Almond Cheese Ball
Welcome back to Scrappy Cooking, a series where I take common food scraps and turn them into delicious plant-based dishes. This time, we are tackling almonds. This post features not one, but two amazing recipes: homemade almond milk and an almond cheese ball.
Homemade almond milk is not only delicious, it’s very easy to make. Almonds are blended with water, and then the liquid is strained, leaving a great plant-based milk alternative.
The only worry is, almonds are not cheap. Throwing the pulp away after making milk just seems so wasteful! This got me thinking: if cashews can be used to make vegan cheese, why can’t almonds? The results completely blew me away!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s two recipes for the price of one, quite literally! Instead of throwing the pulp away, you get to enjoy delicious spreadable vegan cheese.
- It’s made entirely with whole-food ingredients, which makes both the milk and the cheese a healthier alternative to store-bought options.
- As well as saving yourself some money, you are reducing your personal food waste.
- It’s incredibly easy to make, and it requires minimal equipment.
How to Make This Recipe
To make the milk, almonds are soaked overnight (8-12 hours). Make sure the water fully covers the almonds, and bear in mind that they are likely to expand.
Drain the liquid that the almonds were soaking in, and transfer the nuts to a blender. Add filtered water and blend! The liquid will turn white or light beige.
Using a cheesecloth or a clean tea towel, strain the almond milk into a clean container (bottle or jar). Squeeze as much liquid as you can. If the milk is too thick for your taste, it can be diluted with water. You can also sweeten it with maple syrup or add a small pinch of sea salt if desired.
Once you got rid of the liquid, transfer the almond pulp into a bowl. Add nutritional yeast, dried parsley, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Stir well, and adjust the seasonings according to your taste.
Using your hands, form the contents into a tight ball. If you like, you can coat your cheeseball in more almonds. Let it chill in the fridge until it’s ready to eat. I recommend at least 3-4 hours.
Great served with crackers or sourdough bread.
Hack It!
- Will this work with other types of nuts? Of course! Try this recipe with cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, or even pecans. Be sure to take a picture and tag @plantyou!
- This yummy spreadable almond cheese is great on crackers, but it can also be added to a sandwich, a salad, and even to a pizza!
- Amaze your guests with a beautiful charcuterie board, featuring almond cheese, fresh fruit and veggies, crackers, seitan, and vegan mozzarella sticks!
- You can coat your cheese ball with crushed almonds, sesame seeds, or everything bagel seasoning.
- Almond milk is great with coffee. It can also be used for baking, curries, creamy pasta sauces and more!
Store This Recipe
Keep the almond milk refrigerated and store for up to 3 days. Shake before using. The almond cheese ball can be store in the fridge for 3-5 days, although I doubt it will last that long!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Vegan Mozzarella Sticks
- Vegan Dandelion Honey
- Strawberry Top Vinegar
- Candied Orange Peels
- Homemade Peanut Butter
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The Recipe: Almond Cheese Ball
Ingredients
For the milk
- 1 cup almonds, raw, soaked overnight
- 4 cups filtered water
For the cheese
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp sea salt, or to taste
- extra almonds, for coating
Equipment
- Cheesecloth or tea towel
- Clean container (jar or bottle)
Instructions
- Drain soaked almonds and add them to a blender. Blend the almonds and water until a “milk” is formed.
- Drain using a cheese cloth or leotard and transfer the plant-based milk to a clean container in the fridge (store up to 3 days). You can sweeten it with maple syrup and add a little sea salt as desired.
- Reserve the leftover pulp (1-1.5 cups) and ensure it is drained as much as possible. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, taste and adjust as needed.
- With your hands, roll into a ball and chill in the fridge until ready to eat. If desired, coat with crushed almonds. This won’t be SUPER cheesy but it makes a delicious repurposed spread.
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