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This vegan cheese ball is so flavourful and the perfect party appetizer. It is gluten-free and oil-free, and contains a variety of delicious herbs.
A cheese ball is the perfect appetizer for any party or holiday meal. I used to love making cheese balls with cream cheese and cheddar cheese, but when I started eating plant-based I needed to find an alternative. This vegan cashew cheese ball is an absolutely perfect substitute!
This Cheese Ball Is:
- Savoury
- Flavourful
- Free of added oil
- Gluten-free
- Whole foods plant-based
- Perfect for crackers or veggies!
Ingredients
This vegan cheese ball is made with whole foods plant-based ingredients. No processed vegan cream cheese here!
This is what you will need:
*Scroll down to the recipe card for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Cashews
- Nutritional yeast
- Garlic powder
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Yellow onion
- Green onion
- Italian seasoning
- Dill weed
- Chopped nuts of choice
How to Make
Making this vegan cheese ball is incredibly simple!
First, you will have to soak or boil your cashews to soften them. You can soak them for 4-12 hours at room temperature, or you can place them in boiling water for about 15 minutes. I usually boil some water in my electric kettle, then pour it over the cashews in a bowl. I then place an upside down plate over the bowl to trap the heat and leave it for 15 minutes.
Once the cashews are softened, drain the water and place the cashews into your food processor. Add all other ingredients except for the Italian seasoning, dill weed, and chopped nuts, then blend until smooth. It may take awhile for the cashews to break down and create a smooth, thick consistency. Just pause and scrape down the sides of your food processor when needed and continue blending.
Once your cashews are fully blended, add the seasonings (Italian seasoning and dill weed). You can gentle pulse them a bit or stir them in with a spoon. The only reason I add this later is so that they don’t make the cheese ball turn super green.
Next, wrap your cheese ball into the shape of a ball with some plastic wrap or a cheese cloth. Tie the top to secure it and place the ball in a bowl to ensure it holds it's shape. Place it in the fridge for 4 hours.
Finely chop some nuts of choice. I use ¼ cup of chopped almonds and pecans. You can use more if you want a fuller coating. After at least 4 hours, remove the cheese ball from the fridge, unwrap it, and roll it in the nuts. Your cheese ball is ready to serve!
Tips
- It is best to soak your cashews before making this cheese ball. If you don’t soak your cashews, your result may be a bit gritty as you will still have small pieces of cashews that aren’t fully blended. If you soak or boil your cashews before blending, the cheese ball will have a smoother texture. See the recipe below for soaking or boiling directions.
- Mix in the Italian seasoning and dill weed at the end. This is not necessary, but it will prevent the cheese ball from looking really green. There is a lot of seasoning so there will be a lot of green either way, but if you mix them in your food processor thoroughly, the whole thing will become super green. It of course won’t effect the taste, but it won’t look as nice!
- For the outer coating of nuts, I like to chop them quite finely. I use a mix of pecans and almonds. I like them finely chopped so I’m not left with any large pieces to bite into.
Dipping + Spreading Suggestions
- Crackers (Try these oil-free Mary’s Gone crackers)
- Chips
- Fries (so delicious to dip some fries into this cheese ball!)
- Pita bread
- Spread it on a bagel. This cheese ball could be used as a cream cheese substitute!
- Use it as a veggie dip for carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, and more.
If you enjoy this cheese ball, you will probably love this vegan cashew cream cheese too!
Other vegan dips to try:
Vegan Cashew Cheese Ball (Garlic and Herb)
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups cashews
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ tablespoon dried dill weed
- ¼ - ½ cup chopped nuts (I mix almonds and pecans)
Instructions
- Soak your cashews to soften them before blending. A quick method is to boil them on the stove top for 15 minutes, or get the water boiling, then pour it over the cashews in a bowl and place an upside down plate on top to seal the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Once your cashews are softened, drain the water and add the cashews to your food processor. Add all remaining ingredients as well, except for the Italian seasoning, dill weed, and chopped nuts.
- Blend until everything is evenly incorporated and the cashews are blended and smooth.
- Add the Italian seasoning and dill weed and pulse a few times or mix them in by hand with a spoon. This is to prevent the entire cheese ball from becoming green.
- Scoop the cheese ball onto some plastic wrap or a cheese cloth and wrap it up into a ball. Tie the top and place it in a bowl so it holds it’s shape. Set in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours.
- Once the cheese ball has firmed up, roll it in chopped nuts. I use a mix of almonds and pecans, very finely chopped. If you want a thicker coating of nuts, you can use more.
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