Looking for an easy vegan ricotta cheese recipe that’s nut-free and delicious? This homemade vegan ricotta cheese is the perfect dairy-free option for all your favorite pasta dishes and savory recipes. Keep reading for how to make creamy, tangy vegan ricotta with just a few simple ingredients.
What Makes This Vegan Ricotta Recipe Special?
This simple recipe is more than just a substitute for dairy ricotta. It’s a nutritious, versatile, and delicious ingredient you will love using! Since you are using leftover soy milk pulp that costs you nothing, this is the cheapest recipe you can make. Plus, it’s perfect for pizzas, lasagnas, and more. This nut-free vegan ricotta will become your go-to dairy alternative.
Plant-based alternatives to ricotta can be expensive in the store, and almond ricotta is the only kind you can find. At home, you can make a quick version with extra firm tofu, but okara already looks like the real thing as soon as you strain it.
This nut-free vegan ricotta made with okara, or soy milk pulp, presents a delightful alternative to dairy ricotta cheese, bringing a cheesy flavor and creamy texture to various dishes. Whether you’re spreading it on a pizza, layering it in a vegan lasagna, or dolloping it on your favorite pasta, okara ricotta is a testament to the creative and inclusive spirit of vegan cooking.
What is Okara and Why Use it for Vegan Ricotta?
Okara, also called soy pulp or soy milk pulp, is the fiber byproduct left over from making soy milk. It has a neutral flavor and can be used to make vegan cheeses, burgers, breakfast scrambles, and more. Okara is rich in protein, fiber, and micronutrients.
Using okara as the base for vegan ricotta reduces food waste and adds fiber and nutrition, making it an excellent choice for health-conscious individuals and those with nut allergies. Plus it already has the texture of regular ricotta cheese.
How to Make the Best Vegan Ricotta Cheese
The process of making okara ricotta is straightforward, requiring only a few simple ingredients: okara ( leftover pulp from making homemade soy milk), nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, salt or salt substitute, and lactic acid to mimic the tangy taste of traditional ricotta cheese.
Make creamy ricotta ready in minutes, perfect for immediate use or freezing for later. I like to freeze plain soy okara as well as the finished ricotta. Either can be thawed and used whenever you need it.
How Do I Store It?
To maximize freshness, store your okara ricotta in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it can last up to a week. I freeze it when I have made extra batches of soy milk for other recipes. I usually freeze in 1 cup containers, but ice cube trays work great too.
Creative Ways to Use Vegan Ricotta
Okara ricotta’s versatility shines in both savory and sweet dishes. Beyond the classic applications in vegan lasagna or as a tasty snack atop crackers, explore its use in creamy pasta bakes, vegan cannoli filling, or even as a base for dairy-free cheese sauces. The options are as limitless as your creativity.
Can I Use This in Sweet Recipes?
Absolutely! Its neutral base takes on sweet flavors beautifully. Try blending it with vanilla extract, sweetener, and lemon zest for a vegan cheesecake filling or dessert crepes.
What If I Don’t Have Lactic Acid?
Lactic acid provides a specific tangy flavor, but you can substitute it with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or even white vinegar for a similar effect.
What Are Some Good Herbs and Spices to Mix In?
Vary the flavor by using garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, fresh basil or other herbs, or even red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
You can serve it as a spread when you fancy it up a bit.
More Vegan Ricotta Ideas
- Mix in fresh herbs like basil or chives.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and garlic powder for a pizza topping.
- Swirl in pesto sauce for a vibrant green and delicious ricotta.
- Top crackers or crostini for easy ricotta bruschetta.
- Stuff into manicotti tubes or lasagna sheets.
- Mix in some lemon zest, juice, garlic, and onion powder and make a lemon ricotta pasta dish.
Make More of Your Own Vegan Cheese
- Pasta Cheese Sauce for Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Cashew Pub Cheese
- Vegan Goat Cheese – no nuts
- Almond Goat Cheese
- No Oil Vegan Pizza Fondue – Made with Oats
- Almond and White Bean Fondue
- DIY Oat Vegan Cheese Powder Recipe
- Easy American Vegan Melty Cheese Recipe
- Oil-Free Pepper Jack Cheese Recipe
- Easy Vegan Parmesan Recipe: Nut-free, Soy-free, and Made with Oats!
- Nut-Free Oat Vegan Queso
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Queso
- Bean Queso
- Vegan Torchy’s Queso Copycat
Nut-Free Vegan Ricotta Made with Okara – WFPB & No Added Oil
Equipment
- 1 Miomat use code kathyhester to get $15 off!
Ingredients
- 1 cup okara soy milk pulp
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt or salt substitute
- ¼ teaspoon lactic acid
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- You can freeze or use it right now.
- Try it on a pizza or sandwich, in a lasagna or baked pasta, or even topping plain old spaghetti.
CP says
I have had this several times now and it is my go to for making vegan lasagna
Denise McMahon says
Hi Kathy, this is my go-to recipe now when I make soy milk in the Miomat.
Your blog page has given me various new ideas for using it too.
Super easy to make & it helps me reduce my stress levels from having multiple bags of frozen okara filling my freezer.I hate waste,too
Very versatile.
I’ve also made the Okara cream cheese, which is lovely.
PS I live the Miomat milk maker too.
Elaine says
I seem to be out of luck in the alternative cheese and cheesy flavor department. I cannot tolerate soy or nutritional yeast. Suggestions, or am I truly out of luck?
Kathy Hester says
There are cheese on here that are not made with soy, but most of them do use nutritional yeast to get that aged cheesy taste without actually fermenting.
You could try looking into some fermented nut cheeses.
TBern says
I read Okara as OKRA. You’re pretty amazing with your recipe creation, but I was really curious as to how you were going to pull that off! LOL
Kathy Hester says
That would be a feat! THough now you have me wanting to try it in other cheese- lol!
Donna says
Genius, I have to stop myself from eating the whole bowl by itself! Sometimes I get NO okara when making my soy milk. Today I got enough to make it but I don’t think it was quite 1 cup! Thanks Kathy