You will enjoy a sweet and tart combination in this Cranberry Crusted Dairy Free Cheese Ball recipe. This vegan cheese ball is a crowd pleaser packed with flavor!
Cranberry Crusted Dairy Free Cheese Ball
What’s a party without a cheese ball? I’ll tell you what it is – BORING!
Your party will be rocking with this sweet and savory cheese ball and everyone will be happy since its dairy free, vegan and TASTY!
When I weighed nearly 300 lbs, my mom made a cheese ball every holiday and it was always the same one. It consisted of ham, pineapple, pecans and everyone loved it. I would eat my fair share and then some. Now that I have lost weight and know that eating plant based is much healthier, I created my own holiday cheese ball. This one has no cholesterol, is lower in saturated fat and has lower calories than what I previously ate.
How do you make a cheese ball dairy free?
You could use vegan cream cheese, tofu or cashews. I prefer using cashews because it boosts the protein and fiber of the cheese ball and that’s a plus when you are trying to lose weight.
What do you serve with a cheese ball?
I like to serve it with crackers or vegetables. This one pairs great with celery or jicama if you want a little veggie crunch. Cinnamon tortilla chips or graham crackers go well, too.
Onto the recipe!
Cranberry Crusted Dairy Free Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 1 cup soaked cashews
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp amino acids or soy sauce
- 1 green onion
- 1/4 cup diced pineapple
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a bowl, cover with warm water and soak for several hours.
- Once soaked, drain cashews and add to food processor. Add oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, amino acids, green onion and pineapple. Blend until creamy and smooth. Add a little water if necessary to achieve creaminess.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, add lemon zest for tartness,,, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, salt and pepper for taste. You could add 1 tsp of maple syrup for sweetness, if desired.
- Place mixture in a cheesecloth or a clean, fine absorbent towel. Gather the corners and twist to wick moisture away. Secure the top with a rubber band. Place in a strainer over a medium bowl. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.
- Once chilled and hardened, reform into a all and roll in cranberries and pecans.
- Serve with crackers, cinnamon tortilla chips, or graham crackers. Enjoy!
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If you need another appetizer, check out this Ranch Dip!
It’s dairy-free, low calorie and zesty! Great for veggies or a salad dressing!
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I follow an SOS free WFPB diet. Is the oil in this recipe for the cranberry crusted cheese ball absolutely necessary?
I think you can get by without it, but I haven’t tried it. The oil adds more creaminess and helps the cheeseball to hold together. If it seems too dry without the oil I suggest adding a little plant milk, aquafaba or water and see if it helps. LMK how it turns out. Enjoy!