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    Home » Recipes » Holiday Appetizers

    April 19, 2017 55 Comments

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese

    4.1K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    For Easter, I celebrated with my dad's side of the family. That side of the family is made up of British, Estonian, and Chinese, but for whatever unknown reason, we have always basically pretended to be Italian. It's all about the fine wines and Italian food for dinner. All things pasta, polenta, gnocchi, risotto, pizza, and eat your salad after your main. Occasionally, we throw in a dumpling, or pickled herring (not for me!)... never anything British tho. But for the most part, it's all about the Italian food.

    This is the side of the family where the foodies and chefs reside, so when I bring a dish, it is met with a lot of (very welcome) critique. This time, I decided to experiment with my Baked Almond Snacking Cheese.

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese! A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy, spreadable, appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    See? Doesn't that have an Italian vibe going on?

    So what did the foodies say about this one? Well, I placed it among the non-vegan cheese that were being served up (no other vegans on this side of the family... yet), and before I knew it, the whole baked almond snacking cheese was gone. It was devoured! Everyone loved it, thought it was different in a good way, and asked for the recipe!

    Thankyouverymuchmymissioniscomplete.

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese! A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy, spreadable, appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    So here it is family, the recipe, just for you, and of course for YOU, my readers and excited recipe testers (love you guys).

    It takes just 35 minutes (25 of those are just baking minutes) to whip up this recipe. The result is a crumbly, sliceable, spreadable texture. Somewhere in between feta and chèvre. Baking the cheese not only firms it up, but it provides a toasted almond flavour to the cheese. It's salty, tangy, creamy, a little bit tart, and all things gloriously spreadable. Perfect for a vegan cheese plate or appetizer at any party. If you have any leftovers, it's great cold as well. I've even crumbled it over salad or pasta for some added creaminess. So much yum!

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese! A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy, spreadable, appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    To make Baked Almond Snacking Cheese: Add the almonds to a food processor (I used the smaller bowl fitting in my food processor).

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese! A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy, spreadable, appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Blend until the almonds are finely ground but don't over blend or it will start turning to almond butter!

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese! A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy, spreadable, appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Now add the remaining ingredients to the ground almonds and blend to combine, stopping to scrape the sides down as needed, until it's as smooth as possible.

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese! A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy, spreadable, appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Scoop the mixture into a mold. You can either lightly grease a small oven-safe mold, or I used a silicon mold. Use a spatula to compress firmly, and smooth the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate. Garnish as desired then serve warm with crackers or bread.

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese! A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy, spreadable, appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Print Recipe
    4.85 from 13 votes

    Baked Almond Snacking Cheese

    A vegan, dairy-free cheese that takes just 35 minutes to make. Soft, creamy, tangy appetizer that's somewhere between feta and chèvre. Recipe adapted from from Maple Spice
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course : Side DishSnack
    Cuisine : AmericanCanadianFrench
    Servings: 1 Cheese log (about 6 servings)
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the Baked Almond Snacking Cheese:

    • 1 cup blanched almonds
    • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons white miso paste
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    Optional garnishes:

    • Drizzle of olive oil
    • Freshly cracked pepper
    • Fresh herbs such as oregano, basil, or thyme
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    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a small oven-safe bowl or you could just use a silicon mold.
    • Add the almonds to a food processor (I used the smaller bowl fitting in my food processor). Blend until the almonds are finely ground but don't over blend or it will start turning to almond butter! Now add the remaining ingredients to the ground almonds and blend to combine, stopping to scrape the sides down as needed, until it's as smooth as possible.
    • Scoop the mixture into the prepared mold, use a spatula to compress firmly, and smooth the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate. Garnish as desired then serve warm with crackers or bread.

    Notes

    You can replace the whole blanched almonds for just under 1 cup of ground almonds or almond flour.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 169kcal
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon Appetegan!

    Sam.


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gillian says

      June 14, 2022 at 7:30 pm

      Just tried this and overcooked it a little, but it didn't spoil the flavour.Great on crackers or toast. It didn't quite look like your photo! It's quite tart so may try less lemon juice next time. Another great recipe, thanks!

      Reply
    2. Terri says

      August 19, 2020 at 12:21 am

      Sam, do you have any suggestions for making this creamier? It is dry and crumbly and isn't spreadable.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 21, 2020 at 12:37 pm

        This cheese is intended to be that texture, for a creamier cheese I would recommend one of my cashew cheeses such as my blue cheese or this cheese ball.

        Reply
    3. Rita Havlin says

      July 27, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      4 stars
      Made this so I'd have something interesting as part of an antipasto starter if my family decided on one. Overcooked it slightly and its just a bit sour but I'm eating it on crackers with agave and theres a strong chance I wont have any left for that starter!

      Reply
    4. Sue says

      April 13, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      We enjoyed this! Thanks Sam.

      Reply
    5. Jul says

      April 11, 2020 at 9:09 am

      I am excited to try this and have almond flour I need to use up but am wondering if I still need to use the food processor if I use almond flour or if I can just mix in a bowl. Thanks for your thoughts!

      Reply
    6. Jane says

      December 22, 2019 at 2:04 am

      Hi,

      I would like to prepare this in advance and then pop in the oven before serving. Can I prepare this in advance? And how far in advance? Maybe 3 days?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 31, 2019 at 11:17 am

        Yes 3 days should be fine. Enjoy!

        Reply
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    I'm Sam. Bestselling cookbook author and full-time vegan recipe creator! I LOVE vegan food, but it didn't start that way. As someone who comes from a family of hunters, butchers, and chefs I'm the last person I thought would go vegan. Here's My Story →

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