Where I live, cheese is practically a religion. Wisconsinites worship its creamy, salty, stinky yumminess like they worship beer and the Green Bay Packers. In fact, the first thing to come out of someone’s mouth when I tell them I’m vegan is typically, “I could NEVER give up cheese!” I suppose now, I could reply, “Well, thank the vegan gods for Almond Ricotta!”
Like their cousins the mighty cashews, almonds can be a satisfying stand-in for “real cheese” in a healthy plant-based diet. This super convincing vegan almond ricotta cheese works great in recipes–or all on its own. I use it in veggie lasagna and pizza, or dolloped on top of pasta. But perhaps my favorite way to eat this ricotta is simply spread over crackers or raw veggies. (See below.)
Why I Love This Vegan Ricotta Cheese Recipe
This almond ricotta’s super-smooth, magically creamy texture comes from soaking the almonds overnight and then blending them at a high speed. (No surprise to you seasoned vegan cooks, I’m sure.) It gets its nice, fresh tang from a complement of vinegar, lemon and yogurt. I’m telling you friends, this ricotta is truly amazing!
And just like the real thing, it’s plenty versatile, working equally well in savory or sweet dishes. Its flavor is so neutral, it just kind of goes with the flow and complements other flavors without taking over.
Like in the pizza pictured here, where it valances the bright, garlicky pesto and tangy tomatoes beautifully. I mean cheesiness pizza is perfectly fine, but pizza topped with almond ricotta cheese is next-level.
Almond ricotta cheese & pesto pizza.
It’s also amazing on my roasted squash white pizza.
Or here, in these elegant tomato chia jam and almond ricotta cheese canapés. Just whip up a batch of almond ricotta and tomato jam the day before, and these gorgeous and drool-worthy appetizers will be ready for your guests in no time at all on party day.
Almond ricotta cheese & tomato chia jam canapés
Almond ricotta can even be sweetened to create a fluffy, creamy dessert filling like I did in these amazing Baked Tortilla Vegan Cannolis.
How to Make Vegan Almond Cheese
In a pinch, it’s possible to make this almond ricotta recipe in a food processor, but I don’t recommend it. It will still get smooth, but I find that little, chewy bits of nut will remain, even if you soak the almonds in boiling water and then overnight.
So if you want a truly convincing ricotta, I’d stick with the blender. You do have to be patient, processing it in batches and being careful not to bog down your blender, but the final result will be OH SO worth it. Let me know if you agree!
Can you freeze almond ricotta cheese?
Absolutely! It will keep in the fridge for up to a week–just give things a stir if it starts to separate. I’ve frozen this cheese for up to 3 months with great results. I recommend making a ginormous batch so you always have some creamy cheesy goodness at the ready.
If you like this whole food plant-based recipe, you might also like my Chickpea Cheese Sauce, Vegan Easy Cheezy Sauce, Vegan Cheddar Cheese Sauce, 5-Minute Vegan Chickpea Alfredo Sauce, or Vegan Oil Free Mayonnaise.
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Almond Ricotta
Ingredients
- 2 cups slivered almonds, covered in boiling water, then left to soak overnight
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup vegan plain unsweetened yogurt (Something tangy. I like cashew yogurt for this recipe)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the water, yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt to a high speed blender, like a Vitamix. Blend for a few seconds.
- Drain and rinse the almonds. (SEE NOTES) Add the almonds to the blender 1/3 at a time and process on high speed. As you add more almonds and the mixture gets thicker, start on lower speeds and gradually increase the blender speed as the mixture becomes creamier. Add small amounts of water and yogurt to thin if needed. The ricotta will thicken up some in the refrigerator.
- After blending, add more salt, vinegar or lemon to taste.
Notes
- If you don't have a powerful blender, try grinding up your almonds in a food processor before adding them to the blender.
- The ricotta will thicken up after it sits in the fridge. I usually make it the day before using it in a recipe, or make it first and place it in the fridge while I'm doing other recipe steps.
- Store for 5-7 days in the refrigerator, and up to 3 months in the freezer. (It freezes well.)
Nutrition
This recipe was inspired by an almond ricotta squash pizza I ate at True Food Kitchen.
I made a double batch a few months ago and it was fantastic! It froze very well, and I am just now down to the end of it and ready to make my next batch. I’m wondering if there would be a noticeable taste difference if I used raw almonds with the skins left on this time. I have read that most of the antioxdiants in nuts are in the skins.
Hi Tori, I don’t see why that shouldn’t work. It might change the texture a bit, but if you’re using a pretty powerful blender, I’m guessing it will turn out fine. I’d love to hear how it goes! And thanks so much for the kind words. 🙂
Great, thank you,I will let you know! I am using a vitamix. I don’t care if the cheese is slightly brown from the skins; I am just hoping it won’t change the flavor. The last time, I actually removed the almond skins and then saved them in separate containers for when I make smoothies — now that was a lot of antixodiants in just a few smoothies! But I prefer to not have to remove all the skin. I will report back. thank you again for one of my favorite recipes — this one is a keeper
Hey Tori, How cool that this works with skins or whole almonds. Great tip about the amount of liquid, I’m guessing it’s because the slivers are blanched? So glad you like this, and I agree–so much yummier than the dairy version.
Hi Elizabeth, I made this with whole almonds with skin left on and am happy to report the flavor and texture were exactly the same. The ricotta turned out a very light brown, as expected, which really doesn’t bother me at all. I guess if I were going to serve it to guests I would maybe use the almonds slivers so it looks more like traditional ricotta. I did want to mention that the whole almonds seem to soak up a lot more liquid (when soaking overnight), so the added water needs to be reduced by about 1/3-1/2 or it will be too runny. I am so excited to have a big batch in my freezer, and btw I like this so much better than cow’s milk ricotta! I think the lemon really makes it special 🙂
Can the vinegar be replaced with lemon juice?
Sure, it will be pretty lemony and taste a bit less like ricotta, but if you don’t mind that–go for it!
Would an immersion blender work with this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, I’m honestly not sure. It might turn out a little grainy, but you could give it a try. I’d definitely try to soak the almonds until they start to soften a bit first. Good luck!
Hi Elizabeth! I absolutely love all your recipes! Just a quick question about this recipe – can I use almond flour instead for this recipe?
Hi Jade, Thanks for the kind words. I haven’t tried it with almond flour but suspect the texture wouldn’t be quite right. But if you give it a go, I’d love to know if it works!
Are the almonds raw or roasted ??
They’re raw. Thanks, I’ll update the recipe to make that clear!
Made it and I think it is perfect. Just the right amount of tanginess and saltiness. The consistency is great too. This recipe is a keeper. I am by myself and it definitely helps that the surplus can be kept in the freezer.
Hello Gerda, I couldn’t ask for a better review of this almond ricotta! Thanks so much for sharing your comments, and I’m thrilled you have a new recipe to add to your repertoire.
How long does the ricotta keep for
It’s good for about 5-4 days in the fridge, and you can also freeze it.
I love this recipe! Look forward to trying others. My sister made this for a party and it was so delicious ?! My son loves baked ziti and ricotta and I’m glad I can make this healthier and better tasting ricotta. There were even real authentic from Italy Italians who tried it and they loved it!
Wow, Christina! I’m beyond thrilled to get your comments! I personally love this recipe and feed it to all of my non-veg friends and family whenever I get the chance. I worked on it for quite awhile to try to get the flavor/texture just right, so I’m SO happy you like it! And if real Italians loved–I couldn’t ask for a nicer compliment! 🙂 Thanks, you’ve made my (Mother’s) day. Hope you enjoy the site and the other recipes.
your almond ricotta does not say how much a serving is. Can you enlighten me? Thanks! Bonny
Hi Bonnie! The nutritional info here is an estimate, but I believe this recipe makes roughly 2 1/2 cups of ricotta, with about 10, 2 ounce servings per recipe. Hope this helps!