Vegan Cranberry Cheese Ball With Fresh Thyme
This is the BEST VEGAN CHEESE ever!! Just 9 ingredients and so easy to make. So smooth, creamy, and flavourful everyone will love it. Perfect appetizer for any party.
Servings: 1 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 mix in.
- 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.
Notes
Substitute for cashews: cashews are my preference as they are creamy and mild in flavor, but if you need to substitute them you can use macadamia nuts, blanched almonds, or raw sunflower seeds. All of these nuts and seeds will need to be boiled for about 15 minutes to ensure they have softened. If using sunflower seeds you may want to add a touch of sweetness such as agave to help cut the bitterness.
Substitute for coconut oil: Ensure that you are using refined coconut oil which is odorless and flavorless so that your cheese doesn't taste like coconut. Coconut oil becomes solid when chilled so this is what firms up the cheese. No other oil will work for this, but if needed you can try substituting vegetable shortening. If you are oil-free you can omit the oil but note that this will be more of a creamy spread and will not firm up in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (1 cheese ball is about 8 servings) | Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
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https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/cranberry-thyme-vegan-cheese-ball/Scan the QR code for updates, tips, and to ask me any questions!
