Vegan Cheese Ball

A cheese ball has a bite taken out of and lots of crackers around it.

You're gonna love this vegan cheese ball with crispy sage and toasted pecans encrusted with toasted pecans. Because it's dairy-free, it's a cheese ball everyone will love!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 331kcal

Author Marly McMillen

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

¾ cup pecans
2 tablespoons vegan butter
15 fresh sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
8 oz container vegan cream cheese
7 oz package vegan cheese, chopped or shredded (see note)
¼ cup chopped green onions
½ teaspoon sea salt
crackers for serving

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Toasted Nuts and Seeds

Preheat your oven to 300°F/150°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place pecans on the pan, spreading them about. Bake for approximately 5 minutes until the nuts are toasted. Do not overbake, as nuts can burn easily.

Sauté Herbs and Garlic

Place the butter in a skillet over medium heat. As soon as the butter starts to sizzle, add the fresh sage leaves (or dried sage). Toss the herbs in the melted butter to combine and cook until the leaves are crispy.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add chopped garlic. Cook for approximately 1 minute until tender. Remove from heat.

Make the Cheeseball

Place the vegan cream cheese, vegan cheese, salt, contents from the skillet, and a few of the toasted pecans in a food processor bowl. Pulse several times. Then use a spatula to push down ingredients from the side of the bowl and to break up any large chunks. Pulse several times again. Repeat until the mixture is combined and mostly smooth.
Add ⅓ cup toasted pecans and half of the chopped green onions and pulse again until broken down, but leaving bits throughout the cheeseball.
Tear off a piece of plastic wrap and place it on the counter. Use a spatula to transfer ingredients from the food processor onto the plastic wrap. It's very soft at this point. Wrap the plastic wrap up tight and place it in a small bowl. Place in the fridge to firm up for about 30 minutes.

Prepare Topping

Chop the remaining toasted pecans into fine bits. Add remaining chopped green onions.
Remove the plastic wrap from the chilled cheese ball mixture. Transfer it to a serving plate or tray. Use your hands or the back of a spoon to shape it into a ball.
Press the topping mixture around the outside of the cheese ball.
Serve immediately with crackers. Cover any leftovers in an airtight container or with foil and refrigerate. It will keep in the fridge up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

I use whatever Daiya block cheese I can find for this recipe. That could include Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Smoked Gouda, or Jalapeño Havarti.

Nutrition