Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball
This vegan jalapeño popper cheese ball is super easy: no soaking or blending required! Just 10 minutes of prep time, and it’s ready in about 30 minutes. Perfect for parties with veggies or crackers. (Gluten free, soy free option)
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Cheese Ball
- 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt
- 1 tablespoon brine from the pickled jalapeño jar
- 1 teaspoon mellow white miso or chickpea miso, for soy-free
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeños or more, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños or more, to taste
For the Optional Coating
- 1/4 teaspoon extra virgin oil for brushing, approximate
- paprika or smoked paprika
- nutritional yeast
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, add the non-dairy yogurt, brine, miso, and oil. Mix really well until the miso fully mixes in. Then add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt, and mix again until well combined. Mix in the fresh and pickled jalapeños. Then, add in the almond flour, and mix well, pressing to break down any lumps from the almond flour. The mixture should become nicely homogeneous and sticky. You don’t want it to be too dry. If it is, add a bit more brine from the jalapeño jar and another few teaspoons of non-dairy yogurt. Mix everything well and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the almond flour to absorb the moisture. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 225° F (108° C).
- Wet or grease your hands, bring the dough together, and shape it into a ball. Place the ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet or small, lined baking dish. Brush the surface with a little oil and sprinkle with paprika and nutritional yeast. This is optional, but it adds nice flavor to the cheese ball. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the outside of the ball feels dry. Remove from the oven, and your cheese ball is ready. Make your platter, and place the warm cheese ball in the center. Top with fresh jalapeños or a drizzle of olive oil, if you like, and enjoy.
Video
Notes
You can substitute vegan cream cheese in place of the non-dairy yogurt. If using vegan cream cheese, you'll need to add a bit of water or stock to soften the texture, so it resembles yogurt before mixing it in.
If you want to add even more flavor, you can add 1/4 teaspoon each of prepared Dijon mustard and crushed red pepper flakes to the dough mixture.
I like to serve this with extra fresh and pickled jalapeños on the side, along with veggies and crackers, so people can adjust the heat to their preference.
This recipe is gluten-free. It’s soy-free, if you use soy-free chickpea miso and soy-free non-dairy yogurt.
Nutrition
Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 292mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg