This delicious vegan almond ricotta cheese is creamy, slightly crumbly and tangy! You’ll love the smooth texture and versatility of this easy recipe.
If cheese is what keeps you from going fully vegan, then you need to try our 8-minute almond ricotta!
It’s the next best thing after our almond cheese ball and can be used for anything from lasagna to pizza rolls or spread on crusty bread.
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No need to wave goodbye to delicious cheese on a plant-based diet, just make your own healthy version at home instead!
This 5-ingredient almond ricotta is predestined to become your favorite DIY spreadable vegan cheese — because it’s ridiculously easy and doesn’t require any ripening.
For more cheesy goodness, try our herbed tofu feta, low-fat cheese sauce or vegan Mac and Cheese!
Why you’ll love it
- Dump and blend – no kitchen skills required
- Grainy and creamy texture – just like ricotta!
- Super versatile and flavorful
- Cheesy, tangy and irresistibly delicious
- Meal-prep friendly and freezable
- Family favorite and secretly healthy
Nutritionally speaking, it has about as much protein as dairy-based ricotta for the same amount of calories.
Almond ricotta comes in at only 1 gram of saturated fat compared to 6 grams in the dairy version, 3 grams of fiber compared to none as well as no trans fats or cholesterol — both of which are found in dairy-based ricotta.
Ingredients needed
- Almonds — slivered and blanched ones work the best!
- Lemon juice — adds a tart and fresh flavor to the ricotta.
- Nutritional yeast — don’t mistake it for brewer’s yeast!
- Salt — adjust to your preferences.
- Garlic powder — really adds some great flavor!
Some recommended flavorings include salt, garlic powder and dried oregano. Find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
In terms of kitchen equipment, you’ll need a blender or food processor to make this recipe!
How to make almond ricotta cheese
Soak your almonds if you don’t have a high-quality blender or food processor. Once ready to make the ricotta, drown them.
Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Start with less water than written in the recipe and slowly add more as needed.
Process until a grainy and fluffy mixture forms. It should be fine and no longer have any chunks, meaning an overall smooth texture.
Taste and adjust with the ingredients to make your ricotta more salty, tangy or cheesy!
Add additional spices if you like (suggestions below) and enjoy your homemade ricotta.
Storage & serving
Any leftover ricotta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It’s also freezable for longer storage!
Serve with fresh bread, crackers, on toast, raw vegetables or use for pasta, pizza and casseroles.
Tips & adjustments
Ingredient swaps
- Almonds — replace with cashews or tofu for a nut-free & high-protein version
- Slivered almonds — use whole almonds (peel the skin off if they aren’t blanched) and follow the weight measurement in the recipe since the volume will be different! Be sure to soak them, too.
- Garlic powder — can be omitted or use fresh garlic.
- Water — use almond milk or creamer to make richer ricotta.
Flavor ideas
Our favorite add-ins for this almond ricotta include Italian herbs, dried basil, smoked paprika, hot paprika and liquid smoke.
How to make tofu ricotta
Add tofu, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides if needed.
Adjust to taste preferences and enjoy!
How to make sliceable almond cheese
When adding agar-agar powder and tapioca starch, you can make sliceable almond cheese out of this recipe.
By heating the almond, spice and starch mixture, it becomes creamy and then thick – when pouring it into cheese molds and letting it cool for 30 minutes, you are rewarded with a beautiful homemade almond cheese!
More vegan condiments
Add flavor and texture to your dishes with these delicious recipes!
Did you try our vegan almond ricotta cheese and like it? Let us know how in the comments below. You can also rate our recipe and Pin it here!
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw slivered almonds 220 g
- ½ - ¾ cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for the almond ricotta into a high-speed blender jar or food processor. Start with ½ cup water and work your way up.
- Blend until a thick mixture forms, adding more water if needed. You should be left with a creamy, fluffy and slightly grainy ricotta-like consistency.
- Adjust to taste with salt, garlic and oregano, then place into a food container and store in the fridge for up to a week or use immediately.
Notes
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, you can soak the almonds for a few hours before blending or processing them.
- This almond ricotta is freezable and can be thawed in the fridge before using it. If you save any leftovers in the fridge after making it from scratch, it'll keep for about a week.
- The serving size is just a suggestion and highly depending on what you eat with the ricotta!
Alena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.
I did make this and it is wonderful. I blended in my Vitamix for 60 seconds with varied speeds. Maybe should have done more, it is quite chunky but we love it. Can’t see how to add my photo; we’d already scarfed down most of it, it was really delicious with pasta and veg cheese sauce. Thank you for the recipe.
Can you substitute cashews? Don’t always have slivered almonds on hand.
sure thing you can :)
How much agar and tapioca starch should I add to make it sliceable ?
1-2 tbsp