cheese ball

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Vegan Sun-dried Tomato and Garlic Cheese ball

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It’s probably pretty obvious by now that I am a big fan of vegan cheese balls!

I love them because they come together really quickly, and are always a crowd pleaser, no matter the crowd!

Not only are the perfect for parties and gatherings, but we often keep them in the fridge for snacking and bagel spreads!

I am also a big fan of sun-dried tomato and basil, so this combo makes for a really delicious, fresh, and flavorful cheese ball!

The cheese ball mixes up quickly and only needs a few hours to set before it is ready to eat! You an also freeze these cheese ball for later! Just thaw and you are ready to go!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup soaked cashews (unsalted, unroasted) soaked in hot water several hours then drained.

  • 1/2 cup refined coconut oil

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

  • 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 teaspoons light miso paste

  • 1/2 small onion

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon fresh basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Cut the onion into quarters, and pulse a few times in your high speed blender, or food processor.

  2. Now, add all of the ingredients, minus the sun-dried tomatoes,to a food processor or high speed blender. Process until completely smooth. You will likely have to scrape the sides down a few times to get all the cashew bits blended.

  3. Add sun dried tomatoes and pulse just a few times until they are minced up.

  4. Line 2 small bowls, or ramekins, with a pieces of plastic wrap. You want a piece big enough that it will hang a good bit over the sides.

  5. Lay some fresh basil leaves in the bottom of the bowl for garnish if you like.

  6. Divide the cheese mixture between the bowls. Take the pieces of plastic wrap that are hanging over the sides, pulling them up, twisting them together at the top.

  7. Put the cheese balls in the fridge for 3-4 hours to firm up before serving. Store leftover in fridge for up to 5 days.

Serve with crackers, veggies, or on a bagel

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Smoky Lox Vegan Cheese Ball

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My all time favorite breakfast is a carrot loxbagel, with onions and capers.

So it only seemed natural to take all of those elements and turn them into an absolutely perfect cheese ball.

This cheese ball comes together quickly if you have a high speed blender or food processor. Its cashew based and super creamy and very convincing!

We added some Trader Joes Everything But the Bagel seasoning to give this cheese ball an extra loxy bagel kick. I have noticed lots of brands making this seasoning brand now, so you should not have any trouble finding it!

Serve this cheese ball with crackers, or veggies at a party, or smear it on a bagel for breakfast.

Either way, just try not to eat the whole thing at once.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cashews soaked over night, or microwaved 3 minutes, then drained

  • 1/2 cup refined coconut oil

  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot lox

  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained

  • 2 teaspoons light miso paste

  • 1/2 small onion

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

  • optional 2 teaspoons dulse flakes (seaweed flakes)

  • Extra strips of lox, or everything bagel seasoning for garnishing the tops of the cheese balls.

Instructions:

  1. Cut the onion into quarters, and pulse a few times in your high speed blender, or food processor.

  2. Now, add all of the ingredients, minus the lox and capers, to a food processor or high speed blender. Process until completely smooth. You will likely have to scrape the sides down a few times to get all the cashew bits blended.

  3. Add capers and pulse just a few times. Next, fold in the lox using a spoon. You don’t want to blend the lox.

  4. Line 2 small bowls, or ramekins, with a pieces of plastic wrap. You want a piece big enough that it will hang a good bit over the sides.

  5. If using lox to garnish, lay 4 or 5 strips across the bottom of the plastic wrapped bowls. If use everything bagel seasoning, sprinkle about a tablespoon into the bottom of the bowl.

  6. Divide the cheese mixture between the bowls. Take the pieces of plastic wrap that are hanging over the sides, pulling them up, twisting them together at the top.

  7. Put the cheese balls in the fridge for 3-4 hours to firm up before serving. Store leftover in fridge for up to 5 days.

Serve with cracker or veggies, or on a bagel

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Vegan Pimento Cheese Ball

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Vegan cheese balls are so easy to make, and pretty quick too.

Combining cashews, herbs, and some pantry staples, you can make a delicious vegan cheese ball at home in no time at all.

You can use a high speed blender or a food processor to make this recipe. You just need something powerful enough to completely break the cashews down until they are creamy and smooth.

You will actually get 2 -3 cheese balls out of this recipe and they will keep in the fridge for about a week. So even though you are using cashews, it is pretty affordable recipe for the amount of cheese you get in the end!

If you are allergic to cashews or are just not a big fan, you can also use sunflower seeds. Use the same quantity and follow the same instructions as you would for the cashews.

Also make sure to use filtered or refined coconut oil in this recipe. It is often labeled as has no coconut flavor unlike regular coconut oil. You can use regular coconut oil just be aware that it will alter the favor of the cheese ball.

This vegan cheese ball is one of my favorites because I love, LOVE pimento cheese!! So what better flavor to create in a vegan cheese ball than pimento cheese!!!

It’s everything I love about pimento cheese in a perfectly creamy, spreadable cheese ball! Seriously, I could live off these!

I spread this vegan cheese ball on crackers, on bagels, on veggies, you name it. It is good on anything really!

If you are a fan of pimento cheese, then this is the vegan cheese ball for you!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup cashews soaked in hot water for an hour, or microwaved for 3 minutes, then drianed.

  • 1/4 cup diced pimentos drained, and patted dry with a paper towel ( just try and remove as much liquid as you can from them)

  • 1/2 onion

  • 1/2 cup triple filtered coconut oil. Filtered coconut oil does not have a coconut flavor to it. If you use regular, your cheese ball will a slight coconut flavor to it.

  • 2 teaspoons light miso paste

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese. I prefer Follow your heart brand, or homemade

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

  • plastic wrap

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: 

  1. Cut onion into quarters, and pulse a few times in your high speed blender, or food processor.

  2. Now, add all of the ingredients, minus the sliced almonds, to a food processor or high speed blender. Process until completely smooth. You will likely have to scrape the sides down a few times to get all the cashew bits blended.

  3. Line 2 - 3 small bowls, or ramekins, with a pieces of plastic wrap. You want a piece big enough that it will hang a good bit over the sides.

  4. If using almonds, sprinkle some into the bottom the plastic wrapped bowls.

  5. Divide the cheese mixture between the bowls. Take the pieces of plastic wrap that are hanging over the sides, pulling them up, twisting them together at the top.

  6. Put the cheese balls in the fridge for 2-3 hours to firm up before serving. Store leftover in fridge for up to 5 days.

 

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