If you’re looking for a quick and easy appetizer for your next family get-together, then look no further! This cashew cheese ball takes minutes to make and requires less than 10 ingredients total – I know. It’s kind of amazing.
I recently made this for my mom’s annual Christmas party/jewelry show and everyone seemed to really enjoy. They had no idea it was vegan! It pairs perfectly with sweet and savory. I put it on a platter with brown rice seaweed crackers and black mission figs. Seriously, so delicious. I cannot wait to make this again!
The combinations are endless for the outside coating. You could try dried cherries + pecans or dried apples + walnuts. I think this would be incredible served with my cranberry chia jam too.
If you happen to give it a try, snap a photo and send it to me. I LOVE seeing all of your recreations, it seriously makes my day!
Lemon Cranberry & Pistachio Cashew Cheese Ball
Prep
Total
Yield 2 small, 1 large
The perfect addition to any holiday party spread! Serve with fresh veggie sticks, figs and brown rice crackers.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Raw Cashews, soaked 2-4 hours*
- 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 3 tbsp Coconut Oil, solid
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1/3 cup Pistachios, crushed (to coat)
- 1/3 cup dried Cranberries, roughly chopped (to coat)
- Water, as needed to blend (1 tbsp max.)
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Prep ahead by soaking your raw cashews in water, overnight is best but 2-4 hours is sufficient enough.
- Measure and add everything into a food processor (minus the cranberries & pistachios), pulsing until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Scoop mixture into the center of plastic wrap and twist to form a ball. Chill for 1-2 hours. You can divide the cashew cheese into two for smaller portions.
- Remove from the fridge and roll in a mixture of dried cranberries and crushed pistachios, until completely covered.
- Cover again with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Will keep for up to 7-10 days, wrapped and refrigerated.
Courses Appetizer, Spread, Side
Cuisine Gluten-free, Vegan, Soy-free
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 tbsp
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 87 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 7 g | 11% | |
Saturated Fat 2 g | 10% | |
Sodium 12 mg | 1% | |
Total Carbohydrates 5 g | 2% | |
Dietary Fiber 1 g | 4% | |
Sugars 2 g | ||
Protein 3 g | 6% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Can omit nutritional yeast?
Sure. It won’t have a cheezy taste though.
how about coconut oil? What else can be used? I don’t consume added oils (only those in nuts and plants)
It helps create a smooth consistency and firms it up when chilling. You can omit it, it’s not essential. However, the final result will be less creamy and not as firm. In place of oil, use a touch of water to help it blend easier.
Beyond heavenly!
Nourishing Amelia | Food, Health & Lifestyle Blogger
Thanks Amelia!
Omg, this looks so good! Pistachio/cranberry is the perfect holiday combo, festive AND delicious <3 How crazy that I just so happen to have all of these ingredients too… destiny!? #weekendgoals
Thanks Kat! I cannot wait to hear what you think of it, if you give it a try. It’s so perfect for the holidays. I can’t wait to make more!
This looks incredible! Would it be possible to use store bought cashew butter (contains some oil) instead of cashews? My food processor cannot grind cashews smoothly.
Thanks Melinda, I’m not so sure cashew butter would work. Isn’t it runny/thin? I don’t think it would thicken up quite like this, this is about the consistency of cream cheese. If you soak cashews overnight AND boil them in hot water for 1-2 minutes, it really does soften them up a lot. That might be the solution, sorry!
Thank you! I will do that then – thanks!
Let me know how it works out! <3
What a beautiful and delicious creation!!! The cranberry-pistachio combo is so perfectly festive! I’m loving the simplicity and endless coating combos – definitely going to give this a try!! xo
Thank you so much, Mandy! I’m really digging it lately, the holiday season puts me in a totally different headspace. I get a little nut and dried fruit crazed! LOL Can’t wait to hear what you think of this one!
WHOA!!!! This. Is. AMAZING!!!! Made it today for our little family gathering tomorrow and had to sneak a bit to try. I love the lemony tang, the creaminess and the cranberry+pistachio combo is pure perfection!! The best part is that even Willow likes it! She snacked on some this afternoon with gluten-free pretzels. I absolutely can’t wait for my family to try this. Merry Christmas, Margaret! I hope you’re feeling better and get to enjoy a relaxing holiday. Lots of love! XO
Have I told you how amazing you are?! Thank you for giving this a try, you’re the best! So happy to hear it’s Willow-approved too, can’t wait to hear what everyone else thought. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, I took some time to spend with my family and it was lovely. I’m all better now too! <3
I love this idea! I’m definitely gonna try this for the holidays.
Yay, thank you! I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think! 😀
This looks so very yummy, do you think I could make without the coconut oil?
Thanks so much, Vanessa. Absolutely! It might not hold up the same, but it should blend together just fine if you add a touch of water. Hope you enjoy!
Hello!
This looks so good. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to both cashews and pistachios (such a curse, I know). Would almonds substitute for cashews? Maybe pecans for the pistachios? Thanks.
Hello Anna! I’m so sorry to hear that, it’s truly a shame. I believe that raw almonds could substitute for cashews and walnuts can definitely replace the pistachios. It might have a bit of a different flavor, but I believe it will work if you soak the almonds overnight and use a high-speed food processor. You could even try using sunflower seeds or hemp seeds, it’s worth testing out. I might try the same for more possible options to list in the notes section. Let me know how it turns out! <3
Thanks, Margaret! I will try the substitutes. I will let you know the results when I get around to trying the recipe. 🙂
This was devine. I added a slip of chardonnay.
Great idea, Janet! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m happy you enjoyed it <3
Sérieux, c’est le meillllllleur fromage que j’ai mangé! Plus de raison de se déplacer pour acheter des faux-mage en épicerie…
Merci! <3
Ive just made my first batch of these and they are gorgeous! Im giving them out as Christmas presents 🙂 I halved the amount in your recipe and it still made two huge balls. Will be making a walnut and apricot one too 🙂 thankyou! Wish I could upload some pictures for you.
Hey Carrie, I’m so happy to hear you gave this a try! I also love the idea of a walnut & apricot version. Happy Holidays! <3
Does it have to be raw cashews or will it work with roasted?
I’m not sure if roasted will work, I’ve only ever used raw. You could give it a try, I don’t believe roasted cashews would break down as well as raw though.
Pure Awsomeness !!! Soooooo good !
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that <3
Agreed! ?
Thank you!
I used bread yeast instead of nutritionnal yeast and the taste is too strong. Any idea of how to fix it?
Bread yeast and nutritional yeast are two completely different things – sorry! I’m not sure you can fix it, nutritional yeast is needed for this recipe, it provides the “cheesy” flavor.
Can this be frozen? I made it (DELICIOUS!!), but it made 2big balls, and I can’t possibly eat it all before it goes bad.
So happy to hear you gave this a try, freezing is perfectly fine. I’d say 1-2 months max. it will take a few hours to dethaw.
I thought it was delicious except it really needed salt unless the crackers you pair it with are really salty. I would recommend between 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt unless the nuts used are already salted. I would definitely make it again–really lovely flavors!
Thanks so much, Caroline. Happy to hear you enjoyed it. I like to replace the bulk of the salt with extra lemon juice and yes, the crackers I used are/were salted, so it made up for it 🙂
I made this (exactly as listed) for Christmas Eve – it was delicious and easy to make, and a hit with vegans and non vegans alike. The recipe does make a lot so I am happy it will freeze as I have another large ball left. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for giving this a try, Lisa. I’m so happy to hear you and your friends enjoyed!
I served this to my extremely critical, hard-to-please, meat and potato eating ex-husband he gave it two thumbs up. You won’t get a better testimony than that! Personally, I thought it was spot-on delicious. I just wanted to comment that I used a meyer lemon instead of the regular one and the flavor just popped. I will be making this for a New Year’s Eve party and I’m sure it will be a big hit. Thank you so much for another weapon to add to my vegan/raw arsenal!
Also wanted to comment that I served it on a poppy seed cracker. It was soooo good!
Great idea!
What an amazing review, thank you for sharing! It’s always nice to hear that a non-vegan enjoyed a vegan recipe, thank you so much for giving this a try! I love the idea of using Meyer lemons, if I’m able to get ahold of some I’ll most definitely make this again – thanks for the suggestion <3
Hey! I just made the ball and put it in the fridge (haven’t rolled it in nuts yet). I’m scared it’s going to stick to the plastic wrap. Any tips? Does it come loose after chilling the fridge? Thanks!
Yay! It will absolutely peel free after being chilled if it’s wrapped in a non-stick layer (plastic wrap, parchment, wax paper). I’ve also placed them in freezer-safe plastic bags, works great. I like to chop up the nuts and flip the cheese ball onto them, using the plastic wrap to roll it around without getting my hands dirty. It packs it on better and you can re-roll it up to chill before serving!
Just made the cheeseballs (‘s’ because it is indeed too much for just one!). Wanted to wait till after my new years party to tell you what everyone thought but I tasted it and thought: this is so delicious! Of course they’ll like it!
As a tip for those who, like me, had trouble finding nutritional yeast at their local market, I used 1/2 cup of parmesan to get the cheesy taste. Of course it is no longer vegan nor nearly as healthy but sometimes you gotta make do with what you’ve got! I also added a little bit of salt but should probably have done as suggested and added more lemon juice instead. Finally, I didn’t roll it into a round ball but made more of a cheese wheel in order to allow for a greater pistachio/dried fruit to cheese ratio! Hopefully it pays off!
Would love to leave a pic but not sure where to go to do that?
Thanks for the great recipe!
Yes, this recipe yields 2 large cheese balls! Perfect for sharing with guests 😀 I like the idea of a wedge, great thinking! I bet it looks amazing. You can upload a photo onto my Facebook wall or tag me on Instagram and/or Twitter!
This is amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and taste-tasted before forming into a ball, and it felt to me like it could use some more umami flavor. I ended up roasting an eggplant and mixing about 1/4 of it into the cheese before forming the ball. It came out incredible, I definitely recommend this modification for anyone seeking umami. I’ll probably try sauteed mushrooms next time in place of eggplant.
Overall this recipe is amazing, I can’t wait to make it at the next omnivore pot luck or family event I go to. A+ to Margaret!
Great idea, Charlotte! I’ll have to give that a try, thanks so much for sharing your success <3
Do you think this could be made without the oil? Would I need to substitute something for it/
The oil is what gives this the right texture and helps it firm up. You could of course omit it, but it won’t yield that same result. I would add water in place of the oil and freeze it to hold whatever shape you’re wanting to mold it into.