The BEST Dairy Free Ricotta Cheese Substitute Recipe
This easy and delicious 5-minute dairy free ricotta substitute is vegan, keto, and tastes just like the original! Creamy, tangy, perfect ricotta cheese! Use this tasty “cheese” in your favorite Italian recipes– from savory dishes to sweet recipes, this versatile cheese is the best substitute!
Table of Contents
What is Ricotta Cheese?
Ricotta cheese is a fresh, creamy cheese made from the leftover whey from the production of other fresh cheeses such as mozzarella cheese or provolone. The whey is reheated, and then lemon juice is added to cause the remaining proteins to form curds. These curds are then strained, leaving behind the soft, slightly grainy ricotta cheese.
Ricotta is known for its mild, slightly sweet flavor. It’s a versatile cheese that works well in both sweet and savory dishes. It is commonly used in Italian cuisine, appearing in dishes like lasagna recipes, cannoli, and stuffed pasta dishes. Additionally, ricotta can be enjoyed on its own, spread on toast, or used as a topping for fruits and desserts.
What Makes This Recipe Great
If you’re dairy sensitive, have lactose intolerance, or have a dairy allergy, missing out on delicious recipes leaves you begging for vegan alternatives that have similar texture, flavor, and versatility as the original. Dairy-free options at the store are often expensive and hard to find. Well, I have good news for you! Enter the most amazing dairy-free ricotta cheese alternatives: my Homemade Dairy-Free Ricotta Substitute!
To make dairy-free ricotta, you typically need blanched whole almonds, but I didn’t have any on hand. As I was thinking about it, I realized that almond flour is exactly that: super fine blanched whole almonds!
So, making it even easier for you, I have created the yummiest dairy-free ricotta cheese recipe using the almond flour you probably already have in your pantry! Add in just a few more ingredients, blend them up, and that’s it! The most excellent substitute for this favorite creamy Italian cheese
Use this ricotta substitute in your favorite recipes like Dairy-Free Keto Lasagna, this delicious Whipped Ricotta dip, dessert toppings, or any other savory or sweet recipes that call for ricotta cheese! It has the same smooth texture, similar taste, and is a 1:1 replacement for whole milk ricotta. That means, 1 cup of ricotta cheese = 1 cup of this dairy-free ricotta alternative!
Recipe Highlights
- 5 Minute Recipe
- Only 5 Ingredients
- The perfect ricotta cheese substitute: Similar flavor profile, mild taste, and fewer calories!
- 1:1 Replacement!
- Versatile ingredient
- Dairy-Free, Keto, and Vegan Diet Friendly
Ingredient Notes
- Almond Flour: Make sure you’re using almond flour, and not almond meal. Almond meal is made from whole almonds with the skin still on. All almond flour is made from blanched almonds. My favorite almond flours are the Costco Kirkland brand, Thrive Market, and Anthony’s.
- Lemon Juice: You could use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lime juice in place of lemon in a pinch. Same quantities. I prefer lemon juice.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast gives that “cheesy” flavor to this ricotta substitute without adding any dairy. No substitutes for this sadly. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out. It won’t have as much of a cheesy flavor, more of a neutral, mild flavor.
Recipe Step by Step
- In a blender, combine the almond flour, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, kosher salt, and garlic powder.
- In your high-speed blender, blend on high for 60 seconds. Stop, scrape down and blend again.
- If needed, add up to another 1/4 cup of water (or more) to get your ricotta substitute to a smooth consistency. All almond flour moisture levels vary a bit. You want the consistency to be smooth and creamy like real ricotta cheese.
Expert Tips
- How to Serve: Use as a 1:1 substitute for regular ricotta cheese. I love it on my keto dairy-free lasagna, or dolloped on top of pasta, as a dip, or dolloped on top of dairy-free pizzas. So many possibilities!
- Storage: Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Use within one week.
- Heating: You can heat this in the oven as I do in my dairy-free keto lasagna!
- Blender: I love my Vitamix. You *could* use your food processor, but it may take longer to blend and get it extra creamy.
Recipe FAQs
I tried freezing this, and after thawing it was more crumbly. Wasn’t as smooth. But still edible! Worked fine with I made and froze a dairy-free lasagna using this ricotta substitute.
Yes! All ingredients in this recipe are vegan– no cow’s milk in this dairy-free alternative–so this is a great vegan ricotta cheese substitute.
Yes! There are just 2.5 net carbs per serving of this dairy free ricotta cheese substitute!
More Dairy Free Dips, Sauces, Dressings, & More!
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The BEST Dairy Free Ricotta Cheese Substitute Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup water, or more to desired consistency
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from roughly 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Equipment
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the almond flour, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, kosher salt and garlic powder.
- In your high speed blender, blend on high for 60 seconds. Stop, and scrape down and blend again.
- If needed, add in up to another 1/4 cup of water (or more) to get your ricotta to a smooth consistency. All almond flours moisture level varies a bit. You want the consistency to be smooth and creamy like real ricotta.
- Transfer to an airtight container. Will keep in an airtight container for 1 week.
- Use as a 1:1 substitute for regular ricotta cheese. I love it on my keto dairy free lasagna, or dolloped on top of pasta, or as a dip, or dolloped on top of dairy free pizzas. So many possibilities!
- As always, lots of tips, FAQs and substitution info in the Recipe Notes!
77 Comments on “The BEST Dairy Free Ricotta Cheese Substitute Recipe”
I was amazed how this recipe was so easy and how it turned out so beautiful! I’m trying it in a one pot creamy Italian chicken soup today, but I may try it in a keto dairy free lasagna recipe also. Thanks for sharing,😋.
I see other recipes add Italian seasoning to this? If so how much would I add to yours? A teaspoon? Or do you not recommend adding it at all?
I used this to make dairy free ravioli and it was amazing! The dairy eating family members would have never known it was vegan. Can’t wait to use this in ravioli and stuffed shells!
Can this be used to make a lemon ricotta cake?
I haven’t tried this in baked goods, but I tried it as a replacement for ricotta in lasagna and it worked well! So I would think it would work rather well for baked goods as well.
If you try it, please let me know how it turns out. I’m so curious!
Thanks so much for this recipe. I’m wondering how this recipe would work in a dessert. I am assuming that excluding the garlic would be a good start. Do you have some suggestion on what I should substitute, or do you think this recipe would be a good dairy free substitute for the real thing in an Italian dessert?
I love that idea! I’d leave out garlic as well if using in a sweet dessert. I would think this would work! I baked it on a lasagna and was great, so I would think it would be great in a dessert. If you try it and it works I’d love if you would let me know. I’m so curious!
I am sensitive to almonds. What flour can you substitute? Would an AIP compliant flour (cassava, tiger nut, coconut, tapioca flour, or arrowroot flour) work?
I have been told that sunflower seed flour can be used in place of almond flour. I don’t know if it will work with this recipe or not. My daughter is sensitive to almond as well. I am going to try it.
Hi Laura, let me know how this turns out when you try it! I’m intrigued!
I’ve never tried it, but I would think tigernut flour would be the best substitute. The other flours will make it too “gummy”. This may be a hard recipe to make nut free since it is so dependent on the almond flour. Sorry!
Which model Vitamix do you have? Which do you recommend? I have Thermomix, do l need a vitamix as well?
I have the 5200 model. I got it at Costco way back in 2016 and still works great! I’m not sure on a thermomix, I’ve never tried. But you can even use a food processor to blend as well.
Just made this to make rolled veggie lasagna and it’s ridiculously easy! Love the silky smooth texture and the flavor is amazing!
Yea! So happy to hear this!
Omg, this is so delicious! I almost couldn’t wait for my gf pasta to boil before eating it. Thank you so much for this!
So happy to hear this! Thank you!
Do you have, or can you direct me to a recipe for vegan ricotta that is, in addition to everything already eliminated, also tree nut free? I feel like I found one at one point, but, lost it. My husband is dairy, gluten, and tree nut intolerant due to IBS. I know it’s a big ask, but, before IBS he was a huge foodie, and cheese, in particular is something he really misses.
What a great wife you are! I sadly don’t have a recipe for a nut free, dairy free cheese. But found this one online that may work for your needs: https://elavegan.com/vegan-cheese-recipe/
This worked amazing!! My husband is dairy free and he finally got to enjoy my lasagna. I used this recipe for the ricotta and it worked perfectly!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Thanks for this recipe! I stopped eating cheese a year ago and this is perfect in a lasagna. What I did different was added a block of firm tofu that had been frozen then thawed. This gives it a perfect granular texture. To that I added just one large cup of Almond flower plus 3/4 cup of water etc. We were very pleased with the end result. Will do this again. The leftover bit I will use in scrambled eggs. Thanks again
So happy to hear this Brian! Love your tweaks too– great tips!
I made this with my dairy challenged daughter and served it to my very picky husband. He didn’t have a clue it wasn’t real ricotta in our lasagna. THANK YOU so much!
Love this! So so glad to hear that everyone liked it! I’m honored!
Wondering if this would work in a cookie recipe that calls for ricotta??
I’ve never tried this, but it might! Baking is so tricky with swaps. If you try it and it works let me know!
I used oat milk instead of water and it turned out fantastic. I made butternut squash and ricotta ravioli with this recipe and it was the best thing I’ve ever eaten without the pain I would normally get with regular ricotta. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I’m so honored!! Thank you so much Bob!
Could you bake this in a lasagna and freeze the lasagna? Would the ricotta hold up to be baked, frozen, and reheated at a later time? Currently 9 months pregnant and trying to prep a bunch of make ahead freezer meals before our first is born ☺️ thank you!
Yes, it holds up surprisingly well when frozen I am happy to report! It can get a bit grittier, but once baked in a lasagna it all melds together well. Great thing to stock the freezer with. Congrats on your first baby!
This is an excellent dairy free ricotta substitute. I mainly use it for lasagna and baked ziti since a family member has a dairy allergy. It’s WAY easier than trying to rehydrate and blend blanched almonds, like some other recipes do. I do wish the almond flour I use was more finely milled – my ninja blender still can’t get all the grittiness out. Husband approved too.
Could I use regular flour if there is a tree but allergy?
No, sadly regular flour won’t work. Maybe tiger nut flour? I haven’t tried this, but that’s a great swap that is tree nut free.
Used this for a VERY old Zucchini Lasagna recipe to make it vegan for my daughter and it was perfect. I only had a cup of almond flour, so I added a cup of cashew meal and it totally worked. Next, I’m going to make it without the yeast and garlic and sub a bit of nutmeg and a teaspoon of honey or sugar to use with dessert recipes or to eat with berries.
So happy to hear this! Also, great tip on the cashew meal! Please let me know how your dessert version turns out- sounds delicious!