if you haven’t tried making a vegan cheese ball yet take this as your sign to! it is easy, delicious, high in protein, and so great for summer gatherings. covered in everything bagel seasoning, fresh parsley, and fresh basil for a fun flavor.
Believe it or not I have never made a cheese ball before making this recipe and I am sad I waited so long to do this. Not only are they so easy to make, they are super easy to customize, and great for when you don’t feel like cooking. A lot of vegan cheese ball recipes are made with nuts usually cashews but this recipe is totally nut free because it uses tofu! It creates a high protein vegan cheese ball that even non-vegans will love.
the cheese ball ingredients
- Super Firm Tofu: this is the base of the vegan cheese ball. Super firm tofu is the most firm tofu which helps it to really keep and hold the shape of the ball well. I tried this with extra firm tofu at first and it didn’t work, so super firm tofu is a must!
- Refined Coconut Oil: this will help to keep the vegan cheese ball firm when it is chilled.
- Miso Paste: white mellow miso paste will add umami to the vegan cheese ball.
- Nutritional Yeast: will also add umami, cheesiness, and B12. If you can’t have nutritional yeast just leave it out.
- Non-Dairy Milk: you only need a little bit to help blend everything up.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: this will help add a little tang to the vegan cheese.
- Salt: to add saltiness.
- Garlic Powder: to add in flavor.
cheese ball history
In case you don’t know what a cheese ball is, it was a very popular American hors d’oeuvre in the 40s. It was used for parties and it was typically made by mixing cream cheese, with a harder shredded cheese, and then rolled in nuts or seeds. While the dish fell out of popularity for a bit it made a resurgence. They are so fun for parties. For this vegan version I opted not to put in any type of shredded vegan cheese. but you definitely can if you want!
the outside
There are a million ways you can make a vegan cheese ball. However, I felt like for some reason I really wanted to do everything bagel seasoning. I also wanted some fresh herbs so chopped fresh parsley and chopped fresh basil were the perfect addition. I really liked this combination and so did everyone who ate this. But feel free to play around and add whatever you want.
how to make vegan cheese ball
Making this vegan cheese ball is so easy. It is also great for hot days because there is no oven or cooking required. All you need to do is add the ingredients into a blender and begin to pulse until it forms a thick texture. It won’t be completely smooth but that is okay you want it to have a little bit of texture to it. In a bowl round it out into a ball and then chill the ball for an hour in the freezer. Remove it from the bowl, form it into a ball with your hands, and then roll it in the seasonings and herbs. Place it back in the fridge for a half hour or until you are ready to eat.
more vegan cheese recipes
how to enjoy
The best part of this vegan cheese ball is you can eat it with your favorite crackers, bread, or veggies. It is great for dipping but also great for spreading as well. It looks beautiful on a plate with pretty much anything. This would also be fun to make part of a cheese board. If you want to be really fancy get some edible flowers, they always look beautiful.
vegan cheese ball faq
- Is this recipe soy free? No, it is tofu based.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
- Can I leave out the coconut oil? I didn’t try it without the coconut oil. It helps to keep the ball firm and held together but it should be okay without it.
- How long will this last? Up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Can I freeze this? No.
- How far in advance can I make this? You can make it the day before an event, just wait to roll it in the seasonings before serving.
ORDER MY COOKBOOK
Looking for more delicious vegan comfort recipes? Order my cookbook Plantiful: Over 75 Vibrant Vegan Comfort Foods! Filled with all types of recipe from bites, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, desserts and more! Available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, IndieBound, Walmart, also available in stores.
Sharing direct links to recipes and pictures is highly encouraged, please do not copy and paste my recipes or share my pictures without permission. I work very hard on my blog and don’t want to see my recipes popping up anywhere. Thank you so much.
Vegan Cheese Ball
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces super firm tofu
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
- Few pieces of fresh parsley and basil chopped
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor add in all ingredients except for the bagel seasoning, parsley, and basil. This may take a little effort because there isn’t too much liquid. So feel free to continuously scrape the sides down and be patient. If you need to add in 1 more tablespoon of non-dairy milk you can. The consistency should be thick and almost like vegan ricotta.
- Use a medium sized bowl to help you shape the blended tofu cheese into a ball with a spatula.
- Place in the freezer for 1 hour or until firm.
- Remove from the bowl and roll into a more even ball. Then roll in the seasonings and herbs. Place back in the fridge for 30 minutes or keep in there until ready to eat.
Video
Plantifully Based® is part of the Amazon Affiliate Partner Program. Links on here may be from Amazon or other affiliate programs. If you decide to purchase through a link I will receive a small commission. This helps to run the blog and make more recipes.
Did you try this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @plantifullybased to let me know how it went. If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
Wow, fantastic taste and perfect on bagel or crackers. Easy prep and totally worth being patient with your blender. Waiting on the freezer time was hard, but absolutely worth it for the fabulous end result of texture and taste.
thank you so so much for the kind words and leaving a review! so happy you enjoyed it!!!
Can we omit the coconut oil or substitute it for something?
Hi it should work with olive oil
Will it work without any oil?
from the faq “Can I leave out the coconut oil? I didn’t try it without the coconut oil. It helps to keep the ball firm and held together but it should be okay without it.”
Terrific recipe. I let it freeze too long but it still held the dome shape from the bowl I put it in. I am letting it thaw out in the fridge but the whole family liked it so much, I’ll make it with wine variations to make it look like those cheese balls in the grocery stores and see the results. Another great recipe from Francesca 🙂
Hi Hang! Aw that is okay it will soften up again!! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and review it means so much. So happy it was a hit with the family!
Hi! Would love to try this. Can I substitute olive oil for the coconut? My son has allergies. Also, how long can it stay in the fridge?
Hi Lena, I think maybe olive oil should work okay! In the FAQ I write up to 3 days in the fridge. I never like to suggest too long but of course you can always smell and taste it for yourself and see how it is on day 4 or 5 if its still around then
Easy to follow recipe. I found it far to salty so I’ll halve the salt next time.
I rolled into smaller balls to serve at a vegan high tea I’m hosting so each guest had their own ball.
They are amazing and so much fun!
Thank you for trying it Nikki! that is such a cute idea love that!
Amazing recipe! I made a low fat version and left out the coconut oil – I just added that amount more of tofu. I halved the oat milk and only used 1 Tbsp so it stayed firm. I can’t eat nutritional yeast, so I just subbed it with 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder and 2 big pinches of lactic acid powder. Yum!
Hi Leah! Awesome I am so glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you for trying and taking the time to leave a comment/review!
It’s a very interesting and easy recipe!
glad you enjoyed Maria!!