Vegan Ricotta

Our vegan ricotta cheese is the best alternative to classic ricotta. Its soft, spreadable texture and neutral flavor make it ideal for sweet and savory preparations.

You can make it with soy milk, salt, and vinegar. The recipe is nut-free and gluten-free, but what you will truly love is its versatility.

We’ve been making vegan ricotta for a few years now and used in in dozens of sweet and savory recipes.

From lemon ricotta pasta and creamy kale pasta to stuffed zucchini and tomato galette, you can use this recipe just like you’d use regular ricotta.

Along with our melty vegan cheese, it’s our favorite plant-based, dairy-free cheese because it’s really easy to make, affordable, and goes well with everything.

Most importantly, it’s similar in taste and texture to real ricotta! So much so that you can even use it to make a delicious ricotta pie with chocolate chips and wonderful Sicilian cannoli.

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.

Like in actual ricotta making, we use acidity (vinegar) and heat to curdle the protein in soy milk. This method is easy and effective!

So, in this blog post, we will show you how to make the best vegan ricotta with three ingredients: soy milk, salt, and vinegar.

We’ll also show you how to use it in delicious preparations that our readers love!

Check out our variation section below to learn how to make vegan ricotta with nuts, such as cashew nuts or almonds.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Soy milk

We tested over 30 different brands of soy milk, and we were able to make ricotta cheese with all of them, even those that contained sugar, flavorings, and additives like calcium or gellan gum.

For best results, pick soy milk with the highest amount of protein or the highest percentage of soy listed in the ingredients.

If you want to use the ricotta to make a savory dish, we choose unsweetened, unflavoured soy milk.

Other types of dairy-free milk, like almond milk or oat milk that you find in supermarkets won’t work because they don’t contain enough protein.

Vinegar

We use vinegar to curdle the soy milk. Use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

Lemon juice works, too, but you’ll need more of it.

The optimal amount of vinegar is 40 grams for every 1 Liter of soy milk (or 2.5 tablespoons for 1/4 of a gallon). In comparison, that of lemon is about 60 grams of lemon juice for every 1 Liter of soy milk (or 4 tablespoons for 1/4 of a gallon).

Salt

Salt makes this vegan ricotta taste delicious because it neutralizes the slightly acidic taste of the vinegar.

Add salt even if you want to use this ricotta for sweet preparations.

Equipment

Cloth for filtering liquids

You can use a white, clean, fine-mesh, cotton kitchen cloth like we often do or a cheesecloth or muslin cloth, which you can easily find online for a few bucks.

Make sure your clothes don’t taste like detergent.

Strainer, pot, and bowl

Any strainer will do; it should be large enough to contain the whole milk you are boiling.

You’ll also need a pot to warm the milk and a large bowl to drain excess liquid.

Ricotta cheese mold

It’s optional to give your vegan ricotta the classic ricotta cheese shape. We purchased ours online.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Warm and curdle the soy milk

Add the soy milk to a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring often.

Turn the heat off when the milk boils, and add salt and vinegar.

Stir for 30 seconds to allow the vinegar to mix with the milk.

You should see the milk curdle. When it does, set it aside for 10 minutes.

Tip: Soy milk tends to stick to the bottom of the pot as it heats. To prevent this, stir the milk often with a wooden spoon.

Strain the soy milk

In the meantime, place a strainer over a large bowl/pot and cover it with a clean, fine-mesh cotton kitchen towel or cheesecloth.

Pour the curdled soy milk into the strainer.

Tip: Ensure your clothes are clean and don’t smell like detergent.

Let excess liquid drain for a minute, then wrap the curdled milk in the cloth.

Tip: The milk is hot, so handle it with care.

Press the curdled soy milk

Put a weight on top of the cloth – you can use a bowl filled with beans or water – and let it drain for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the texture you are after.

Tip: The longer it drains, the firmer it gets. We drain ours for 30 minutes.

After draining, the ricotta is ready for sweet and savory preparations.

Tip: you can use the leftover liquid to make focaccia, pizza, or naan.

Shape the ricotta (optional)

Use a ricotta cheese mold for the best visual results. The ricotta will have the same shape as the one in cheese stores.

Transfer the ricotta to the mold, press it well, then flip the mold upside down onto a plate to get the ricotta out.

Vegan Ricotta as a dip

Transfer the vegan ricotta to a bowl and mix in a pinch of salt, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, and fresh or dried herbs like basil, chives, or parsley.

You can stir in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.

It’s excellent with warm pita bread, crostini, and veggie sticks.

Vegan Ricotta as a Spread

Transfer the vegan ricotta to a bowl and mix in a pinch of salt, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, and fresh or dried herbs like basil, chives, or parsley.

Spread in a sandwich, wrap, or toasted bread to make delicious bruschetta appetizers.

You can top it with confit tomatoes, caramelized onions, fresh herbs, olives, marinated artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes in oil.

Vegan Ricotta with Pasta

You can use vegan ricotta to make delicious and creamy pasta dishes such as:

• Lemon ricotta pasta
• Pasta al limone
• Kale pasta
• Kabocha squash pasta
• Butternut squash pasta

Vegan Ricotta in Pasta Bakes

Substitute vegan ricotta for regular ricotta in pasta bakes such as:

• Pumpkin pasta bake
• Artichoke pasta bake
• Baked Ziti

Vegan Ricotta as Stuffing

Thanks to its creamy but compact texture, vegan ricotta is excellent for stuffing anything from vegetables to pies and pasta. Try it in:

• Tomato galette
• Stuffed zucchini
• Butternut squash ravioli

Vegan Ricotta on Salads

Crumble it on salads to add creaminess and protein. Some of our favorites are:

• Sweet potato salad
• Pear salad
• Butternut squash salad
• Mediterranean farro salad

Vegan ricotta for Sweet Preparations

In Italy, ricotta is often used for making delicious sweets. Our reader’s favorites are:

• Sicilian cannoli
• Italian ricotta pie

Which milk is best to make vegan ricotta?

Over time, we’ve received a lot of questions from our readers, especially about what kind of soy milk to use to make the perfect vegan ricotta cheese.

So, we tested this recipe with most brands of soy milk – 35 to be exact – we could find in supermarkets in our area.

Here’s what we learned

• All soy milk we tested worked well to make vegan ricotta. It didn’t matter if the milk had sugar, vitamins, calcium, flavorings, or other additives.
  
• Soy milk with a neutral taste, without sugar and flavoring, produces a vegan ricotta with a mild, neutral flavor that is excellent for cooking sweet and savory dishes.
  
• In general, the higher the amount of soy or protein in the milk (read the label), the higher the yield of ricotta (although this is not always the case). Try to get soy milk with at least 6.5% soy listed in the ingredients or with the highest quantity of protein.
  
• In conclusion, while all the soy milk we tested worked well to make ricotta cheese when it comes to eating the ricotta, in our opinion, milk without sugar and flavors produces a better, more versatile ricotta cheese.

Make ahead: Vegan ricotta is an excellent meal prep recipe as it stores well in the fridge for days and months in the freezer.

Refrigerator: Store in a covered bowl or airtight container for up to a week.

Freezer: Transfer the vegan ricotta to a freezer-friendly container and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Thaw: defrost in the refrigerator over several hours or overnight. When it freezes and thaws, the ricotta will slightly change in texture. It becomes less compact and a little less spreadable.

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