This pistachio and herb-crusted vegan cheese ball is surprisingly easy to make and a true success at any party! Customize it to your liking and serve as a delicious dairy-free appetizer.
If cheese is what keeps you from going fully plant-based, then this vegan herb cheese ball with a pistachio and thyme crust is just what you need!
Perfect for snacking when combined with crackers, tortilla chips or served on a vegan appetizer platter, this undetectably vegan treat is always a hit.
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Made with mostly easy-to-find plant-based staple foods, the creamy, cheesy and spreadable result is sure to swoon any dairy-lover.
While it does require some resting time, the actual vegan herb cheese ball takes only about 10 minutes of hands-on time and is based on healthy nuts.
Look at the recipe
- Based on healthy plant-based ingredients
- Flavorful, customizable & so pretty
- Creamy, oil-free & cheesy
- Requires just 10 minutes of prep time
- Perfect appetizer or snack
- Undetectably vegan & crowd-pleasing
- Kid-friendly and super festive
All you need in terms of kitchen equipment are a food processor, cheesecloth or tea towel and a bowl. Here are the basic ingredients!
Ingredients needed
- Almonds — they are our go-to for the base but they can be replaced with cashews.
- Cashew Cream Cheese — any vegan cream cheese will do, homemade or store-bought!
- Lemon Juice — for that zing and to reduce the amount of added salt needed.
- White Miso — while more uncommon compared to the other ingredients, it’s key for the best flavor!
- Nutritional Yeast — no vegan cheese recipe without a good pinch of these delicious flakes.
- Herbs — we ised fresh thyme, chives and some crushed pistachios; find lots of delicious coating ideas below!
Adding white miso is really key to make this appetizer super flavorful! Not only does it taste salty, it adds the mysterious umami — known as the fifth flavor, oftentimes associated with animal-based food.
How to make this vegan cheese ball
Start by soaking your whole almonds for a few hours and draining them well once you are ready to make this recipe.
Step 1
Place the almonds alongside your cashew cream cheese, lemon juice and water into a food processor and blend until smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides here and there if needed.
Now, add the white miso, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt, then process again to incorporate until a homogenous mixture forms. Taste test to see whether you need to make any flavor adjustments at this point.
Step 2
Get either a clean tea towel or, better yet, a cheesecloth and place it into a medium-sized bowl. Gently scoop your vegan cheese mixture with a spatula or spoon into the center of your bowl, then gather the cheesecloth sides and twist the top.
Place the bowl with the wrapped vegan cheese ball in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 4 hours, better overnight.
Step 3
Once you’re ready to serve your appetizer, crush some pistachios and place them into a bowl together with chopped chives and thyme. You can use a plethora of nuts, herbs or dried fruit (suggestions below!)
Unfold the cheesecloth and gently place the cheese ball into the bowl. Roll it until it is evenly coated with crushed pistachio and herbs.
Your dairy-free appetizer is now ready to serve with some crackers or fresh produce!
Tips for this recipe
If your vegan cheese ball seems a bit too soft in the beginning, be aware that it will harden considerably during its time in the refrigerator. That’s why it’s suggested to wait overnight to serve it!
Try not to keep the ball out for more than a few hours before storing any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
We also highly recommend soaking the nuts for the cheese ball first and chopping any coatings really finely!
Delicious flavor ideas
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
- Pecans
- Almonds
- Parsley
- Dill
- Chives
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Dried tomatoes
- Olives
- Mustard
- Smoked paprika
- Cranberries
- Dried figs
- Crushed crackers
- Minced smoked tofu
- Tempeh bacon
You can also get creative and form or decorate your spreadable vegan cheese in a funny and kid-friendly way if you like!
Serving suggestions
We love this spreadable vegan herb cheese with crackers, freshly baked bread, apple slices, pretzels or toasted pita triangles. It also pairs wonderfully with raw veggie sticks!
Serve it at any dinner party, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Game Day or potluck, or spread on vegan pizza rolls!
More vegan cheese recipes
- Easy Almond Ricotta
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- High-Protein Cheese Sauce
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Vegan Tofu Feta
Have you made our vegan cheese ball? Share with us in the comments below, make sure to rate this recipe and Pin it here!
Ingredients
- 2 cups almonds soaked (260 g)
- 4 oz cashew cream cheese 115 g
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tsp white miso
- ⅓ cup water 80 ml
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Coating
- Crushed pistachios
- Chopped chives
- Fresh thyme
Instructions
- Drain the soaked almonds and place them into the food processor. Add water, lemon juice and cashew cream cheese, then blend everything until smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides if needed.
- Add the white miso, salt, nutritional yeast and garlic powder and process again to incorporate until a homogenous mixture forms.
- Place a clean cheesecloth or tea towel into a bowl, and gently scoop the vegan cheese mixture into the bowl.
- Gather the cheesecloth sides and twist the top.
- Place the bowl with the wrapped vegan cheese ball in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 4 hours, better overnight.
- Once you’re ready to serve your vegan cheese ball, crush the pistachios and place them into a bowl together with chopped chives and thyme.
- Unfold the cheesecloth and gently place the almond cheese ball into the bowl. Roll it until evenly coated with crushed pistachio and herbs.
- Serve immediately with crackers, fresh bread or on an appetizer platter! The cheese ball will stay good for a few hours at room temperature.
- Keep any leftovers refrigerated, wrapped in foil, for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can use any vegan cream cheese, homemade or store-bought, for this recipe.
- Other coating ideas include pecans, almonds, parsley and dried cranberries! Find more in the article above.
- To make this recipe soy-free, go for chickpea miso instead of classic miso.
- For a sharper taste, replace the lemon juice with white vinegar!
- Nutritional values have automatically been calculated without any coating.
it was so hard for my family to go dairy free but this easy cheese ball was a game changer!
Looks like a good recipe. However, I’m allergic to almonds (sadly, I developed the allergy during adulthood). Are there any good alternatives for this recipe?
sure, thanks for the question! Just use cashews instead :) Sorry to hear about your almond allergy, must be tough.
Let us know how you like the cashew cheese ball!
This looks delicious. Should the almonds be raw?
they should be blanched if possible and not salted or flavored :) I guess that would make them “raw” in a way?