This almond cheese recipe is the easiest vegan cheese recipe that you can make! With only a few simple ingredients and just minutes of your time, you will have a cheese perfect for slicing, grating, or spreading on crackers.
This almond cheese is made from almond flour, so there is no soaking or grinding needed. You don't even need a blender or food processor to make this cheese, just dump everything in a saucepan and stir!
You'll love this vegan cheese recipe because it's
- made with ingredients that are fairly inexpensive and easy to source.
- made in less than 5 minutes with no fancy kitchen gadgets.
- a delicious cheese alternative for soft spreadable cheese or can be made firm into a parmesan that you can grate.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Almond Flour - use the blanched almond flour that you can find in the gluten-free baking section of most grocery stores. The finer the grind of the flour the smoother the cheese will be. You can blanch your own almonds and grind them into almond flour if you wish. You can also swap out cashew flour instead of almond flour if you choose.
- Water - this is to moisten the almond flour and achieve the correct consistency. Slight changes in the amount of water you add can change the consistency significantly.
- Lemon Juice - for a little acidity and tang that you would find in dairy cheese. You can also use apple cider vinegar instead or omit it completely if you want a more mild-tasting cheese.
- Refined Coconut Oil - Be sure to use refined coconut oil so it won't have a coconut flavor. You have to use coconut oil since it becomes solid in the refrigerator - it's like glue to hold the cheese together. I don't recommend swapping out this oil for any other oil. If you want it oil-free, you can swap it out for 1 tsp of water instead, but it won't hold together as well.
- Nutritional Yeast - for a cheesy flavor. (This is a yellow flaky powder that you find at most large grocery stores or natural foods stores.) Make sure you use nutritional yeast and not brewer's yeast.
- Salt - for flavor.
- Herbs - (optional) for added flavor. Any dried herb mix like Italian herbs or Herbes de Provence gives the cheese a nice flavor.
- Crushed Nuts- (optional) for coating the outside of your cheese ball.
How to make soft almond cheese
- Heat 2 1/2 tbsp of water, 1 tbsp of coconut oil, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and (2 tsp dried herbs if desired) in a saucepan until it just begins to boil.
- Turn off heat and add 1 cup of almond flour
- Stir well until all of the dry ingredients are moist and it has formed a stiff dough.
- Place in a small bowl or form into a ball and wrap in parchment paper and put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set. (You can use it hot as a cheese spread if you wish.)
- After your cheese ball has set, you may roll it in crushed nuts if desired. Simply crush nuts of choice, (I like pistachios) take the cheeseball out of the refrigerator, and roll into a more perfect ball with your hands (This will warm up the cheese and make it a little sticky.) and roll it in crushed nuts.
Note: You can simply adjust the amount of water that you add to this cheese to adjust the firmness and make it either a hard cheese that can be sliced or grated or a softer vegan cheese to spread on bread or crackers. A few more drops of water will make it softer and a few less will make it firmer. Either way, this cheese is delicious and super quick and easy to make!
Oil-free instructions
The coconut oil in this recipe is used to help it hold together and be firm when cold. If you don't want to use oil, you can add an additional 1 tsp of water instead, but the consistency will be a little different.
Variations
Garlic Herb Cheese Ball:
Add a clove of fresh minced garlic and 2 teaspoons of dry herbs of choice. You can also add 1 -2 tablespoons of fresh herbs. After the cheese has cooled off, you can roll it in crushed nuts.
To make a firm cheese to grate:
Use this recipe to make a hard vegan parmesan cheese that you can grate over spaghetti and vegan meatballs or vegan risotto!
Simply reduce the water to 1 1/2 tablespoons and follow the rest of the directions the same. Wrap it in parchment paper and let some air get to it while it sits overnight in the refrigerator.
Storing and Freezing
Your almond cheese will stay good in the fridge for 5-7 days. Wrap it loosely for the first 24 hours to let some air get to it and dry it out a little, then keep it in an airtight container.
Freezing your almond cheese: Place in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer about 6 hours before you want to eat it or put it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
More great vegan cheese recipes
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Vegan cheese made with almond flour for a super quick and easy cheese ball to slice or spread on crackers.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons dry herbs like Herbs de Provance or Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup crushed pistachio nuts or other nuts of choice
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Heat 2 1/2 tbsp of water, 1 tbsp of coconut oil, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and (2 tsp dried herbs if desired) in a saucepan until it just begins to boil.
-
Turn off heat and add 1 cup of almond flour.
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Stir well until all of the dry ingredients are moist and it has formed a stiff dough.
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Place in a small bowl or form into a ball and wrap in parchment paper and put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set. (You can use it hot as a cheese spread if you wish.)
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After your cheese ball has set, you may roll it in crushed nuts if desired. Simply crush nuts of choice, (I like pistachios) take the cheeseball out of the refrigerator, and roll into a more perfect ball with your hands (This will warm up the cheese and make it a little sticky.) and roll it in crushed nuts.
To make a firm almond cheese to use as a grated parmesan:
- Simply reduce the water to 1 1/2 tablespoons and follow the rest of the directions the same. Wrap it in parchment paper and let some air get to it while it sits overnight in the refrigerator.
