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.
Claudia says
Really good! I made this 3 times and everybody loved it (picky kids included). I omit coconut oil and it work well also 🙂
Chantel says
Hi Claudia, just wondering what oil you used as an alternative? I really want to make this recipe but am having difficulty finding refined coconut oil.
Claudia says
No oil at all 😉
Nicki says
(Mic drop)
This is amazing! I made it today as a trial run for appetizers for the holidays and my husband and I can't stop eating it! It's perfect as is but also has so much potential for other add ins and toppings too (oregano and sun dried tomato???)
Thank you so much! I thought I'd never have a cheese ball again!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, wonderful!! Thrilled you loved it so much, Nicki 🙂
Bianca Neves says
This recipe needs a warning label: "CAN CAUSE ADDICTION"
I did it 3 times in a week.
Send help, please!
Sam Turnbull says
Bahaha! I know the problem. So happy you love it so much, Bianca!!
Nigel says
Yup that is a great one. As a "I eat anything" guy I could eat that instead of cheese. Vegan crackers, fresh celery sticks with a little salt, and a bottle of port would be good support.
the fresh thyme was worth the effort of de-stalking. Really added something.
Tried half mixed with half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. My vegan wife liked that better. More of a buzz for the taste buds. But I found it great without.
Just a thought. I'm going to halve the oil next time. Quite a bit of the oil escaped anyway. And I can think of dozens of substitutes for the cranberries. Next time I plan to use small pieces of date. Cheers Sam
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, so happy you enjoyed it! For sure, feel free to adapt away. 🙂
Kris says
His was amazing! I made it leaving out the herbs, and coated in crushed walnuts and dates. The best vegan cheese yet! Thank you x
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!! Thrilled you loved it, Kris 🙂
Bob says
Hi, How big a serving is 162 calories? Thanks.
Sam Turnbull says
About 1/8 of the cheeseball. Sorry, I didn't measure out exactly how much 1/8 is but hopefully you can eyeball it 🙂
patricia says
I am not to eat soy. Is there a substitute for the white miso? Thanks for your help
Sam Turnbull says
You could use chickpea miso. Enjoy!
Kansas says
This was amazing! I used to love cheese and crackers and haven't found a good vegan cheese that I actually find worth buying. I don't need to look in the store anymore, I'll keep making this. SO good!
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you love it so much, Kansas!! I have a nacho cheese ball in my cookbook that you might enjoy as well if that interests you 🙂
Solveig says
Super tasty! I just made it for my husband and his parents and it lasted less than 10 minutes! Thank you Sam, you are a lifesaver!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Love that 🙂
Lucia says
I made this as an appetizer for all the Christmas dinners last year, and it was a hit! Everyone loved it, even the ones most suspicious of vegan cooking, lol. I left out the miso since I did not have any. Personally, I did not enjoy it too much due to the strong coconut flavour as I am no coconut fan. But I think I'll make it again with miso and a more refined coconut oil that does not taste of coconut as much. Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome 🙂
Ines says
I just tried making this and it tastes good but I can’t get it creamy enough like you have in the picture. How do you get your’s so creamy?
Sam Turnbull says
Make sure your cashews are very softened so they will blend easily, then make sure to keep blending until it reaches a very smooth and creamy texture. Check out the video above to watch me prepare the cheese.
Marie-Helene says
This cheese looks amazing! I would like to know, is it possible to change the form? As a christmas tree? If so, would you suggest to put it in the plastique wrap first and shape it after? Thanks!!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Marie,
Absolutely! You could push the cheese into any shaped dish, and yes, be sure to line it with plastic wrap so you can release it easily once it is set. Enjoy!
Sharae says
This looks delicious! Question - how important is the miso? I've never attempted vegan cheese, so I'm not sure what the miso flavor adds.
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks! The miso adds a fermented umami taste and is what helps make it taste like an aged cheese. So I think it's important. Enjoy!
Martha says
This recipe looks amazing! My son has a soy allergy so we are going to try it with sundried tomatoes like some of the other reviewers mentioned and replace the thyme with basil. I’m thinking I’ll then cover the ball with a vegan pesto and some chopped sundried tomatoes for a festive holiday look... hoping it tastes as good as the original recipe!
One question - what kind of coconut oil do I use? There are so many different types and I never know which one is right. Thanks for your help!
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds delish! My go-to is refined coconut oil which has no taste. Enjoy!
Laura Rivero says
Oh my goodness!! What is cheese! Forget cheese!!! I’m not going to miss cheese at all. My kids wanted to eat the whole thing from the blender.
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! Love it 🙂
Kari says
Made this last night. I had dark miso for the longest time, but I just bought white miso and WOW it will be my staple for now on. I feel like it gives that perfectly aged taste I loved in cheese.
I didn't have the cranberries, but I couldn't wait to try it. I took it out of the fridge too soon (about an hour a few minutes after sticking it in) and it had hardened up a bit but was still soft, It was really good though! Woke up this morning and it has a much firmer texture that makes me very, very happy.
I'm so happy I have a permanent cheeseball recipe! This will be perfect for Christmas, Thursday, Friday, Saturday...
I haven't been disappointed by a recipe of yours yet. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful, Kari!! Thrilled you love the cheese so much. And yes, white miso paste is magic in vegan cheeses!!
April says
What can I substitute for the coconut oil?Several people in the family have an allergy to coconut.
Sam Turnbull says
Coconut oil has the unique quality of getting very firm in the fridge and holding its shape at room temperature. It's what gives the cheese its texture, so I am afraid there isn't a great substitute. The only thing I can think of would be vegetable shortening, but I don't know how well that would work. Hope that helps!
Rose says
This looks amazing and would love to try it for Christmas. My son can't have nuts though... is there a seed or grain I could substitute the cashew with? If not I might just have to make it just for me!
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tried it with anything other than nuts, so I am afraid I'm not sure. Sorry, I can't be more help!
Sarah says
I made this over the weekend, and when my 15 year old daughter took her first bite, she went wide-eyed and said, "Mom, I think I love you even more". lol Needless to say, it was an absolute hit! We omitted the cranberries (my husband and daughter aren't a fan of them), however, I added a dollop of red pepper jelly on top of my cracker and "cheese", and it was INCREDIBLE!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's awesome!!! Love that story! So happy you loved it 🙂
Barbara Rozenburgh says
Hello Sam,
I’m making this cheese ball for thanksgiving appetizer... I’d like to make it 3 days ahead stored in fridge...is that too long.
Thanks for all your tasty recipes
Barb
Sam Turnbull says
Don't think I got to you in time, but that would be fine 🙂
Edith says
Any idea what a serving size is for this?
Sam Turnbull says
Well, I could eat the entire thing myself, but I would say this could serve 8. Enjoy!
Kirsty Cartin says
I just made this cheese ball with a few tweaks. I couldn't find white miso paste so just used regular miso paste and instead of thyme/ cranberry, I used chives/ almonds. It is soooooo delicious. Not very cheesy, more earthy and I perhaps added a tad too many chives but still totally moreish. I will definitely be experimenting more. I love how you can pretty much slice it and spread. You are awesome!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it so much, Kristy 🙂