Chestnut Free Vegan Cashew Ricotta
Creamy, tangy, and surprisingly rich, this plant-based ricotta is the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you ever reached for the dairy version. Raw cashews are soaked until plump, then blended with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, nutritional yeast, and a touch of garlic until the texture lands somewhere beautifully between spreadable and scoopable. A short rest in the fridge lets everything firm up and mellow into something that genuinely earns the ricotta name. For anyone navigating tree nut concerns around chestnuts specifically, cashews offer a completely separate path — no overlap, no worry, just clean, whole ingredients you can trace from bag to blender. The nutritional yeast adds a subtle savory depth that keeps this from tasting like a compromise, and the optional fresh basil lifts the whole thing with a bright herby finish. Spread it on toast, dollop it over pasta, or use it as a dip — it holds its shape beautifully and the flavor only gets better after chilling.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3–4 tbsp water, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Soak for 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator, until the cashews are plump and noticeably softened.
- 2
Drain the cashews through a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water.
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