Homemade vegan ricotta made from almonds is not magic. Definitely not as difficult as learning an ” Expecto Patronum “. Sorry, the Harry Potter allegory just had to be done now 😁. In any case, you will absolutely get this homemade vegan almond ricotta done without any problems and without a lot of work. This vegan ricotta alternative not only tastes delicious but is also wonderfully creamy. Like the original! One thing, believe me, try the recipe, and you will delight grown-ups, kids, and even non-vegans.
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Homemade vegan almond-based ricotta
Vegan ricotta made from almonds – why should you make it yourself, you might ask yourself. There are now vegan ricotta alternatives in every well-stocked supermarket. You are absolutely right. However, the emphasis is on a well-stocked supermarket. Not everyone has the local conditions and not every random shop carries these products. In such cases, do-it-yourself is an option. And the ricotta preparation may seem complicated and time-consuming at first glance, but it is not at all.
The only virtues you should bring are; patience and time. By the way, I’m not gifted with a high level of patience. And anyway, I never have time with self-employment, 70% workload, and being a mom. But I still managed to make this vegan almond ricotta. So it can’t be too bad. The active workload is actually quite small.
Furthermore, I am now leaning out of the window and claiming that the vegan ricotta alternative based on almonds is a bit more sustainable than the cashew ricotta that is common in shops. This is of course a very daring claim because I’m pretty brave on the road today 😉. Of course, it always depends on where the almonds come from, whether from Spain or California and how they were grown (more on this topic here). The same goes for the cashews. Were they processed directly at their place of cultivation or shipped to Asia first? Which sources of supply of cashews were used etc. As always, there is no black and white – otherwise, it would be boring.
Vegan Almond Ricotta
You will need some patience and time for this recipe. In other words, you can’t start in the morning and serve the vegan ricotta to your guests in the evening. But the good news is that you don’t need a lot of equipment or tons of ingredients. The recipe for this vegan ricotta alternative is limited to a few ingredients. And the only thing you need to process the almonds is a powerful blender.
To make the almond ricotta look a bit aesthetically pleasing, it makes sense to use a special cheese mold for ricotta. You can easily find these on the internet. Or the bargain hunters among you can simply buy ricotta and use its mold. Last but not least you need a nut bag or a fine gauze cloth and that’s it.
This is how the vegan ricotta succeeds
For the success of this recipe, especially for an extremely creamy consistency and an authentic taste, the quality of the almonds used is of the utmost priority. When buying almonds, make sure they are of very good organic quality. It is best to chose almonds from Spain or at least Europe. In order to achieve the most authentic possible color of vegan ricotta, you should definitely use peeled almonds. With a little extra effort, you can also use regular almonds. You simply soak them in water overnight and then peel them yourself. But be warned, that sounds so easy but it’s really hard work 😋.
Otherwise, nothing can go wrong, unless you lose patience and don’t let the ricotta sit and drain long enough. Give the almond ricotta at least one night – better yet 24 hours – to chill and get rid of all the excess liquid.
Is ricotta vegan?
The question actually comes up every now and then. Especially if you are not that familiar with the vegan diet. Therefore I would like to go into it briefly here – even if it may already be crystal clear for many of you. No, regular ricotta is not vegan. It is traditionally made from sheep’s and/or cow’s milk. However, a vegan diet does not mean that you have to do without ricotta. You can switch to cashew or almond-based alternatives. Or just try my recipe here.
Less waste tips
As always, here are a few smart tips to help prevent waste:
- You can find fresh lemons unpackaged at the weekly market.
- You should be able to find almonds, salt, and apple cider vinegar at a well-stocked bulk store.
- You can use the leftover that remains after filtering off the almond milk, e.g. E.g. For baking or for granola, bread, pancakes or porridge.
- If you peel the almonds yourself, you don’t have to discard the shells. You can dry them again with residual heat from the oven and use them for granola, bread, or baking.
- Instead of getting a new cheese basket, you can use one from store-bought ricotta.
Alternatives to the products used
For this recipe, you need exactly 3 ingredients, almonds, salt, and acid in the form of lemon juice. Alternatively, you can easily use apple cider vinegar. If you find the taste of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar too intense in the end result, table vinegar should also work. If necessary, you simply have to adjust the amount. If you do not tolerate almonds well or are allergic, you can use other “white” nuts. For example cashews or macadamia nuts. Maybe even sunflower seeds. I haven’t tested either and I can’t guarantee you what the end result will be.
Can I use ready-made almond milk? Believe me, I asked myself the same question at the beginning. And if it were possible, I would have chosen this route for this nut ricotta. Unfortunately, finished almond milk only contains small amounts of almonds and a relatively large amount of water. The recipe will not succeed with it. Or you would need huge amounts of store-bought almond milk for the same amount of ricotta.
Do I really need all this equipment? Short and sweet plain text 😎: good blender, nut bags, and gauze cloth/cheesecloth yes! The cheese basket is just fancy, you have to admit that, right? You only need it if you want a nice ricotta pattern. You don’t need it, especially if you’re going to process the almond ricotta right away.
Meal prep tips
The vegan almond ricotta is actually only suitable for meal prep. Since it needs a good 1 – 2 days until it is really ready to eat. So you have to bring time anyway.
How long does the vegan ricotta alternative made from almonds keep? The vegan ricotta can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days without any problems. However, it’s so tasty that it won’t last that long. You will have distorted in before, believe me.
What goes well with almond ricotta?
What does the vegan almond-based ricotta go with?
- tastes great on a piece of bread with some vegan honey and fresh thyme
- or simply as a butter substitute jam on the bread
- perfect for spinach and ricotta filling for cannelloni, ravioli or pierogi
- It gives pasta sauces a nice creamy texture
- as a filling for fruity tarts, cakes or Italian cheesecake
Why you should try this vegan almond ricotta:
It is:
- vegan
- simply prepared
- prepared without having to stand in the kitchen for long
- perfect in consistency
- super creamy in consistency
- the plant-based alternative to regular ricotta
- tastes just as delicious as the original
- grown-ups and the little ones love it
- Also tastes good to non-vegans
More vegan cheese alternatives:
If you try this vegan almond ricotta, I’d love to hear your feedback here in the comments. If you share your creation of this recipe on Instagram, please don’t forget to link @velvetandvinegar and use the hashtag #velvetandvinegar. So my community and I will definitely not miss your contribution.
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Bye for now Your Sarah
Vegan Almond Ricotta
Equipment
- ricotta basket optional
Ingredients
- 200 g almonds blanched* organic
- 500 ml water
- 2 tsp salt organic
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice organic organic
Instructions
- Soak almonds in water overnight*.
- Drain water, rinse almonds well, peel almonds if necessary.
- Place almonds with water in blender and blend very well for about 1 minute. Filter almond milk using a nut bag or muslin cloth. Use pomace for baking and do not throw away.
- Pour collected almond milk into a saucepan and heat with other ingredients. Simmer over medium heat until liquid thickens (about 40 minutes).
- Pour thickened mixture into a large strainer lined with a cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Place strainer over a bowl and let ricotta mixture drain in refrigerator overnight, or better yet, for 24h. You can drink the collected “whey” or use it for smoothies.
- This step is optional: now transfer ricotta to cheese basket and let it drain again for a few hours. Carefully turn over and invert ricotta onto a plate.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi! The nutrition facts refer to the whole ricotta?
Dear Teresina,
Yes they do refer to the whole ricotta not a single serving. And due to the fact, that almonds are used, the calories are quite high.
Greatings Sarah
Thank you for this recipe. The texture is perfect. However, the cheese is way too salty to my taste. Will reducing the amount of salt change the texture or can I just put in less?
Hey Laura,
Thank you for your comment. Happy that you like the texture of the cheese. Yes, you can totally reduce the amount of salt in the recipe. It shouldn’t change the texture. Would mean the world to me, if you could rate the recipe 🙂
Greetings Sarah
Thanks! I’m making a version with chives and black pepper for our waffle brunch. I’m sure everyone will love it.
Hey Laura,
Wow, sounds super delicious! Let me Know what the guests said and how it turned out 🙂
Hug Sarah