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Do They Still Make the Original Government Cheese

Bowl of delicious WHIPPED Vegan Ricotta Cheese on a cutting board with lemon and almonds

I never thought vegan ricotta cheese could taste so good – until now. Friends, let's make 5-ingredient vegan cheese!

Nutritional yeast, lemon, salt, almonds, and garlic powder for making Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Origins of Ricotta

Ricotta is a soft, mild "cheese" popular in Italian cuisine and used in dishes such as ravioli, lasagna, tortellini, and crepes. It's believed to have roots dating back to ancient history (source).

But did you know that ricotta is not technically cheese (source)?! We were surprised too! It's actually made from whey, which is a by-product of cheese making.

Either way, we love its taste and versatility, but wanted to make a dairy-free version for those who can't or choose not to consume dairy products!

How to Make Vegan Ricotta

The base for this seriously easy1-blender, 10-minute ricotta is blanched slivered almonds. Because they've already been soaked and the skins removed, the almonds don't need to be soaked before blending! Time = saved. In fact, I tried soaking them and didn't like the end product nearly as much.

Because ricotta doesn't typically have an intense cheesy flavor, the only additions it needs are nutritional yeast for a little cheesiness, lemon juice for tang, salt for saltiness, and a dash of garlic powder for depth of flavor.

Blender filled with ingredients for making simple WHIPPED Vegan Ricotta Cheese
Freshly WHIPPED Vegan Ricotta Cheese in the blender

Once blended, the "ricotta" is ready to go! Or you can set it in a cheesecloth and set it in the refrigerator to chill and harden a bit more. But if you're in a hurry, the finished product is ready like that (in just 10 minutes)!

Wooden cutting board with a bowl of our homemade Vegan Ricotta Cheese recipe

I hope you all LOVE this almond ricotta! It's:

Creamy
Tangy
Cheesy
Satisfying
Versatile
Easy to make
& SO delicious

Add this ricotta to things like my Zucchini Lasagna, My Favorite Vegan Pizza, or Stuffed Shells! It would also make a delicious addition to things like my Lentil Bolognese Sauce to make the sauce creamier and cheesier. YUM.

For more vegan "cheese," check out our Easy Garlic & Herb Vegan Cheese, Spicy Pimento Cheese Ball, 5-Minute Macadamia Nut Cheese, Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese," and 30-Minute Cashew Alfredo!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Close up shot of a bowl of Vegan Ricotta Cheese garnished with fresh basil leaves

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 8 (~1/4-cup servings)

Course Sauce

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Vegan

Freezer Friendly No

Does it keep? 5-7 Days

  • 2 cups slivered blanched almonds*
  • 2-3 tsp nutritional yeast (plus more to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 – 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 dash garlic powder
  • 3/4 – 1 cup water
  • 2-3 Tbsp fresh basil, oregano, or parsley (optional)

  • Add all ricotta ingredients (starting with the lesser amount of water (3/4 cup/180 ml and salt (1/2 tsp) as original recipe is written) to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed (~2 minutes). You are looking for a well-puréed mixture with only very small bits of almonds intact. Add a bit more water a little at a time if the mixture is having a hard time blending until smooth.

  • Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt for overall flavor, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, and lemon juice for acidity. For even more flavor, you can add in some fresh basil, oregano, or parsley (optional).

  • At this point, the "cheese" is ready to enjoy, especially in dishes like Lasagna, Pizza, or Stuffed Shells. However, it can also be wrapped in cheesecloth, formed into a ball, and placed into a fine mesh strainer set over a mixing bowl up to 3 days. This will allow the "cheese" to firm up a bit. However, this is optional. You can also transfer straight from blender to a storage container and refrigerate.

  • Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days.

*I haven't tested this recipe with any other nuts besides Macadamia (recipe here!), and can't recommend others at this time.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Recipe adapted from Hot For Food.
*Recipe makes ~2 cups ricotta.

Serving: 1 quarter-cup servings Calories: 162 Carbohydrates: 6.5 g Protein: 6.3 g Fat: 13.6 g Saturated Fat: 1.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 178 mg Fiber: 3.7 g Sugar: 1.2 g

Did You Make This Recipe?

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Do They Still Make the Original Government Cheese

Source: https://minimalistbaker.com/whipped-almond-ricotta-5-ingredients/