These delicious vegan cheese party appetizers are incredibly tasty, beautiful and a must serve vegan part appetiser. And it’s easy to make and can be mostly made in advance. They are made simply with vegan cashew cheese rolled in oven roasted and chopped almonds, dried cranberries, garlic and herbs.

I like to make the cashew cheese 1-2 days in advance. It cuts way down on what needs to be cooked, but no one will ever guess you didn’t spend hours slaving away in the kitchen to make these impressive cheese bites.

When it comes to making party food I want it to look impressive and taste delicious, but I still don’t want to spend hours working in the kitchen on the day of the party. I like a stress free part recipe, and this vegan appetizer recipe is my go-to vegan Christmas and New Year appetizer recipe.

What’s great about this Delicious easy vegan cheese party appetizer recipe?

Just about everything
Delicious creamy texture with lots of crunch thanks to the roasted almonds
Crunchy, sweet and savory all at once
Easy to make
Can be made in advance (cashew cheese can be made several days ahead of time)
Vegan, gluten free and soy free
A crowdpleaser
Impressive looking party appetizer

Vegan cashew cheese

I like to make my own cashew cheese for this recipe, and it is honestly so quick and easy to make. Once the cashews have soaked in water for a couple of hours, the blender takes care of most of the work for you. Just add all the seasonings and pulse until it’s a cashew cheese.

Can I use a store bought cashew cheese for these vegan appetisers?

Yes, you absolutely can. But if you get the store bought cashew cheese, you still need to add the seasonings and garlic to bring out the flavour of the cheese. You can easily just pour the cashew cheese into a bowl and add the dried oregano, dried thyme, minced garlic and black pepper. Adding nutritional yeast at this point is optional and depends on whether you want to add extra cheesy flavours. Use a fork to mix until all the seasonings and cheese are combined and you are ready to make vegan cheese appetisers.

Can I use a different type of nut

Yes, you can use whatever type of nuts you prefer. I can recommend pecan nuts, roasted walnuts, hazelnuts and even macademia nuts for this recipe.

What to do if you are allergic to nuts

If you are allergic to nuts, you can use silken tofu instead of cashew cheese and add all the same spices. For the exterior crunch, you can either use roasted sesame seeds (which tastes amazing by the way) or any other type of seeds that you aren’t allergic to.

Other good nut replacement options are:

Sunflower seeds
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Peanuts (if you aren’t allergic)

I am vegetarian. Can I use real cheese?

Of course you can use any type of vegan or vegetarian cheese for this recipe. Vegetarian goats cheese have the same texture as the cashew cheese and add extra flavours and tartness to these party appetizers. For a more mild cheese flavour, you can use vegetarian mozzarella. I would still use the same seasonings no matter what type of cheese you choose to use for this recipe.

How are these Delicious easy vegan cheese party appetizers made? It’s very simple. Just:

Start by making the cashew cheese:

Instructions

Soak the raw cashew nuts in water for at least 2 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can soak them in water overnight and they will be ready to cook in the morning.
Drain the water from the cashews and pour the cashews into a food processor along with the minced garlic, nutritional yeast, white vine vinegar, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper.Pulse until the cashews are completely blended. Scrape down the sides in between blending.
Next, add water and pulse until the cashews are creamy and thick. Pour the cashew cheese into a covered container and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

To make the Delicious Easy Vegan Cheese Party Appetizers just:

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking trey with baking paper. Spread out almonds on the baking trey and season with salt. Bake the almonds in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are roasted and golden.
Remove the almonds from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Chop almonds, dried cranberries and fresh basil and mix together (you can use a food processor if you are in a hurry).
Next, get out your vegan cashew cheese and use a tablespoon to measure out the size of each bite. Roll the cheese bites into balls and roll each cheese ball in the almond/cranberry mix until they are fully covered. Be sure to press the almond/cranberries into the cheese balls to make it stick. Store the cheese appetizers covered in the refrigerator until serving and enjoy.

Vegan Cashew Cheese

This delicious vegan cashew cheese is incredibly easy to make and goes well with everything. Made with cashew nuts, garlic, vinegar and lots of spices, it's rich, creamy and a complete crowd pleaser.

Simone – Munchyesta.com

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

1 cup Raw Unsalted Cashew Nuts
2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar or lemon juice
1 large clove Garlic Minced
1 tbsp Dried Oregano
2 tsp Dried Thyme
Pinch of salt
Pinch of Pepper
¼ cup Water add more if needed

Instructions

Soak the raw cashew nuts in water for at least 2 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can soak them in water overnight and they will be ready to cook in the morning.
Drain the water from the cashews and pour the cashews into a food processor along with the minced garlic, nutritional yeast, white vine vinegar, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper.
Pulse until the cashews are completely blended. Scrape down the sides in between blending.
Next, add water and pulse until the cashews are creamy and thick.
Pour the cashew cheese into a covered container and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.