Dairy-Free Lasagna (Vegan + Gluten-Free Friendly) – a comforting and delicious dairy-free lasagna that is plant-based and packed with veggies!
Delicious Dairy-Free Lasagna
Finally, a delicious dairy-free lasagna recipe!!!! As someone who is allergic to dairy, I have always dreamed of the perfect pan of dairy-free lasagna! So I decided to create my own recipe and I am so excited to share it with you guys!! It is packed with veggies and officially kid-approved (my girls inhaled it!).
Dairy-Free Ricotta Cheese
The most challenging part was coming up with a dairy-free ricotta cheese recipe! It came together with tofu, cashews and some Unsweetened Better Half creamer as well as some lemon juice, garlic and salt! So perfect, you really cannot even tell the difference when it is in your lasagna! The Califia Farms Unsweetened Better Half creamer just makes it extra smooth and creamy!
Vegan Lasana Recipe
This also happens to be a vegan lasagna recipe because you guys know I love incorporating plant-based meals into our weekly meal plan! This lasagna is packed with spinach, tomatoes and zucchini! Perfect for your Meatless Monday!
Make-Ahead Lasagna
You can easily make this lasagna the night before OR you can freeze it and then thaw in the fridge before popping it in the oven!
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Dairy-Free Lasagna
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
Dairy-Free Lasagna (Vegan + Gluten-Free Friendly) – a comforting and delicious dairy-free lasagna that is plant-based and packed with veggies!
Ingredients
Dairy-Free Ricotta
- 3/4 cup raw cashews (soak in water overnight or soak in boiling hot water for 20–30 minutes, drain before use)
- 1 block firm, organic tofu
- 1 garlic clove
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 1/4 Teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened/unflavored dairy-free creamer or almond milk
Lasagna
- 2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite store-bought kind works, but I used this recipe)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 3 cups diced zucchini (approximately 2 medium zucchini)
- (2) 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach
- 2 cups of your favorite dairy-free mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 box lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350; spray 9×13 baking pan with olive oil and set aside.
- Add cashews, unsweetened/unflavored dairy-free creamer and 1/3 of the tofu block to a high powered blender. Blend on high until cashews are broken down and smooth (scrape down the sides intermittently as you do this).
- Add lemon juice, the remaining tofu, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast and blend on low until fully combined and smooth. Taste and add additional salt or lemon juice, as desired. Pour into medium mixing bowl.
- Defrost spinach and ensure all excess water has been removed. Feel free to use a cheesecloth or something similar to squeeze as much of the water out as possible.
- Add spinach to dairy-free ricotta and stir to fully combine.
- While spinach is defrosting, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a Tablespoon of olive oil and then add lasagna noodles. Allow to cook until noodles are approximately halfway cooked and then remove and set on a kitchen towel. They will finish cooking in the oven.
- To assemble the lasagna take your 9×13 pan and add just enough marinara to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Add your lasagna noodles so they are just slightly overlapping. Then add 1/2 the dairy-free ricotta cheese, spreading out with the back of a spoon. Add half the chopped zucchini and half the tomatoes and then spoon 1/2 cup of marinara over top.
- Repeat with another layer of noodles, ricotta, zucchini, tomatoes and marinara.
- For the final layer add your noodles and 1 1/2 cups of marinara, spreading all over the noodles.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until it starts to bubble and the noodles start to brown.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with your favorite dairy-free mozzarella cheese.
- Return to oven and watch carefully; remove from oven as soon as cheese has melted.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly, 10 minutes, and then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-Free: Feel free to use gluten-free pasta if you want!
- Make Ahead: You can make this the night before and keep in refrigerator overnight.
- Freezer: You can freeze this lasagna for 3-5 months. To cook simply remove from freezer the night before and allow it to thaw in refrigerator before cooking.
Keywords: dairy free lasagna, vegan lasagna recipe
Janelle says
Does it have to be frozen spinach? I always have fresh on hand and would prefer to use that.
Erin says
Hi Janelle – I am sure you could use fresh spinach just fine!
Melissa says
That sounds amazing but I do want to pick your brain a little bit about a possible substitute for the tofu. I avoid gluten, dairy and soy as someone with celiac disease and Hashimoto’s so I was just wondering if there is something you might think would work in place of that. Thank you so much!!
Erin says
Hi Melissa! I have never made the ricotta with anything but tofu at this point, but if I try something else and it works I will definitely update the recipe!
Lilly says
Do you cook the pasta before the assembly of Lasagna? Or is it right out of the box and it cooks while baking?
Erin says
Hi Lilly! See Step 6 of the instructions – you cook the lasagna about half-way and then assemble!
Stephanie says
Could I substitute something got g to be cashews? My son has a severe allergy to them. Thanks I don’t eat lasagna because of all the dairy but excited to try this!!
Erin says
Hi Stephanie! So I have only ever made this with cashews, but if you want to experiment with replacing them with like a walnut, pine nut or sunflower .. that MIGHT work! Again I haven’t tested so if you do try I would love it if you reported back! Hope that helps a little:)
Ruby says
I always see cashews as a base for vegan “cheese” is there something else I can sub? My son is allergic to Cashews/Pistachios/Peanuts. Thank you
Rebecca Moreschi says
How big is the “block* of tofu that you are using? Thank you!!
Erin says
Approx. 12 ounces!
Rebecca says
The dairy free ricotta was to die for! Making it again.. right now. 🙂 I don’t have the creamer this time so I’ll be using some unsweetened almond milk instead.
★★★★★
Erin says
yay!!! So glad you loved it, Rebecca!! So awesome to hear :). And thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! I really appreciate it!
Rebecca says
I think you need to create a separate recipe for just the Dairy Free Ricotta with the spinach.. no joke when I say how delicious it is. I sound like a crazy person responding again, but I’ve also now made it 3 times… (latest was used in a baked ziti). It can even be considered a dip on it’s own.. trust me.. my non-vegan, non food adventurous husband started to dip tortilla chips in it and couldn’t stop. Pretty sure that he still has no idea that it is made with tofu….shhh… A “cheesy” spinach dip pretty much! Great job!
And in case anyone needs the macros for just the ricotta, for 12 servings its about 92 calories, 6 grams Carbs, less than 5 grams Fat, and about 7 grams Protein!
★★★★★
Erin says
That is actually on my to-do list!! Definitely making it its own recipe :). So, so glad you are loving it! And I really appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback!!