Description
This vegan cheese ball recipe is perfect for all of your vegan charcuterie board needs! Learn how to make this vegan cheese with just 7 simple ingredients and minimal prep work. It’s creamy, spreadable on your favorite crackers, and bursting with flavor. Add this one to your next holiday menu!
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds (We use Sunfood)
- 3 cups water (for boiling)
- 1/2 cup filtered water (for blending)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 2–4 tablespoons lemon juice, as desired
- 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.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Hannah Chia
- The almonds must be raw to ensure that they can be properly skinned.
- A food processor can work for this recipe as well, just keep in mind that the mixture may not be as creamy.
- Prep Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Holiday
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
