I never thought vegan ricotta cheese could taste so good – until now. Friends, let’s make 5-ingredient vegan cheese!
The base for this seriously easy 1-blender, 10-minute ricotta is blanched slivered almonds. Because they’ve already been soaked and the skins removed, the almonds don’t need to be soaked before blending! Time = saved. In fact, I tried soaking them and didn’t like the end product nearly as much.
Because ricotta doesn’t typically have an intense cheesy flavor, the only additions it needs are nutritional yeast for a little cheesiness, lemon juice for tang, salt for saltiness, and a dash of garlic powder for depth of flavor.
Once blended, the “ricotta” is ready to go! Or you can set it in a cheesecloth and set it in the refrigerator to chill and harden a bit more. But if you’re in a hurry, the finished product is ready like that (in just 10 minutes)!
I hope you all LOVE this almond ricotta! It’s:
Creamy
Tangy
Cheesy
Satisfying
Versatile
Easy to make
& SO delicious
Add this ricotta to things like my Zucchini Lasagna, My Favorite Vegan Pizza, or Stuffed Shells! It would also make a delicious addition to things like my Lentil Bolognese Sauce to make the sauce creamier and cheesier. YUM.
For more vegan “cheese,” check out our Easy Garlic & Herb Vegan Cheese, Spicy Pimento Cheese Ball, 5-Minute Macadamia Nut Cheese, Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese,” and 30-Minute Cashew Alfredo!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
- 2 cups (216 g) slivered blanched almonds*
- 2-3 tsp nutritional yeast, plus more to taste
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- Dash garlic powder
- 3/4 - 1 cup (180- 240 ml) water
- optional: 2-3 Tbsp (6 g) fresh basil, oregano, or parsley
- Add all ricotta ingredients (starting with 3/4 cup (180 ml) water) to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed (~2 minutes). You are looking for a well-puréed mixture with only very small bits of almonds intact. Add a bit more water a little at a time if the mixture is having a hard time blending until smooth.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt for overall flavor, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, and lemon juice for acidity. For even more flavor, you can add in some fresh basil, oregano, or parsley (optional).
- At this point, the “cheese” is ready to enjoy, especially in dishes like Lasagna, Pizza, or Stuffed Shells. However, it can also be wrapped in cheesecloth, formed into a ball, and placed into a fine mesh strainer set over a mixing bowl up to 3 days. This will allow the “cheese” to firm up a bit. However, this is optional. You can also transfer straight from blender to a storage container and refrigerate.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 (1/4 cup servings) of 8 servings.
*Recipe adapted from Hot For Food.
This looks very good! How long does it keep in the fridge?
7-10 days, depending on the freshness of your ingredients.
Yum! Do you also have a sweet version for desserts?
Hi Joan! I don’t yet, but I’ll add that to my list! In the meantime, I’d just suggest omitting the nutritional yeast and garlic powder, decreasing the salt, and adding a little maple syrup. Good luck!
Yum! Definitely trying this on toast with some blueberries.
Would love to see this in a cannoli recipe, but will use it for my next lasagna for sure!!
Good idea! Will add to my list.
Can you use it in a vegetarian lasagna?
Absolutely!
So timely, I was going to make a vegan eggplant Parmesan next week! I just bought raw slivered almonds at Trader Joe’s, is that the same as the blanched almonds in the recipe?
As long as they don’t have the skin on the outside. It should work either way, but blanched slivered are best!
No skin! The package says raw slivered almonds.
That should work! Blanched I think provide a creamier texture since they’ve been soaked a little. But it should work! Let me know how it goes.
Have you found a difference between using a blender and a food processor? My blender is just a normal kitchen aid blender (vs vitamix etc) so I don’t think I would describe it as high speed. But I want to make this for pizza tonight and have a food processor!
You can make it in a food processor it just won’t be as creamy.
Hi, I’d love to make it but I don’t have nutrional yeast and I find it’s quite expensive to buy. Is there a substitute I could use?
Hmm, I can’t think of a good sub for nutritional yeast – it’s essential for that “cheesy” flavor. But you can try omitting it and see how it goes!
Marmite often works as a substitute, in my opinion.
Try a bulk food place. A couple of cups will go a on way!
We buy it at a winco in the bulk item section. It’s the best price where we live.
I’m from New Zealand so I’m not sure which place here is the best to find it cheap. I only know one place and it costs $13.50!
Maybe try online like amazon.
If there’s a Bin Inn near you they definitely have it in bulk!
Thanks! There’s one fairly close so I could go and have a look. Do you how much it would cost?
It is really not that expensive… 5.00 for a 4.5 oz container and it goes pretty far as you only need couple tablespoons in recipes …
Super inexpensive at trader joes
You know, not all of us can afford a “high speed blender”. Can this recipe be made with a plain old Oster, without blowing out the motor?
Why the tone? If this blog isn’t for you read a different one.
Seriously, no tone intended – love this site! Just blown away by prices of high speed blenders, cannot afford now, and cannot risk blowing out the motor of the one I do have. As a life-long vegetarian attempting to go completely vegan, my love of cheese is a major stumbling block. I’m anxious for ANY “cheese-like” recipes that will fill the void. I love the idea of so few ingredients, too. I just apparently don’t have the right equipment for a lot of them. The cashew spreads I’ve read about need the high-powered motors, too. *sigh*
Amazon sells a certified refurbished Blendtec for under $200. I have one and love it! Since adapting a plant based diet, I’ve saved a ton on my grocery bill (milk, eggs and cheese are expensive!!), so you might be able to get one quicker than you think if you redirect your cheese budget to a blender savings account. :)
Any Aldi in your area? They sell a high speed blender “Ambiano Professional Blender” for $69.99, and I swear it is as good as Vitamix. Comes with a 5 year warranty. I’ve had mine for 2 years–use it every day– and it was an incredible investment.
Check out the BlendTec website. They offer reconditioned blenders for a fabulous discount, and they have the same guarantee as a new one. You will burn out the motor on any “regular” blender. Believe me, getting a high-speed blender is well worth the money, and it will change your life for the better!
Thanks for the tip. I have been saving money – was looking at a Vitamix refurbished on amazon, but will now check the Blend-Tec site as well. Was just hoping to be able to make some of these wonderful-sounding recipes in the interim. Ah, well. Something to look forward to!
I switched from a Vitamix to a ninja. I got mine from jcpenneys for 50 on sell. I use it everyday. It’s not the giant one, but big enough and easy to clean. Black Friday may have some.
Check out a Nutri Bullet. It’s not so expensive and it’s amazing! I use it to to make smoothies, nut butters, desserts and so much more.
Hey there – I think your regular blender would work just fine. As long as the almonds are not whole; blanched and slivered are a little softer. Just watch to be sure the chopper isn’t spinning around not chopping anything! If 6ou are feeling uneasy about it, give them a little chop on a cutting board before blending. Eating Vegan dies require a bit if prep anyway, and it it SO worth it in the end! I want to try this recipe and make ricotta/butternut squash filled ravioli. Yummmm! I LOVE this site!!
Sorry for the typos. . ?
Gloria do you use a Blendtec twister jar to make nut cheese? We recently got a Blendtec and I’m trying to get the hang of it. So far, the soup setting seems the best for that purpose, but it takes a lot of time.
I would consider an Oster high speed! Just really, any high quality blender should do. Good luck!
I just wanted to say thank you. I am a 70 something vegan since February. So I am having to learn food prep, etc. all over again. Thanks for all the help.
Lovely – thanks Maggie! xo
Hi Maggie. Do you live near an Aldis? I bought my blender for $70.00 there and it works great! I have made sauces with nuts and they came out completely smooth. I don’t know if its made by vitamix but it looks like one.
Yes Angela, I do. Thank you.
Made this and found it to be excellent!
Had it on crackers with olive oil drizzle and chives. Will now be my go to vegan cheese!
Thx for the great recipe!
Whoop! Thanks Ann.
Hi, Dana. I’mean truly grateful to have found your blog. I have pre-diabetes and must keep my sugar levels down by avoiding milk, fruits, grains, and starchy and root vegetables. Not much left for me to eat but veggies plus meats, poultry, fish, and eggs. So I can’t really go vegan–although I need to cook for my vegan daughters, ha. This is a recipe we can both enjoy (I get tired of having to cook for myself separately, but my sugar levels have gone way down, so I reluctantly want to stick with the plan recommended by my doctor). I will eagerly look forward to more of your recipes. Please consider me a fan. Xoxo
I can’t help myself from commenting about your post- do yourself a very big favour and check out Dr Neal Barnard for info on diabetes. He has heaps of lectures on you-tube and he is part of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. His website is also worth a look.
Thanks, Shelly. I will definitely have a look. Most appreciated. And for anyone else interested, please check out Dr. Richard Bernstein as well. http://www.diabetes-book.com/no-no-foods/ Hundreds of reviews of his books on Amazon testify that his plan works to maintain normal blood sugar levels. But it’s a quite restrictive plan, needing commitment.
**Can I make this with a Phillips brand blender?
Would you recommend this ricotta or the tofu version of ricotta you have also posted? Was going to do the tofu one from the spaghetti squash lasagna bake and just saw that you uploaded a new version with nuts instead. So which ones better? (: thanks for being amazing
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have one question though. Italian fresh ricotta is actually a bit sweet and we use it in many sweet recipes as well as savory. Every recipe for vegan ricotta I’ve found relies heavily on savory (nutritional yeast, garlic etc) ingredients. I know I can just leave these out but I’m wondering if you’ve ever made a sweet version.
Commenters earlier in the thread have already suggested a sweeter version recipe and Dana replied she will add it to her list to experiment. For the meantime, she did make a suggestion in the comments above to omit the nutritional yeast and savory spices and replace it with a bit of maple syrup to make a sweet version.
YUMMMMM need to try this. I just love your blog! Thanks for sharing :)
Nikki
I have almond flour, wondering if I could use it instead of almonds.
I do not use nutritional yeast; is there something else I could use?
Hi Nechama! Hmm, I can’t think of a good sub for nutritional yeast – it’s essential for that “cheesy” flavor. But you can try omitting it and see how it goes!
Just checking, does this Whipped Almond Ricotta freeze well? I like to make more than one lasagna and freeze one. This way I can just reheat when I am pressed for time.
Did you ever figure out f you can freeze it? Just popped a lasagna with this ricotta into the freezer so we’ll see!!!
Hello! I love your recipes !! How do you blanch your almonds? Or do you buy them that way? Thanks !
There is a roasted butternut squash dip that was made with whipped ricotta I have been dying to make dairy-free! Do you think this would hold up to something like that? :) Fingers crossed for a “yes!”
Hi Maria! That should work, let us know how it turns out!
Made this and it’s amazing thank you!
Hi Mandy! I edited your comment to include 5 stars since you were having issues with the ratings! thanks for the review. xo
Divine! 5 stars for sure. We’re big fans of the macadamia version and this almond version does not disappoint. My son’s has several food intolerances and especially loved this ricotta mixed with his favorite marinara and pasta. He said it was “awesome” to eat something so creamy again. Thank for making these wonderful recipes.
Thanks Tara! I edited your comment to include 5 stars since you were having issues with the rating. Thanks for the review! xo
If I transfer The ricotta into a cheese cLoth and over a strainer/bowl do I put immediately in the fridge to firm up or do I leave it out? Love this recipe FYI except I don’t use nutritional yeast to make it more of a plain ricotta. Thanks for recipes!
Hi Erin! You can place it into the fridge!
Thank you! Will it form up the same if it goes straight into a container then fridge?
I was skeptical but this is really tasty! Thanks!
Okay, I will admit that I’ve NEVER liked ricotta. But, I have been intrigued by vegan recipes all about ricotta, ranging from tofu to cashews to even pine nuts! This ricotta looks amazing, of course. You’re the queen of easy creativity! <3
I usually don’t leave comments but this recipe is AH-mazing!!!!! I used it in jumbo stuffed shells and covered them with a red pepper lentil bolognese sauce and cashew parmesan. SO GOOD.
Also….all your recipes rock. I’ve yet to try one I didn’t like. Thank you!
We eat whole30 and paleo recipes. I just made this recipe for the second time and instead of just having it on crackers, I used it in a Inspiralized baked recipe called “deconstructed” zucchini manicotti. Baked well and tasted great in place of regular ricotta. Once again, I’m impressed.
so so good and so easy! paired this with a beet salad and it was perfectly creamy, such a nice balance. will likely replace my cashew cheese obsession
I made this with lasagna the other night and it came out amazing! It was my first time making vegan lasagna and this made it so good! Thank you!
sandsadrift.com
Hey Dana!!
Just wondering if I could try this with almond meal instead of the slivered almonds? Just thought it might have a smoother texture xx
Hi Hannah! We wouldn’t recommend it!
I’m really into vegan cheese right now. Made my first lasagna with cashew cheese a couple of weeks ago and my husband and I really enjoyed it. So good! Next time I will try the lasagna with your almond ricotta.
Thanks for sharing.
Wondering what this would be like usuing almonds with the skin? Does it really change the end result (taste and texture) that much?
Hi Jess! It does change the end result, we suggest using almonds without the skin on!
Hi Dana,
Have you tried cooking this on top of homemade pizza at high heat? Making sourdough pizza from my starter and am wondering if I should add it on the last few minutes of bake time? Thank you!
Hi Jenn! We haven’t tried it, but if you do let us know how it goes!
This was SO GOOD!!! Dolloped it on pizza and am using it for lasagna tonight! Easily one of the better DIY vegan cheese alternatives I’ve ever tried.
Delicious. A bit bland, but so is ricotta :) I did add more water, some extra nutritional yeast and salt. I used it on a pizza and it was amazing. This is truly fantastic and so easy to make.
I have to add a second comment in a row. As I said above, this was fantastic on pizza. Last night I used it in stuffed shells, and served roasted brussels sprouts on the side. It was so fantastic. Truly one of the best meals I’ve ever made. This almond ricotta is far, far better than any tofu ricotta I’ve ever made. It is so simple, and so delicious. (Unfortunately it’s also quite a bit more expensive than tofu, so that’s a consideration.) I will absolutely continue making this as often as possible, and everybody who reads this should immediately go make some, too.
Love your recipes! Can you substitute brewers yeast for nutritional yeast here?
I wouldn’t recommend it!
Great consistency. Perfect amount of lemon juice. Made it for some lasagna
I was a little nervous because I never made anything like a cheese on my own before – so as backup I bought some Kite Hill ricotta made from “artisan almond milk”. This one was so much better!! I used it in a lasagna which was excellent, after tomatoes the ricotta is one of the most important flavors. The blanched almonds were easy to grind up completely with an immersion blender, something else I was nervous about since I don’t have a real food processor. Next time I’m going to make a bigger batch.
This is unreal! I have made this recipe many times for stuffed shells and it has wowed both me and every single person I’ve made it for. This almond ricotta in shells with marinara is in my top 5 go-to vegan meals to impress non-vegans. Thank you!
MAde this for our women raring afternoon today! So yummy! Added a bit more money meyer lemon juice (off of our tree), and some fresh chopped parsley. Yum!
I made this and it is AMAZING. First, I tried it immediately on a Neapolitan style pizza & it was pretty good, but it obviously held a lot better after refrigerating it. (I also may have used too much nutritional yeast and lemon juice, so I’d really recommend people to taste as they go and don’t just start with the maximum amount like I did, because everyone’s taste differs ) I chilled it overnight while I decided what to do with it… then I decided to make a baked ziti with the rest (which was an obvious staple at all of my Italian family get-togethers when I was younger) and it was IDENTICAL to the real thing. Identical. THANK YOU!
I did not expected to be so delicious. I used this Almond ricotta in eggplant lasagna rolls. It was the bomb!!
I made this for a Vegan Lasagna, and it was SO yummy! I had some left over, and I sat here dipping wheat crackers in it…it was that good. I was thinking of rolling it into a ball, and running it thru some almond or pecan pieces to make a “cheese ball”. Do you think it would work? Seriously, EVERY.SINGLE.DISH I make from Minimalist Baker is amazing!! Thank you!
I think that would work, but you may also be interested in one of our cheeseball recipes :D We’ve got a Spicy Vegan Pimento Cheese Ball and an Easy Garlic & Herb Vegan Cheese
l just made this and it is DELICIOUS!!! Didn’t have any nutritional yeast although next time I’ll try to have some on hand. Also l used sliced almonds with the peel and it doesn’t seem to detract from the flavor and the texture is just like dairy ricotta and honestly might even taste better! lm super excited and thankful for this recipe! The texture is marvelous! Made lasagna for Easter tomorrow I’m guessing guests will like the non-dairy version as much as the one with “real” ricotta.
I made this yesterday (Easter) for a lasagna and it came out amazingly perfect. Couldn’t find blanched slivered almonds, only slivered– but still came out perfect. I added fresh basil and wow– I was amazed. Served it to a lot of meat eaters, vegetarians, and those of us with dairy allergies, it was loved by all. THANK YOU for this super simple, easiest thing to make EVER, amazing recipe. Another winner from Minimalist Baker!! xoxo
hello
a couple of people brought it up but I did not see an answer. Can you freeze the ricotta?
Hi! While we haven’t tried, we can’t say for sure! If you give it a try though, report back!