Vegan Ricotta Cheese Recipe | Made with Tofu!

You only need 7 ingredients to make this vegan ricotta cheese recipe, and the result is creamy, healthy, and 100% plant-based!

If you ask vegans what food they miss most since ‘going vegan’, the chances are they will tell you the same: cheese. Store-bought vegan alternatives might go some way to curbing the cravings, but it can sometimes be hard to find a brand that has a delicious flavor and creamy texture. 

If this sounds familiar, then I have some good news! Vegan ricotta cheese is actually pretty simple to make at home and offers a tasty, healthy alternative to big brand options. If this is your first homemade vegan cheese venture, then this ricotta recipe is a great place to start. 

How to make vegan ricotta cheese

This vegan ricotta cheese recipe is as simple as sticking your ingredients into a blender and blitzing them together. I used a Vitamix, but if you don’t have a high power blender then don’t worry, as your ingredients don’t need excessive blending. Blitz the ingredients until smooth and creamy. The texture should be airy, light, and almost as if it has been whipped.

Tofu

Tofu is the secret ingredient in this recipe, and is what gives our vegan ricotta that deliciously silky, thick consistency – just like the real deal. Make sure you use firm tofu as the base for your cheese, otherwise, you will find you have too much moisture to hold the mixture together. 

Begin by pressing the tofu to remove excess liquid. This step is essential, as too much moisture will water down the taste of your ricotta. If you don’t have a tofu press then you can just place a heavy plate on top of your tofu for 30 minutes instead. 

Nutritional yeast + mushroom powder

Often used to add cheesiness to dairy-free dishes, nutritional yeast (also called nooch) will provide essential flavor for our vegan ricotta. Combined with mushroom powder the yeast takes on a rich, umami flavor, which compensates for the lack of cow’s milk in this recipe. The result is cheesy, creamy, and deeply savory. If you don’t have mushroom powder then you can use 1 teaspoon of white miso paste in its place, but make sure you don’t skip the nooch.

Lemon juice

To give your vegan ricotta cheese that characteristic tanginess, I have included 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. The acidity will cut through the savory, creamy base, to create an authentic and balanced flavor profile. This recipe calls for lemon juice, but you could easily substitute this for apple cider vinegar if you prefer.

Olive oil + seasoning

We will use olive oil to help create that rich, creamy flavor and silky consistency. For seasoning, we add a little garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

How to use vegan ricotta cheese

This recipe makes a great base and tastes delicious as is. However, if you fancy getting creative then there is a bunch of other flavors you can add-in. Some popular additions are dried basil, oregano, onion powder, and crushed pepper. If you like your cheese a little zestier then try adding in a pinch of lemon zest. 

Vegan ricotta cheese is a perfect plant-based alternative to lasagne cheese sauce, or stuffed into cannelloni or pasta shells. It can also be spread on rice cakes for a light snack or dolloped on top of a pizza. 

Sweet Vegan Ricotta cheese 

Looking to use your ricotta cheese in a sweet recipe? No problem! All it takes is a couple of small adjustments. Swap the mushroom powder for miso paste, and leave out the black pepper and garlic powder. 

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