BHA & BHT Free Dairy Free Cashew Cheese Ball
Creamy, tangy, and studded with a gorgeous pecan-and-herb crust, this plant-based cheese ball is the kind of appetizer that disappears fast at any gathering. Soaked raw cashews blended with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar create a surprisingly rich, cheesy base — no dairy required and no synthetic preservatives like BHA or BHT anywhere in sight. Every ingredient here is whole and recognizable, which is exactly what you want when you're trying to avoid the additives that sneak into so many packaged snack foods and store-bought dips. The smoked paprika and garlic powder give it real depth, while the fresh chives and parsley in the coating keep things bright and vibrant. A couple of hours in the fridge firms it up beautifully, so it holds its shape when you roll it through the chopped pecans and set it on a board. Serve it with crackers or sliced vegetables and watch it become the centerpiece of the spread — nobody will miss the dairy, and nobody needs to know how simple it was to make.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the cheese ball
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours, then drained
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 2–3 tbsp water, as needed
For the coating
- ¾ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
For serving
- crackers or sliced vegetables, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Soak the cashews in enough cold water to cover by 2 inches for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight), then drain and rinse well.
- 2
Add the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika to a food processor. Process for 3–4 minutes, scraping down the sides every minute, until the mixture is very smooth and creamy with no visible cashew pieces. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed to help the mixture blend — it should be thick enough to hold a shape, not pourable.
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