Vegan Party Cheeseball

Meaningful Eats

10 -12 servings

This is a great make-ahead appetizer that can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Chilling time 6

Total Time 15

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

2 cups raw cashews
8 oz container vegan cream cheese I like Kite Hill or the BLUE container of Tofutti - not the yellow container - it's not as good
zest of 1 lemon
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1-2 lemons)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 oz black olives
2 cups pecans toasted and finely chopped

Instructions

Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let sit at room temperature for 6 hours or cover and refrigerate overnight.
Place the soaked cashews, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt in the food processor. Process until completely smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the olives and pulse to combine, about 10 pulses. Place a strainer over a bowl and line it with a thin dishcloth or cheesecloth. Scoop the cheese mixture out into the bowl and shape into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and preferably overnight. (This can be made up to 3 days in advance.)
Coat the cheeseball in the toasted pecans, pressing them lightly into the surface. Serve with your favorite crackers. Enjoy!

Notes

MAKE IT SOY-FREE: Use Kite Hill Almond Milk Cream Cheese instead of a soy-based cheese.

Coat the cheeseball with the pecans only a few hours before serving so they don't get mushy. I love serving this with gluten-free crackers! The cashews need to be soaked for the cheeseball to have the correct texture. If you're in a hurry, you can pour boiling water over the cashews and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour to speed up the soaking process.

Nutrition