This vegan cheese ball recipe is perfect for the holidays. It’s made with vegan cream cheese, vegan cheese shreds, pecans, olives, spices, scallions and chives. It’s perfect to serve with crackers or toasted crostini. The flavor and texture is bursting with richness and umami. Enjoy with a glass of wine with friends over the holidays or anytime!
This vegan cheese ball appetizer is delicious, easy to make and perfect for the holidays. Spread this rich and creamy cheese over crackers or crusty bread and enjoy with friends over a glass of wine. This is great to bring to a holiday get-together and an easy appetizer idea if you are hosting.
How to make this recipe
Rich and creamy vegan cream cheese is softened at room temperature and combined with roughly chopped vegan cheddar shreds. Thinly sliced scallions and chives are added for a fresh element, and help balance out the richness of the vegan cheese.
Stir everything up in a prep bowl with a rubber spatula until a shaggy ball starts to form, and all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Choosing a vegan cream cheese for this recipe
The best brand of vegan cream cheese to use for this recipe is up to you! Here are some great choices:
Miyoko’s Cream Cheese
Made with minimal ingredients, Miyoko’s cream cheese is rich and tangy, and the texture is velvety and smooth. It’s my favorite to use in this application. It also comes in Everything and Savory Scallion varieties, which would both work here.
Kite Hill
Similar to Miyoko’s, this Kite Hill’s cream cheese has a milder taste and a looser texture at room temperature. Kite Hill also offers an Everything and Chive variety which could be subbed in place of the plain variety.
Check out more vegan cream cheese brands here. If you have another favorite brand, consider choosing a plain flavor first to see how it works, and remember to leave it out at room temp for about an hour to soften up.
Choosing vegan shreds for this recipe
Violife
I love the flavor of Violife cheddar shreds, and the taste and texture work perfectly here. Just give them a rough chop, and then measure them out!
So Delicious
So Delicious also has a great texture and creamy taste!
365 Non-Dairy Cheddar Shreds
365 has a firmer texture but an equally creamy taste to So Delicious and Violife.
Check out more brands of vegan cheese shreds here, but I would suggest choosing one from the list above for this recipe.
Choosing olives for this recipe
Black olives
Choose plain, mild and non-salty olives, ideally from an olive bar or jar and not a can.
Kalamata
This is a dark brown-reddish olive with a smooth exterior and a meaty interior. It’s slightly salty. Choose from an olive bar or a jar. If you choose unpitted olives, place a wide knife blade over the top and gently press down to make removal of the pit easier.
Oil-cured
Intensely salty and bursting with umami, oil-cured olives have a firm texture and delicious flavor. Because they are so salty, I recommend finely mincing them and using them sparingly here.
Coating your vegan cheese ball in pecans and olives
Chop your pecans and olives, then toss them together in a bowl. Distribute them evenly onto a plate with a lip. Mist your hands with cooking spray to prevent sticking, then pick up your cheese and roll it into a ball as best as you can. Then roll it around the plate to coat, pressing any remaining olive and nut pieces into the ball. Don’t worry if your ball looks a little misshapen … she’ll be cute after being wrapped in cling wrap and chilled to set!
How to wrap and set your vegan cheese ball
Lay a piece of cling wrap large enough to wrap around your vegan cheese ball on your countertop. Place the ball in the center and gather the edges up, creating a twist at the top.
Place the vegan cheese ball into your refrigerator twist-tied portion down to chill and set for at least an hour before serving.
Enjoy with crackers or anything carby. If carbs aren’t your thing, carrots or celery sticks work too.
More great holiday appetizer ideas!
Happy holidays! xo
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Vegan Cheese Ball
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A vegan cheese ball recipe, perfect for the holidays. Made with vegan cream cheese, vegan cheese shreds, pecans, olives, spices, scallions and chives.
Ingredients
- one cup of vegan cream cheese, left out at room temp to soften for about an hour
- one cup of vegan shredded cheese, roughly chopped
- 3 scallions, very thinly sliced
- 1 TB chives, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 2/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup black Greek olives or any mild buttery black olive, roughly chopped (*see notes below)
- cooking spray, to oil your hands
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except for the pecans and olives into a large prep bowl. Stir to combine until a shaggy ball forms.
- Combine the chopped pecans and olives of your choice onto a flat plate.
- Oil your hands with the cooking spray.
- Pick up the vegan cheese ball and pack it into a ball shape as much as you can. Roll it onto the pecan/olive mixture to coat, pressing it evenly into the ball.
- Wrap the vegan cheese ball in cling wrap, twisting it up the the top to seal.
- Place into the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
- Serve with crackers, pretzels, crusty bread, carrot sticks or anything you like.
Notes
* If you are looking for a more intense/salty olive, try Kalamata or oil-cured olives. If using one of these, scale back the portion to about 2 chopped tablespoons for Kalamata or 1 chopped tablespoon for oil-cured olives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- To chill and set: 1 hour
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Method: Chillled
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegan cheese ball
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