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.

A round of almond cheese on a white plate with crackers around it.

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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!

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s made with ingredients that are fairly inexpensive and easy to source.
  • This can be made in less than 5 minutes with no fancy kitchen gadgets. No need to blend this mixture in a high-speed blender or food processor.
  • It’s a delicious dairy-free cheese alternative for soft spreadable cheese or can be made firm into a parmesan that you can grate.

Those five stars should have a couple of cartwheels beside them, I’m so happy I found this recipe! Thank you for sharing your talent with us. This is my fourth or fifth time making it ( it disappears so fast around here).

—Candance
A vegan cheese ball made from almond flour and rolled in crushed pistachio nuts.

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 olive oil or any other cooking 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, dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano, or Herbes de Provence gives the cheese a nice flavor.
  • Crushed Nuts– (optional) for coating the outside of your cheese ball.
A round of cheese made from almonds on a white plate with crackers, greens, and cherry tomatoes.

How to make almond cheese

Step 1 – 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.

Step 2 – Turn off the heat and add 1 cup of almond flour.

Step 3 – Stir well until all of the dry ingredients are moist and it has formed a stiff dough.

Step 4 – 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.)

A collage of 4 pictures showing the process of heating water, oil, and spices, adding almond flour, and forming it into a ball to make almond cheese.

Step 5 – After your cheese ball has been set, you may roll it in crushed nuts if desired.  Simply crush the nuts of choice, (I like pistachios) take the cheeseball out of the refrigerator, roll it 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.

Almond cheese texture

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, 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 your 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 vegan soups, spaghetti, vegan meatballs, tofu stuffed shells, 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.

A ball of vegan almond cheese partially grated with a cheese grater next to it.

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 vegan cheese recipes

Almond cheese recipe

Almond cheese formed into a cheese ball and rolled in crushed pistachio nuts with crackers on the side.
Diet
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5 from 8 rating

Almond Cheese

Yield: 8 (2 oz servings)
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Vegan cheese made with almond flour for a super quick and easy cheese ball to slice or spread on crackers.
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Ingredients

  • 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

Optional Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons dry herbs, like Herbs de Provance or Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup crushed pistachio nuts, or other nuts of choice

Instructions
 

  • 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.

Notes

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.
Serving: 2oz, Calories: 105kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 218mg, Potassium: 56mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 1mg
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