Vegan Cashew Ricotta Cheese Recipe (Quick + Easy) (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.

So what cheeses are vegetarian? Fresh cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, paneer, cottage cheese, and cream cheese tend to be vegetarian by nature, requiring lemon juice or citric acid to coagulate instead of rennet. Otherwise, look for cheese that explicitly states that it was created with vegetarian rennet.

Substitute for cashews: cashews are my preference as they are creamy and mild in flavor, but if you need to substitute them you can use macadamia nuts, blanched almonds, or raw sunflower seeds. All of these nuts and seeds will need to be boiled for about 15 minutes to ensure they have softened.

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.

As vegan blog Wag Free Food notes, coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut cream are popular ingredients to make vegan cheese. The high-fat content of coconut makes it easier to create a creamy, decadent, cheese-like product.

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny.

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.

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.

Traditional mozzarella is not vegetarian. This is because it contains rennet. Rennet is an enzyme harvested from slaughtered calf stomach. There are different definitions of being a vegetarian, but all that I found exclude products of the slaughterhouse in the vegetarian diet.

Cashews are a softer nut, making them great candidates in vegan cooking for creating dairy-free alternatives. When soaked and blended, cashews can be reduced to a thick, creamy sauce perfect for dishes like Vegan Fettuccini Alfredo, Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce and Basil Pesto Stuffed Shells.

Why do vegans use cashews? ›

Loaded with healthy fats, proteins, vitamins (such as B6 and E), and minerals (like copper, zinc, and magnesium), cashews support heart health, boost immunity, aid in digestion, and promote overall well-being.

Almonds are the most similar to cashews. They can be used in trail mix, granola, vegan cheese recipes, cream sauces, and made into milk. What is the best way to replace cashews in vegan cream sauces? If you're going for a nut-free alternative, try silken tofu or cauliflower for a cream sauce.

The production of vegan cheese can be costlier than that of traditional dairy cheese due to the higher prices of plant-based ingredients and the additional processing steps involved.

Parmela Shreds

Parmela nailed it (don't ask us how). These cashew-based shreds not only taste like cheese, but they also melt perfectly. Varieties include Mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Fiery Jack. The last one is phenomenal in dairy-free quesadillas!

Vegan Ricotta Cheese made with slivered almonds, vinegar, yogurt, water and salt. So easy and tastes so authentic and like True Food Kitchen's ricotta cheese! It is creamy, smooth, rich, thick and heavenly.

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.

What Ingredients Are in Vegan Cheese? Vegan cheeses are 100% animal-free and made using vegetable proteins. Usually, they're made from soy; nuts, such as cashews and macadamias; and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. You can also find cheeses that derive from agar, tapioca, peas and arrowroot.