Looking for a vegan appetizer for this holiday season? Well, you’re in luck! Today we are coming at ya with a Baked Almond Cheese Ball that is sure to knock your socks off! It makes the perfect addition to any holiday platter and made with only 7 simple ingredients.Â
To make this Baked Almond Cheese Ball, we are partnering up with our friends atSunfood! We partner up with them every single month and use a selection of their high-quality superfoods to make a delicious recipe for ya! This month you’re in for an extra special treat, because this cheese ball is so incredibly tasty. It’s creamy, savory, and perfectly pairs with veggies, crackers, bread, and anything else you please.
Plus, this baked almond cheese ball requires just 7 simple ingredients: raw almonds (we prefer Sunfood’s raw and organic heirloom almonds), lemon, olive oil, salt, herbs, garlic, and nutritional yeast. Oh and some water for blending. THASSS IT.
Sunfood’s raw and organic heirloom almonds never undergo steam pasteurization or any other heat treatment, leaving the nutrients intact and giving the almonds a unique, natural flavor. They are packed with vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and a bunch of other nutrients. You can feel good about indulging in this delicious recipe knowing that is features only ingredients that are the best of the best.
The first time I tried something like this was when I was visiting my parents in New Jersey earlier this year. My mom baked up two of her almond cheese balls and I was so impressed! I practically cleared the entire thing by myself in one sitting (no, I’m not exaggerating ????). From that moment on, I knew we had to make our own version and share it with you.
We hope you like this recipe and that you can share it with your family and friends this holiday season.
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and@consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
1– 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped (we used 1 tsp each sage, thyme, and rosemary)
1 tablespoon olive oil (or oil of choice)
1 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Black pepper, if desired
You will also need
Collander
Cheesecloth
Blender
Baking sheet and a silicone mat or parchment paper
Instructions
In a medium pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the raw almonds and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pot from heat and drain the almonds immediately in a colander or strainer. Rinse them with cold water to cool them. Grab a small bowl. Using your fingers, gently squeeze the brown skin off of the almonds and remove the skin. Transfer the “naked” almonds to the small bowl. Continue until you have skinned all of the almonds. Discard skin.
Place the almonds into a high-speed blender along with all of the remaining ingredients except for the herbs and blend until smooth. Add in the herbs and mix them in with a spoon until uniform.
Place a triple layer of cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer, and then place that over a bowl. Transfer the cheese mixture from the blender into the cheesecloth. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth to form a “ball” of cheese and then tie the top end to a large spoon or spatula. Place it into a tall jar or even a clean blender (refer to the video in the post) and allow it ti hand and strain for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and gently form into a ball. Work quickly as it will become sticky as it warms up. Place the cheese onto the lined baking sheet and smooth out the top if needed. Place it into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. or until golden.
Remove and cool. Serve with crackers, bread, raw vegetables, etc. It is also great with a drizzle of olive oil on top.Â
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
Planning on starting on this tonight to have for an appetizer tomorrow for New Years! Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been wanting to try this since I saw it on your channel.
Hi Caroline! If you let it sit for the time it calls for and not much comes out, that is okay! It may just depened on the almonds you used or a variation of ingredients. It should still work 🙂
Oh my gosh! Finally got to try this, and though it didn’t drain any overnight, it came out delicious! Garlicy (because I used large cloves) and incredibly flavorful from the fresh herbs I used (dill and rosemary). I’m so excited to eat this in the next few days with some help from my Omni relatives. Thanks for the delicious recipe! I’m curious if replacing the almonds with cashews would work. I bet it would be just as creamy if not more! I’m so excited to try it again and switch up the herbs and tweak it some more.
THANK YOU for sharing this recipe! I’ve been looking for something to replace my families’ non vegan meat/cheese/cracker holiday platter and this cheese is perfect! I am so happy with how it turned out and I don’t even miss the dairy cheese which is HUGE for me. Will absolutely be making this again and again.
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lovely and perfect idea when you host a happy hour at home:D
★★★★★
Planning on starting on this tonight to have for an appetizer tomorrow for New Years! Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been wanting to try this since I saw it on your channel.
Yay, we hope you enjoy it!
Made it for tomorrow, but it doesn’t seem to be straining at all. It’s quite thick. I guess that means it’s not necessary to get rid of any liquid?
Hi Caroline! If you let it sit for the time it calls for and not much comes out, that is okay! It may just depened on the almonds you used or a variation of ingredients. It should still work 🙂
Oh my gosh! Finally got to try this, and though it didn’t drain any overnight, it came out delicious! Garlicy (because I used large cloves) and incredibly flavorful from the fresh herbs I used (dill and rosemary). I’m so excited to eat this in the next few days with some help from my Omni relatives. Thanks for the delicious recipe! I’m curious if replacing the almonds with cashews would work. I bet it would be just as creamy if not more! I’m so excited to try it again and switch up the herbs and tweak it some more.
YAY!! We are so excited that it worked out from your previous comment and that you liked it. I hope you had a great holiday! 🙂
Thanks! I hope you did as well!
★★★★★
THANK YOU for sharing this recipe! I’ve been looking for something to replace my families’ non vegan meat/cheese/cracker holiday platter and this cheese is perfect! I am so happy with how it turned out and I don’t even miss the dairy cheese which is HUGE for me. Will absolutely be making this again and again.
Could I use already peeled almonds for this? So excited to try it out soon!
Yes, you can!