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This festive Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Cheese Ball is the perfect no-bake holiday appetizer to share with family and friends.
Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Cheese Ball
This delicious cranberry pistachio vegan cheese ball is guaranteed to be the star of the show at any holiday gathering! Creamy cashews and vegan cream cheese make a soft savory cheese ball perfect for spreading on crackers or apple slices. Or my personal favorite, toasted baguette slices. Mmmm.
To elevate this dairy-free cheeseball, add a coating of dried cranberries, thyme, and pistachios. The flavors go SO well together, and it's absolutely beautiful! The colors, red and green, make it great for a Christmas appetizer, but I'll be making this allllll year long.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this cheese ball are simple and you may already have them at home.
Here's what you need:
- Cashews. Soak your cashews for at least 4 hours to make sure they blend up creamy and smooth. Before you start, read my post on How to Soak Cashews (3 Easy Methods).
- Vegan cream cheese. I like GoVeggie, Tader Joe's Brand or Kite Hill.
- Dried cranberries. These add tart-sweet flavor and some texture.
- Nutritional yeast. This adds an extra savory and umami flavor to the appeizer.
- Lemon juice. I recommend using fresh!
- Onion powder. To enhance the savory flavor.
- Dried thyme. For a nice herby finish.
What to Serve with a Vegan Cheese Ball
Because this cheeseball has a unique, sweet flavor you might be wondering, "What do I serve with this?!" I have some ideas!
- Toasted bread
- Herb crackers (love rosemary crackers with this cheese ball!)
- Apple slices (toss them with lemon water to prevent oxidation)
- Graham crackers
- Pretzels
- 4-Ingredient No-Yeast Bread
Ingredient Swaps and Substitionts
- If you don't want to use plastic wrap, simply scoop the cheeseball mixture inot a bowl and chill as directed.
- Swap dried cranberries for raisins, chopped dates, or dried cherries.
- Use hazelnuts or walnuts instead of pistachios.
- Try another dried herb like rosemary or oregano instead of (or in addititon to) thyme.
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Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews soaked and drained
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teasoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
For the coating
- ⅓ cup pistachios shelled
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Put the cashews, cream cheese, dried cranberries, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, and thyme in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a blender but you'll probably have to scrape down the sides a few times while blending.
- Scoop the mixture in the center of a large piece of plastic wrap.
- Wrap up into a ball and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours. 12+ hours is best, and it can stay in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Unwrap the cheese ball, place on a plate, and mold it into a more uniform sphere if necessary.
- To coat, simply press in the pistachios and cranberries.
- Serve with crackers, toasted bread, apple slices, or whatever your heart desires!
