Vegan snowman cheese ball

Holiday parties and Christmas gatherings are a great time to bring out the cute.

And what could be cuter than this adorable little snowman cheese ball?

He’s made of tofu cheese and all piled up with caper eyes and a carrot nose. Ready for whatever December throws at him. (I’m betting it will be crackers.)

This tofu cheese has umami from white miso paste, tang from lemon juice, cheesiness from nutritional yeast flakes, and nuttiness from tahini.

It is the same base as my tofu ricotta recipe. However, instead of blending until crumbly, this version is blended until smooth in the food processor. That way it’s easy to roll into balls and form into a snowman.

(For more snowman food ideas, check out this melted snowman soup.)

In this post:

For the cheese

Super firm tofu: Choose a 16-ounce package of super firm tofu that’s vacuum packed. It’s ideal, because it doesn’t need to be pressed first. Just crumble it straight into the food processor.

I usually buy it at Trader Joe’s. It’s one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products. You can also find Wildwood brand at natural grocery stores.

(If you only have access to water-packed tofu, check out the notes section of the recipe card for instructions on how to use it in this recipe.)

White miso paste: This fermented soybean paste adds salt and umami. Look for it in tubs near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

Nutritional yeast flakes: This inactive yeast adds cheesy flavor & umami. Look for it in natural grocery stores, online, or at Trader Joe’s.

Lemon juice: This adds tang. Freshly squeezed offers the best flavor.

Tahini: This sesame seed butter adds richness. Look for it near other nut butters or by Mediterranean ingredients in the grocery store. Soom and Seed + Mill are my favorite brands.

Salt: A little salt heightens the flavors & adds to the cheesiness of this spread.

For the garnishes

Capers: Look for these brined flower buds in jars near artichoke hearts or olives in the center aisles of the grocery store or online.

Veggies: Carrot & bell pepper. You don’t need much here – just small slivers for the snowman nose & mouth.

Pretzel sticks: These make up the arms of the snowman. Or you can replace with rosemary sprigs.

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make the recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Put the following into a food processor:

• Super firm tofu
• White miso paste
• Nutritional yeast flakes
• Lemon juice
• Tahini
• Salt

Process at a low speed until smooth, stopping occasionally to stir & scrape down the sides.

Once it is evenly incorporated, use your hands to scoop out a handful of tofu cheese.

Roll it into a ball. Set it aside and make two more.

Make the first ball the largest for the base, a middle sized one for the center, and the smallest one for the head.

(The snowman can be whatever size you wish. For the purposes of this post, my snowman was about four inches tall in total.)

Stack the three balls on top of each other to make the snowman cheese ball. Place on a platter with crackers or crostini for serving.

You can make this snowman your own by varying the vegan cheese or decorations.

• Instead of tofu cheese, make almond cheese balls.
• Add to the tofu cheese with flavorful ingredients like minced garlic, fresh or dried basil, granulated onion, or sun-dried tomatoes. (Keep in mind that some of those ingredients will affect the white color.)
• Instead of capers for eyes and buttons, use peppercorns, sliced olives, or blueberries.
• Instead of sliced carrot for a nose, use a tiny wedge of vegan cheddar block.
• Instead of a bell pepper for a mouth, use a slice of cherry tomato, sun-dried tomato, or several peppercorns.
• Add a thin long slice of cucumber or carrot for a scarf.

Absolutely!

The tofu cheese is already gluten free and oil free.

So the key is making sure you use gluten free and oil free pretzel sticks for the arms, or use rosemary sprigs.

Yes!

If you’d prefer a soy free cheese, use my almond cheese balls recipe instead.

The almond cheese recipe is made with a base of blanched almonds. It has a lovely tangy flavor from olive brine, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Just skip the part of the recipe where the balls are breaded & fried. Roll them into three varying sizes, and form into a snowman.

Keep in mind that while tofu cheese can be used right away, the almond-based cheese needs time to firm in the refrigerator before rolling into balls. Plan accordingly.

This mildly flavored cheese goes well with any number of charcuterie-style accoutrement.

It can be used with sweet or savory pairings.

Serve it with any of the following:

• Flavored crackers (Rosemary is especially nice)
• Toasted crostini
• Toasted bagels
• Pretzels
• Crudités
• Olives
• Pickles
• Pear or apple slices
• Berries
• Vegan deli slices
• Candied pecans

You will definitely have more tofu cheese than you need for one snowman.

However, it’s easier to use a whole package of tofu, rather than trying to weigh & divide it into smaller portions.

You can make a bunch of snowmen with the extra. (Of course, you’ll need more snowman decorations like capers and pretzel sticks.)

You can roll the cheese balls in toppings for a vegan cheese balls holiday wreath.

Or you can use any remaining tofu cheese as a spread on its own, smear it on bagel sandwiches, or use it in lasagna.

Yes!

This is a great appetizer to make ahead of time. It keeps well in the refrigerator in a covered container for about 4 days.

You may want to decorate it just before serving, though, so that the decorative pieces don’t get dried out. Carrot sometimes browns a little over time once cut.