Can you believe I have never actually had a cheese ball until I made my first vegan cheese ball just the other day? True story.
So let's see, what are the cheese ball requirements. Smooth and creamy, check. Flavourful and addictive, check. Festive colours, check. Easy to make (and can be made ahead of time), check. Want to devour the whole thing immediately, double check. Welcome Cranberry & Thyme Vegan Cheese Ball, you are my new favourite addition to the appetizer table.
So it's true, I am new to the world of cheese balls. I experimented with one for my family Christmas the other day, and while it turned out pretty darn tasty, it somehow seemed to absorb the colour of the pecans I used and turned kind of a pâté brown. Yuck.
Then when I went to sample some, a family member warned me not to eat it because it was meat. Haha! Regardless of the funny colour, the whole thing was devoured, and considering there are only 3 vegans in my family of 44 people this year, that means a lot of omnis were digging it too (and thinking it was meat apparently).
So I knew I had something, I just had to improve it. A little experimenting in the kitchen, skip the pecans and welcome to this ridiculously good cheese ball love. The colour is a creamy soft yellow with little specks of green thyme throughout, and the cranberries on the outside make it super pretty. No yucky brown going on here.
The flavour took several steps up too. The combo of the cashews and coconut oil make it so smooth and creamy, it's kind of ridiculous, and lemon, miso paste, and nutritional yeast add a gorgeous zing of flavour. Agh! I want it now. I am just so totally into it, and really had to fight myself from polishing off this entire ball mid photoshoot.
So let's get making this vegan cranberry & thyme cheese ball! You can either boil the cashews for 10 minutes or soak them for about 4 hours until they are nice and tender. Then just drain the cashews and add to a food processor along with the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, coconut oil, white miso paste, garlic, and salt.
Blend until very smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Now add the thyme leaves and blend to combine. Cheese done. See, so easy peasy.
Line a small bowl with plastic wrap, and scoop the cheese mixture into the bowl. Gather up the sides of the plastic wrap and twist to form a ball. Let the cheese ball firm up in the freezer for about an hour, or for a couple of hours in the fridge.
Then it will look something like this. The magic of coconut oil, ooooh ahhhh.
Remove the now firm cheese ball from the plastic wrap, and press the cranberries onto the outside of the ball. You can try to do this with handfuls of cranberries, but I found it easiest to just take my time and press in one cranberry at a time. It really didn't take that long.
Tah dah! If your ball is kind of a funny shape, you can lightly pat it into a rounded shape. Serve it right away, or just store it covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve. You can definitely make this ahead of time. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with crackers.
Cranberry & Thyme Vegan Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- You can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews: add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or longer until tender.
- Drain the cashews and add to a food processor along with the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, coconut oil, white miso paste, garlic, and salt. Blend until very smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add the thyme leaves to the food processor and blend to combine.
- Line a small bowl with plastic wrap, and scoop the cheese mixture into the bowl. Gather up the sides of the plastic wrap and twist to form a ball. Let the cheese ball firm up in the freezer for about an hour, or for a couple of hours in the fridge.
- Remove the now firm cheese ball from the plastic wrap, and press the cranberries onto the outside of the ball. You can also lightly press the ball to get a rounder shape if desired. You can serve it right away, or keep the cheese ball covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with crackers.
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
Eric D says
I've made this for vegans and non vegans alike, it's always gone in about 10 minutes.
It fits the vibe of the rest of her recipes- simple, user friendly, and fun! Never seen a bad recipe on this site.
Honey Bee says
Wowee! This was the hit at our Christmas eve appetizers and charcuterie gathering! My family is ridiculously picky, and we couldn't get enough of it! I did use a nutribullet, and it was very difficult to get smooth. So, I will be getting a small food processor, just so I can make things like this! It's that worth it! 10/10! Very umami, and nobody could tell it wasn't "real" cheese. Great spreadable texture. I did add toasted nuts around the sides and the cranberries just on the top. It looked very festive. This makes me want to try more of your food. We only have one vegan in the family, one gluten free, but everyone else is milk-product free. So yummy. This will forever be in my celebrations rotation!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, that's amazing!! Thrilled you love it so much, and have fun with your new food processor. I have many other cheese recipes you can now try too 🙂
Jade says
Made it today for Christmas and this is simply the best vegan cheese recipe I've ever made. Had to add a bit more oil than suggested as it was a bit dry, otherwise made it exactly as written. Phenomenal work!
Sam Turnbull says
SO happy you loved it Jade 🙂
Honey Bee says
I am excited to make this recipe for my son that cannot have dairy. But, I lack a food processor. I have a blender/nutribullet. Is there a way to do this in a blender and have it be smooth? Thanks for any tips!
Josie says
Hi, I'm excited to make this for Christmas this year. The reviews are all great and it looks amazing! I want to make it in advance but I'm not sure how long it last for in the fridge?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Josie, it will keep for about 5 days in the fridge, or it freezes wonderfully too! Enjoy1!
Deb Z says
Hi Sam!
This recipe looks terrific. One question: Can I use agar-agar or cappa carageen instead of coconut oil? I'm assuming you're using this oil to firm the cheese up. If so, how much? Water added with it?
Thanks and keep the recipes coming!
Jen B says
Made and loved! I misread and added 2 tablespoons instead of 2 teaspoons of miso paste, but I loved that extra funkiness actually. Might have to make that mistake again! 😉
Jose says
I loved this. The balance of flavors was perfect even without fresh time (I used dried thyme instead). What kind of white miso do you use? The lightest I've been able to find have been a light orange color. Either way, this is a keeper and a great party cheese with crackers and toasty baguette.
Rose says
HI Sam,
I am a cheese ball fan and now that I was so surprised to find this recipe for a Vegan Chesse Ball. I made it for a snack between Thanksgiving and Christmas and totally love it The cranberries on the outside are so cute and delicious! I had no idea there was a vegan way to make cheese. So fun. Thank you for sharing all your recipes! On to crackers. . .
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! So happy you loved it 🙂
Kylie says
loved it! your blog is amazing! What do you think about this vegan cheescake recipe ?
Shannon Jeske says
This is the BEST vegan cheese recipes I have ever made. Huge huge hit. I did only add half of the coconut oil( I used unrefined, that is what I had) and vegan broth power instead of the miso. It turned out great on the softer side but held it shape. I also rolled it in dried cherries.
Thank you Thank you:)
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful Shannon! I'm so happy you loved it. It's one of my faves too 🙂
Andy says
Hi, Sam! I’m going to try to make this to take out of town this weekend and was wondering if it would be safe to make a couple of days ahead? It seems like everyone makes it and immediately devours it. Great sign! Haha
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can definitely prepare this and advance and even freeze it if you like. Just make sure it stays cold when you travel with it. If it gets too hot it could get melty. Enjoy!
Jill Ellis says
I meant to hit 5 stars!!
Jill Ellis says
Wow, I really love the flavor but I had some trouble getting my cashews creamy...i don’t think my food processor is strong enough. Do you think I could substitute the cashews with cashew butter next time? I also didn’t have any cranberries so I used golden raisins on the outside and they worked well. Thank you for the great recipes, I just ordered your cookbook!
Diana says
This looks delish! Can I use dried thyme instead? Also, would non-refined coconut oil be used instead of refined? If not, would you recommend an alternative type of oil?
Sam Turnbull says
Non-refined coconut oil has a strong coconut taste, so it would make your cheese taste like coconut and not cheese, so I recommend getting refined if you can. You can sub dried thyme, just use half as much. Enjoy!
Alan says
Mine is a beige colour, and smells odd, could this be the Miso?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, if your miso was a darker miso that could be the reason.
Micheline says
I brought this to a gathering of French-Canadians, traditional eaters of tourtière, and they all loved it! They couldn't believe that it's vegan. I will definitely be making this again and again 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! I love that! Thrilled everyone enjoyed 🙂
Jess Rose says
This recipe is amazing. I doubled it to make two balls for a big event, and they both got demolished. I added about 1/4 tsp of garlic powder in addition to the fresh garlic, for some extra kick, and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing this!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! Happy you love it, Jess 🙂
Émilie says
Can I use dark miso for this? I just have the dark one.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes but the colour of the cheese might be a bit funny. Enjoy!
Laura says
Wow this was killer!!! Made it for a mostly vegan Thanksgiving and everyone- vegans and meat eaters loved it! I forgot to add the thyme to the cheese, so I just rolled it on the outside along with the cranberries. Thanks for this!
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Laura!
Donna M Flumerfelt says
Hi Sam! Gosh I love your recipes and cannot wait to make this for a Friendsgiving I am attending. What kind of crackers are in the photo with the cheese ball? Almost looks like bread Thanks in advance, Donna