Almond Cheese Ball (Dairy Free, Vegan)

Name: Almond Cheese Ball
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil; 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove); 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; 1/2 cup water

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Why I love this vegan cheese

I swore when we went dairy free, that I wouldn’t make my life much harder than it already was. I never in a million years thought I’d be making my own dairy free cheese. I guess, after a while things just don’t seem as intimidating as they once did.

After successfully making vegan ricotta, I feel way more confident delving into the realm of vegan cheeses. I might even attempt to make my own vegan mozzarella next.

aerial view of almond cheese on a charcuterie board

I adapted this recipe from an almond cheese recipe that I found in this cookbook. After trying it out several times, and making a few tweaks, I think I perfected it (at least for my tastes). The flavor is nice and complex, and the cheese ball itself makes a beautiful to a relish tray.

Overall, the process was relatively easy, and it was just a matter of waiting for the cheese to be ready, which took a little longer than I expected. The cookbook recommends letting your cheese rest in the fridge for about 2 days, but I let it sit for almost 4 and it was nice and firm.

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Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan cheese recipe

blended ingredients inside of a food processor

How to make almond cheese

Measure the ingredients and place them all into a food processor or blender. Don’t add all the water right away though, you’ll want to reserve about half to make sure you don’t over saturate the almond cheese.

Blend the mixture until it’s completely smooth, adding additional water to help it blend, as needed. There will still be some grain to the final product, but you’ll want to get it as uniform in texture as you can.

almond cheese inside of a cheesecloth and glass bowl

almond cheeseball inside of a cheesecloth with a knot tied and held in place with a large wooden fork

Wrap it in a cheesecloth and tie the excess around the handle of a wooden spoon (or any long handled utensil you have). Once it’s tied, feel free to shape the ball to your liking, but don’t expect it to stay perfectly that shape because gravity will some effect.

Let the almond cheese rest for at least 2 day sin the fridge. You’ll want lots of air space around the ball so use a nice big bowl and make sure nothing is touching any of the sides.

taking the vegan cheese ball from the cheesecloth

FAQ’s and tips for making nut cheese

Can you freeze almond cheese?

This cheeseball can be frozen so if you don’t think you can finish an entire vegan cheeseball before it expires, cut a portion of your cheeseball off and wrap it well with plastic wrap before placing it into an airtight container and freezing.

What does almond cheese taste like?

Firstly, don’t think this cheeseball will taste anything like that which comes from a cow or else you may be disappointed. Otherwise, the almond cheeseball tastes great. The texture is pretty smooth and spreadable, and there’s a nice tangy and nutty flavor that will have you going back for more.

What do you eat with cheese balls?

If you can put it on a charcuterie board, you can eat it with your cheese! Sliced pears, apples, grapes, toasted bagels, pretzel thins, toasted pita bread, wheat thins, the list goes on and on!

how to make almond cheese (dairy free, vegan)

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