotta to make baked ziti, and both were good. But for this review, I finally tried Kite Hill vegan ricotta cheese, and I was really impressed with the results.

However, if you have a less powerful blender, I do recommend soaking cashews for at least 4 hours. Just place the cashews in a bowl, cover them with water, and set them aside. After they've soaked, drain and rinse the cashews and proceed with the recipe below. Otherwise, your cream will be grainy.

First, a simple mixture of cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, and seasonings gets blended until smooth. Then, it ferments for a day or two. Finally, the cheese gets shaped into a log (think a log of goat cheese) and hangs out in the fridge for a few hours.

Vegan cheese is usually made from soy, nuts, vegetable oils, and various other natural ingredients like peas or arrowroot. Vegan cheese is seen as a healthier alternative to cheese by some, and may reduce your risk of heart disease due to its lower content of fat.

Cottage cheese: As far as ricotta substitutes go, light and mild cottage cheese is your best bet. In fact, some people prefer to use cottage cheese because it has a similar flavor and fewer calories.

Almond Milk Ricotta Alternative

Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Salt, Enzymes, Tartaric Acid, Cultures.

Taste the cashew cheese and add lemon, salt, and pepper to taste. If you like, pulse in fresh herbs or other flavorings. Serve. Cashew cheese will keep for up to 6 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

You might find any moisture that gets in with the ingredients may sweat or cause issues with the vegan cheese. They will last days, if not weeks kept out in their packaging or jar and should be good to consume whenever you want them.

Aside from being super delicious, plant-based cashew cheese is rich with Vitamin B, Calcium, Protein and Fiber. It has more vitamins and minerals than dairy. Unlike animal cheese, it does not have saturated fats which increase cholesterol and your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Why do vegans soak cashews? ›

Some people like to soak cashews in advance to make them more easily digestible. I've also read that soaking helps make the nutrients more available! One of the main things that happens when cashews soak is they absorb the water and soften. The softer the cashews, the smoother and creamier your recipe will turn out!

Fermented Cashew Cheese

This cashew-based cheese is made with just a handful of ingredients and is an explosion of salty, cheesy, tangy, and umami flavors thanks to fermentation.

If a good vegan cheddar is hard to find, a vegan smoked cheddar is the holy grail. This Smoked Block of cashew-based cheese not only slices up perfectly for a cheese board, it also melts onto your burger like a dream.

Cottage cheese delivers a chunky texture, perfect for pancakes or quick bread; remember to give it a blend for smooth textures. Meanwhile, a bit tangier but creamy, Greek yogurt works like magic in dips or baked treats, an easy one-to-one sub for Ricotta shortages.

Ingredients of hard or firm vegan cheeses includes natural agents such as agar, carrageenan, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum. The manufacturing process of fermentation is often used to replicate dairy cheese texture and flavor.

Soft-style cheeses often use an acid, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or whey. "Many softer styles of cheese like mozzarella, paneer, ricotta, and cream cheese use whey or another type of acid as their coagulant instead of rennet, so they will be safe for vegetarians," says Birnbaum.

Ingredients. Pasteurized Organic Whole Milk, Organic Vinegar, Sea Salt.