This creamy and flavorful vegan cheese ball with a nutty exterior won’t last long at a party! Perfect for game day, holidays and potlucks. People will have a hard time believing this is totally vegan!
If you are looking for the PERFECT appetizer for either an upcoming holiday, game day party, potluck or other event, then this vegan cheese ball is it! I like to save my most delicious recipes for get-togethers with non-vegan people, so I can help them understand just how fun and tasty vegan food can be.
Other impressive vegan appetizers include:
Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
How do you make a vegan cheese ball?
It’s actually super easy! I’ve made things as simple as possible.
First, you have to soak your cashews in hot water for 5 minutes. I do this by warming up water in my tea kettle, then pouring the hot water over the cashews in a bowl.
Drain them, and add them to a food processor along with the lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and dill. Blend until smooth, then add the vegan cream cheese (this adds even more creamy, cheesy deliciousness). Blend again until smooth and creamy.
Using a spatula, scoop all of the cheese into a bowl lined with a tea towel.
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Gather the corners of the towel, and twist gently around the cheese to form a ball. Place it like this in the refrigerator to chill for 4-6 hours, or overnight. The cheese hardens considerably in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, unwrap the cheese. It will be hardened and look something like this:
Gently roll it in the chopped pecans until coated with the nuts.
Serve with crackers and/or vegetable sticks.
I hope you LOVE this vegan cheese ball! It’s:
- Creamy
- Spreadable
- Cheesy
- SO flavorful
- Crowd pleasing
- & Easy to make!
Vegan Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2-1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1-2 tablespoons fresh dill)
- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese (1/2 of a 8 ounce container)
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped small
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cover the raw cashews with boiling hot water. Let them soak for 5 minutes.
- Drain the cashews, and add to a food processor, along with the lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and dill. Blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Now add the vegan cream cheese, and blend it in. It should be very creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste, it should be very flavorful!
- Place a clean tea towel in a small-medium sized bowl. Using a spatula, scoop all of the cheese into the bowl. Gather the corners of the towel and gently twist the top (SEE PHOTOS ABOVE).
- Place the bowl with the cheese ball in the refrigerator and chill for 4-6 hours, or overnight. The cheese will harden considerably in this time.
- When ready to serve, unwrap the cheese ball and roll it gently in the chopped pecans until coated.
- Serve with crackers and/or vegetables like carrot sticks, celery and cucumbers. Enjoy!
- The cheese ball will stay firm for a few hours at room temperature, but try not to leave it out for longer than that. Return it the the refrigerator and cover with plastic wrap to save. Leftover cheese will last 4-5 days.
This came out great for me! Made a 1/2 recipe and it was perfect for our small household. Hubby & I decided it tastes just like Boursin!! This will be great to use in recipes too! I can see stirring in a tablespoon into some pasta sauce and having a creamy delicious pasta! Thanks for this great recipe!!
You are welcome, Dawn! Thanks for sharing your delicious sounding ideas, and your stellar review! I appreciate you using my recipes!
Hi there! So wondering if it will still hold the shape of a ball without the cream cheese. I know that’s such an annoying question but trying to reduce oil for sure/added fat while still enjoying!
I think it will work!
I have only eaten it pre-refridgeration, but it’s really tasty. I haven’t ever made vegan cheese dupes before and I was skeptical, but then if I didn’t call it a “cheese ball” this is a delicious spread! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re so welcome, Morgan. Thanks for your wonderful review!
This came out really pretty, and tastes great too!!
WOW-Making this now, sooooo delicious just licking the spoon! Thankful for your easy recipes that never disappoint!
You are welcome, Mackenzie! I’m so glad you are loving the cheese ball! Thanks for your great feedback! I appreciate you using my recipes!
Thank you (as always) for a hit recipe!! Do you have any ideas for a port wine cheese ball?! 🤤
Thank you for your wonderful review! I don’t have a recipe for a vegan port wine cheese ball (yet) but it sounds delicious!
Made this before – everyone loved it non vegans couldn’t believe how good it was. Plan on making it again for Thanksgiving was thinking of making 2 – one like this the other with Trader Joes Everything Bagel Seasoning instead of pecans – what do you think?
I think that sounds like a very tasty idea, Kathleen! I’m sure everyone is going to love them 🙂
Made these for Xmas. They were a big hit.
Nora is my go to when I don’t know what to make. Awesome recipes!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback and encouraging words! I really love this cheese ball, for any gathering! I’m glad you are loving my recipes!
If you are looking for something special to serve for your holiday gatherings…look no further! This vegan cheese ball will have everyone in the group asking for more and it was easy to make. Thank you once again, Nora, for sharing your delicious recipes!
Thank you, Cat, for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments! I am so glad the cheese ball was a hit at your gathering! I truly love the beauty and flavor of it! Thank you for using my recipes, and happy cooking!
The gravy looks delicious. I’ll try it soon.
I love this cheese ball, it’s so easy to make and tastes amazing.
Thanks for sharing your great review! I’m so glad you love the cheese ball!
“Hello,
I loved your vegan cheesecake recipe. I made this at home and this was as delicious as it looks. The steps were simple and time-saving.
I loved your recipe so much that I have featured this on my recent blog. Let me know if you would like to check it out. “
So delicious! I was definitely skeptical while making this because I’ve never done anything like it but it turned out soooo yummy! I didn’t have any pecans or nuts so I omitted those. I also used my Vitamix and it worked just fine while blending. I did use slightly too much cream cheese (I used Kite Hills plain) so it was a little more creamy than I would’ve liked but still incredible!!
Hi Danielle. I’m glad you found the cheese ball delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Best cheese ball ever! Even better than real cheese. Add chopped parsley to the chopped pecans.
Hi Nancy. So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Way delicious and easy. Will be making again and again!
What are some other things you can roll this into?
Delicious! This went over VERY well with my non-vegan family. My second time making it, I decided to lighten it up by cutting the cashews down to 1 cup, omitting the vegan cream cheese, and adding a can of white beans. I served it as a dip, so I also didn’t make it into a ball or add the pecans. Still SO delicious but a bit easier to spread and less rich! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad it worked out with the changes, thank you!
This is so yummy! I added a little bit of apple cider vinegar and fresh parsley. The fresh dill adds a special tangy flavour. I can’t wait to bring this to Christmas day tomorrow! Thank you!
Thank you, that sounds like a great idea! So glad you like the cheese ball and I hope everyone else does, too.
Could this be adapted to a nut free version? Maybe cheddar ranch or French onion ?
Yes, if you wanted you could use all store bought vegan cream cheese (not the kind made with nuts).
I’ve started replacing but still with sunflower seeds. It works like a charm.
Silly auto correct. I replace nuts with raw sunflower seeds. I’m currently testing it on this recipe. ??
Can I freeze cheese ball?
Yes, it freezes well.
Would your cream cheese recipe work as the cream cheese in here? I haven’t checked, but I assume trader Joe’s Cream cheese has oil, or is it cleaner than I think?
I haven’t tested it yet, but I think it would probably work okay. I think Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese has coconut oil, but if you can find Kite Hill brand it’s oil free and very good, too! You can also leave it out, the cheese ball just won’t be quite as creamy. Thank you!
Hello, i havent tried this receipt but bcan i also add nutritional yeast??
Sure, you can if you want! It would be a good addition.
This is my absolute favorite cheese ball recipe! It is so tasty! When I read that one of the ingredients is vegan cream cheese, I decided to try the Trader Joe’s brand and it was perfect and inexpensive. My non-vegan relatives really enjoyed it at our holiday gathering. This will forever be my go-to cheese ball recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your amazingly delicious creations! I cannot wait to try your other recipes!
Thanks Kelly! That is so great! I’m so happy you and your relatives enjoyed the cheese ball. I use the Trader Joe’s brand vegan cream cheese for this recipe, too. I hope you find many more recipes here to try!
I made this for a thanksgiving appetizer and my non-vegan family had the whole cheese ball eaten before dinner. It was delicious!
Wow I’m so glad to hear it Rachel!! We love this cheese ball so much!
Thank you for this!! It will be perfect for all the parties I have coming up!