Vegan Ricotta

This unbelievable vegan ricotta is easy to make and tastes even better than the real thing! 

Last year when I made Veggie Lasagna Soup I mentioned I had used dairy-free, vegan ricotta. I was blown away by how delicious the almond based ricotta from Kite Hill was and have been planning to try my hand at making my own version ever since. Many of you told me you couldn’t find this ricotta, and homemade is my favorite way to go most of the time anyway. I finally got around to doing just that and it turned out amazing on the first go. I can’t wait to use this easy vegan ricotta in all my favorite Italian recipes, but it was so tasty I couldn’t resist sampling a few bites directly from the spoon and spread on crackers.

How To Make Vegan Ricotta Cheese

The ingredients for this vegan ricotta are simple. There are no funny chemicals or heaps of added oils like there are in many processed vegan cheese alternatives. I do have one secret ingredient that takes this “ricotta” from a good dairy-free alternative to really freaking good. My favorite secret weapon for adding irresistible umami flavor is truffle oil. I have a tiny bottle because a tiny bit is all you need. When we were in Tuscany over the summer truffle oils, salts, and carpaccio was found at ever grocery store, but here it can be tricky to find good quality truffle oil. I found mine at Whole Foods but you can also find it on Amazon (Amazon Affiliate Link) HERE.  If you happen to have truffle salt and not oil, you could use that instead. Just don’t use as much or any of the salt called for in this recipe.

Homemade almond ricotta is so easy. Like, easier than going to the grocery store easy. You will need a good blender or food processor, however.

What To Do With Vegan Ricotta

Are you wondering what to do once you’ve got your easy “ricotta” all whipped up and ready to go? There are so many options. So far my favorite has been lasagna stuffed portobello mushrooms. I’ll have that recipe ready for you soon, so be sure you’re subscribed to my email or following along on social media so you don’t miss it. These lasagna portobellos are one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in a long time. The vegan ricotta is unbelievable in them. It’s light and fluffy but rich and comforting too. No one would ever guess it’s made with almonds.

Update: I’ve now used this vegan ricotta for the Best Vegan Lasagna layered with eggplant and zucchini.  

If you want to have even more fun with this basic recipe, you could add herbs like chives or dill. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe as much as I do! If you like this recipe, you’ll love my Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese! 

xx,
Marina

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Yield: about 2 cups

Vegan Ricotta

Prep Time 3 hours

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

This almond based "ricotta cheese" tastes even better than the real thing! It's easy to make and can be used in your favorite Italian recipes or simply spread on crackers.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups raw slivered almonds
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon truffle oil

Instructions

1. Almonds must be soaked before blending. Either soak in room temperature water overnight, or pour boiling water over the nuts and let stand for 3 hours.
2. Drain and rinse the soaked almonds. Transfer to a blender or food processor and add half of the water, salt, and truffle oil. Blend, adding more water until the mixture resembles ricotta cheese in texture. This may take more blending than you first expect. Continue scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula until it's completely smooth and creamy, without any bits of crunchy nuts. Taste and add more salt and oil if desired. Transfer to a storage container and keep in the refrigerator. Use in your favorite recipes such as lasagna, stuffed shells, and my lasagna soup!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1/10 recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 107mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g