A creamy vegan cheese log coated in crunchy pecans and fresh herbs is perfect for holiday parties served with crackers and veggies. This recipe is super easy, delicious, and versatile! (gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free options)

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 70 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: Holiday

Ingredients

For the Cheese Log

  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 15 minutes (preferably 1 hour))
  • 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour (or use more tapioca starch for gluten-free)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1½ tablespoons lemon juice (or juice from ½ lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon white miso (or chickpea miso for soy-free)
  • ½ teaspoon tomato paste
  • ¼ teaspoon dried sage
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup water (or stock)

For the Coating

  • ¼ cup pecans (or more, to taste)
  • 2 to 3 sprigs green onion
  • 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • handful of fresh basil (or other herbs of choice, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, oregano, etc.)
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method

  1. Soak the cashews, if you haven’t already. Drain the cashews and add them to a blender with all the cheese log ingredients. Blend for one minute, then let the mixture sit for five minutes. Blend again for 30 seconds, and check the texture. It should be creamy with no gritty cashew pieces. If it’s still grainy, blend again for another 30 seconds to a minute until completely smooth.
  2. Heat a medium to large skillet over medium heat, and add the blended cheese mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to bubble and thicken. It will get lumpy at first. Just keep stirring, and it will smooth out and thicken evenly. Once the mixture has thickened evenly, turn off the heat and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the skillet off of the stove.
  3. Scoop the cheese mixture into a bowl or shape it in the middle of the skillet into a rough log shape. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to help it firm up a little bit.
  4. Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until they start to smell roasted. Remove from the heat and coarsely chop. Coarsely chop all the fresh herbs and green onions, as well. Mix the pecans and herbs on the cutting board, and chop them together, so they are evenly mixed. Then, add the paprika, and red pepper flakes and mix in.
  5. Remove the chilled vegan cheese log from the fridge. Grease your hands lightly, remove the cheese from the skillet or bowl, and shape it into a smooth log of your preferred size. Roll the log in the pecan-herb mixture until all sides are evenly coated.
  6. Transfer the vegan cheese log to a serving tray or board. Serve with crackers, crisps, carrots, celery, apple slices, cucumber, or other vegetables. It also pairs beautifully with nuts, spicy jams, or chutneys, if you want to use it on a vegan cheese board.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.