This vegan cheese ball is made with creamy cashew cheese flavored with maple syrup and Dijon mustard, rolled up and covered with a crunchy pecan crust.
I’ve wanted to do a vegan cheese ball (cheez ball?) post for a while. I thought it would be fun, as there’s lots you can do with cashew cheese. I was also sure I could create something at least as tasty as any dairy cheese ball.
And well, I’m not going to lie, I just wanted to create a post with “cheese ball” in the title. I told my husband this and his response was “If I ate nothing but your cooking, you’d already have one of those in your life.” The fact that he would even say such a thing confirms the statement’s accuracy.
Anyhow, I when it comes to spreadable cashew cheeses, I’ve gotten to the point where I simply open up the refrigerator and scan the door shelves for flavor inspiration. Last time I did this I spotted maple syrup and Dijon mustard. Perfect for a holiday vegan cheese ball.
Maple and Dijon are plenty festive if you ask me. For the nut crust, which is a cheese ball essential, I went with pecans for their mild sweetness, which complimented my cheesy flavors perfectly.
Maple Dijon Vegan Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Place the cashews mustard, nutritioal yeast, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Transfer the mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap. Gently wrap plastic around mixture and press it into a ball shape. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Gently peel away plastic wrap and transfer the ball to a plate. Press pecan pieces into the surface, reshaping gently as needed.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with crackers, bread or veggies.
This cheese ball looks fabulous. Such great flavours. I’m hosting a wine and appetizer Christmas party this weekend and I’m definitely going to make this cheese ball to put out. Thanks for the awesome recipe! :)
What would you advise besides coconut oil? I am allergic and I hate the taste.
You could omit the oil – the texture just won’t be quite as smooth. The other option is to sub a neutral flavored vegetable oil like grape seed, though the end product will be a bit softer, since the coconut oil helps it firm up a bit when chilled. If it’s too soft to roll you could always just put it into a dish and serve it as a spreadable cheese. Enjoy!
Or maybe a shortening like Trex?
I’ve never worked with Trex, but I think most shortenings would work. :)
boy I am going to make this for Thanksgiving, what kind of crackers are you using?
Those are Trader Joe’s Golden Rounds, which is pretty much their version of Ritz. :) I *think* Ritz are vegan too, so you could probably use them too. I hope you enjoy this!
So I made this last night in preparation for today, Thanksgiving. 1) I have never made a cheeseball and 2) I followed your instructions and ingredients exactly. Let me say that it is very difficult not to eat the entire thing already because the flavors go more amazing together than I imagined! And it’s vegan!! I think my guests will be pleasantly surprised. Happy holidays!
Yay!! I’m so glad you like it! I hope it was a hit! :)
Hi Alissa:) this sounds and looks amazing, def want to give it a try! is the yeast a must? i am allergic to it.
thx x
Hi Najomi! The yeast adds cheesy flavor, so if you leave it out you might need to include something else to make up for it. I’m not sure what would work though – maybe give it a taste test and if you think it would work try adding some garlic powder, onion powder, or even a squeeze of lemon juice. Please let me know how it works out if you give it a try!
I suspect pine nuts might make an alternative to nutritional yeast. Definitely much more expensive, and I wouldn’t know how much to use, but they do have a cheesy flavor.
Interesting! I’ll have to give that a try! Thanks for the tip!
Hi Alissa. sorry for the late reply. i tried your recipe without the yeast and it was soo good! :) i didn’t add anything else. all my non-vegan friends demolished it and wanted to know what cheese it was LOL
That’s awesome!! I’m so glad it was a hit!
OMG! This stuff is addictive!!! You hit it out of the park with this one Alissa! I can’t imagine my non-vegan friends turning their nose up at this. :) Thanks once again!
Yay!! I’m glad you like it!! Thanks Kelly!
How far in advanced can this be made? Would 2-3 days be too early?
Thanks!
2 to 3 days should be fine if you store it in the fridge. If you want to keep it around longer I’d recommend freezing it. :)
Hi there! This looks amazing and I want to make it for Christmas! I am having a hard time finding whole grain Dijon. I can find regular Dijon and stone ground mustard, but not sure which to use…what brand and variety did you use? Thank you! :)
I think either would be fine, but I’d go for the regular Dijon – the flavor goes really nicely in this. Enjoy!!
Hello from the Netherlands. I made the cheese yesterday and it is delicious.
Genevieve
I’m glad you think so! Thanks Genevieve!
I want to make this today but don’t have raw cashews- will roasted work?
Kate
I don’t recommend using roasted – they have a much stronger flavor than raw and I’d be afraid your cheeseball would turn out tasting like nuts instead of cheese.