Vegan Ricotta Bonbons
Moreish and creamy, these vegan ricotta bonbons are simply irresistible!
Becoming a vegan definitely makes it harder to socialise around the festive season. Cheese and charcuterie platters are classic a party staple! Thankfully, many brands are now catering to the growing vegan market, increasing their range of plant based alternatives. Vegan cheeses however, can get a bit of a bad rap, as supermarket versions can tend to omit nuts (a common allergen) and contain saturated fats like coconut oil and stabilisers to get the optimal melty, cheesy texture.
If stabilised and solidified coconut oil doesn’t sound appetising, make these simple vegan ricotta bonbons at home! All the good stuff, none of the cholesterol and the perfect contribution to your next Christmas event. These little moreish bonbons are made with whole, recognisable ingredients, and enriched with probiotics. The slow ferment makes these full of live cultures, just like you would find in yogurt. They are also vegan and gluten free! The recipe requires a little planning ahead as the almonds will need at least 4 hours to soak, but the active time is minimal at just 30 minutes.
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photo #theculinarycartel on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Happy cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use roasted almonds?
This dish will only work with raw almonds
Vegan Ricotta Bonbons
- Total Time: 4 Hours
- Yield: 40 - 45 bonbons
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Moreish and creamy, these vegan ricotta bonbons are simply irresistible!
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched raw almonds
- 3/4 cup – 1 cup water
- 2 probiotic capsules
- 1tsp nutritional yeast
- salt to taste
Suggested toppings
- 50g Chopped roasted and salted pistachios. Finished on the plate with a vegan apple “honey” drizzle
- 8g cup chopped parsley, mixed with 1tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- 50g cup roasted walnuts, mixed with 20g chopped dried cranberries or cherries
Instructions
- Place the almonds in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for at least 4 hours in the fridge.
- Once the nuts have soaked, drain them, and place them in a food processor along with 3/4 of a cup of water, the nutritional yeast and the probiotics. Blend on high, adding up to another 1/4 cup of water, if the mixture struggles to blend, until the nuts have completely broken down (aka there are no whole nut pieces). Bear in mind that the nuts will never become a silky smooth paste and some texture is to be expected.
- Season the nut cheese to taste with a little salt. Pulse the food processor a few times to distribute the salt.
- Place a sieve over a large bowl, and line the sieve with a cheesecloth, a nut milk bag or an old T-shirt. Place the nut cheese into the lined sieve. Gather the material over the top of the cheese mixture until it is covered before placing a heavy object onto the cheese mix. The object will press down on the cheese mix, and allow any excess liquid to drain through the material, into the bowl below.
- Leave to culture in a warm place, like a sunroom or a cupboard next to the oven, for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours, so it gets light and aerated. Taste as you go until you are happy with the resulting cheese like tanginess. The warmer the place you leave it, the quicker it will culture. Dont pop the cheese into a heated oven as temps at that level will kill the cultures.
- If you are making our full Christmas menu, be sure to save 1/2 – 3/4 of a cup of vegan cheese for your Crispy Sweet Potato Bites!
- To finish, pick one or all of the toppings above. If you decide to do 3 flavouring as we did, you can reduce the amount needed.
- You can either roll the mixture into balls or get really fancy and quenelle them with two spoons. You can find a step by step guide on how to quenelle, here. Don’t be put off, after the first 2 you will quickly get the hang of it.
- Once you have portioned out the almond cheese bonbons into your desired shape, scatter the toppings onto a plate and mix to combine.
- Roll the bonbons in your topping of choice. At this point, you can pop them in the fridge, where they will last 4-5 days, or you can serve them immediately! I like to serve the pistachio flavour with a drizzle of vegan honey
- Enjoy with crackers or vegetable crisps. Turn the platter into a cheese board with the addition of some grapes and preserves.
- Category: Christmas
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 59.95kcal
- Sugar: 0.84g
- Sodium: 26.36mg
- Fat: 5.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.43g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.49g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2.33g
- Fiber: 0.98g
- Protein: 2.04g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
