I developed this vegan ricotta cheese to transform my own go-to vegetarian lasagna recipe to a vegan one when we transitioned to a fully vegan diet. That lasagna was my standard for guests, pot lucks, and family gatherings. It had all the taste of something that took a lot of effort, but it actually came together in no time, and with hardly any mess (the magic of not cooking the noodles). It could be prepared ahead and put in the fridge. Obviously, my motivation to create the vegan ricotta was huge!
After several adjustments, I ended up with a vegan ricotta cheese that pleased and fooled many an omnivore. They often asked for the recipe for the lasagna. One cheese snob friend even said, “What is the cheese you are using in this? It is amazing!!” That was the moment I knew it was as good as I had hoped. If only I had a photo of their faces when I told them it was made from cashews and wasn’t dairy at all! 🙂 That lasagna recipe eventually became our extremely popular Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna.
For years, I only made the vegan ricotta cheese for that lasagna. Recently, however, it has become my go-to recipe for dishes that call for a cheese that is creamy with a little tang (like this Spinach Pie). We have also used it for stuffed shells, pizza, and on baked potatoes (really yummy!).
Greg and I decided it was time to break it out of the lasagna recipe and give it the respect it was due as a stand-alone.
As we continue to develop delicious vegan recipes, and in day-to-day life, we keep finding new ways to use it. We hope that you will enjoy making this and use it to add a yummy vegan touch to many dishes.
A simple recipe for a replacement for ricotta in your recipes. Cashew based.
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I’m making spinach empanadas this weekend and I LOVE this recipe. Does this freeze well? Making ahead of time.
Hi Alicia, well we’ve never tried freezing it (or a dish using it) but we expect it should do fine. Spinach empanadas sound yummy—can you share the recipe (and is it your recipe)?
hi! what else can i use the vegan ricotta cheese for aside from the lasagna? love the recipe btw 🙂
Hi Sally!
We’re delighted that you are enjoying the Lasagna recipe, thanks!
There are a lot of uses for the cashew cream, and we mention a few in the post, actually. It’s funny that you ask, too, because I’m working on a stuffed shells post that will use the cashew cream. Anyway, it’s used in our Vegan Spinach Pie, its perfect for stuffed shells (of course), very tasty on pizza, and fabulous on baked potatoes (like these Caramelized Onion and Broccoli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes).
Please let me know what you use it on and tag us if you happen to share on social media (we’re on Instagram and Facebook, by the way). That would be awesome!
Also, please consider signing up for our emails (don’t worry we don’t spam people!) and you’ll know as soon as we have that stuffed shells post ready.
Peace, Georgia
I love this cashew cream. I just tried it in lasagna and it’s so delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Marla,
Isn’t it yummy? Lasagna is the perfect use for it. So glad you gave it a try. By the way, have your tried our lasagna recipe? We make it with zucchini (you can opt for noodles, of course) and it has really made an impression on lots of non-vegans. 🙂
Peace, Georgia
Great!!!!!!!!!Thanks for yor blog!!!!!! Ida, Slovakia
Hi Ida!
You’re so welcome! Thank YOU for checking out our site. 🙂
We love hearing from readers and its a delight to know that people from places so far away are enjoying the blog.
Peace, Georgia & Greg