Jalapeño Vegan Cheese Dough Balls

ingredients

For the Dough

• 350g store-bought pizza dough or
• 1 batch homemade pizza dough
• 3 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1 pack yeast
• 1 1⁄3 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons oil

For the Glaze

• 100g vegan butter, room temperature or melted
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• ⅛ tsp asafoetida
• 1 tsp basil
• ¼ tsp salt

For the Filling

• ¾ cup vegan shredded mozzarella
• ¼ cup vegan cream cheese
• 10–15 pickled jalapeños, chopped

For the Pan

• Oil or vegan butter, for greasing

Optional for Serving

• Marinara sauce

instructions

1. If using store-bought dough, take it out of the fridge at least 1 hour before using so it can come to room temperature. This makes it much easier to stretch and shape.
2. If making the dough from scratch, add the yeast and sugar to a bowl. Pour in the warm water and stir gently. I usually get the right temperature by mixing 1 cup hot water with ⅓ cup cold water. Set aside for 5–10 minutes, until the yeast looks fizzy and frothy on top.
3. In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, and oil, then give it a good mix.
4. Once the yeast mixture is frothy, slowly pour it into the flour mixture and bring everything together until you have a sticky-ish dough ball.
5. Sprinkle a little flour onto your worktop and knead the dough for a few minutes, stretching and folding it until it feels smoother and more elastic.
6. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil, place the dough inside, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Leave it in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
7. Preheat the oven to 400°F for at least 30–40 minutes before baking.
8. Make the glaze by mixing the vegan butter, chopped parsley, asafoetida, basil, and salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
9. Make the filling by mixing the vegan shredded mozzarella, vegan cream cheese, and chopped pickled jalapeños in a bowl. If the cheese feels too firm, let it sit at room temperature for a little while so it softens enough to press together.
10. Shape the filling into small balls, using about 1 tsp of filling for each dough ball. Place the filling balls in the freezer for 10–15 minutes so they firm up. This makes them much easier to wrap with dough.
11. Once the homemade dough has risen, or once the store-bought dough has come to room temperature, divide it into 40g portions.
12. Take one piece of dough and flatten it into a small circle in your palm.
13. Place one chilled cheese-jalapeño ball in the center. Wrap the dough around the filling, pinching the edges together firmly to seal so the cheese doesn’t leak out. Roll gently into a smooth ball.
14. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
15. Grease a cast iron skillet or baking dish with oil or vegan butter.
16. Place the dough balls into the skillet or baking dish. Keep them snug together if you want that pull-apart, family-style feel.
17. Brush the dough balls generously with the buttery glaze, reserving about 1 tbsp to pour over after baking.
18. Bake on the middle shelf for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
19. Remove from the oven and pour over the reserved buttery glaze.
20. Serve hot, ideally straight from the oven, with marinara sauce on the side if you like.
21. Sprinkle a little love, say a prayer of gratitude, and eat with joy.

notes

• Chilling the filling makes the dough balls much easier to seal and helps keep the cheese inside while baking.
• Seal the dough really well by pinching the edges together, otherwise the filling may leak out.
• Letting store-bought dough come to room temperature makes it softer and less likely to spring back when shaped.
• If using vegan cream cheese, the filling will be softer. Freezing it before filling is especially helpful.
• For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pizza dough and check that your vegan cheese is gluten-free.
• These are best served hot, while the dough is soft and the filling is warm.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warm and soft again.
• Dietary note — Vegan: if using vegan butter and vegan cheese | Gluten-Free: ❌ as written / ✅ if using gluten-free pizza dough | Nut-Free: ❌ if using cashew-based vegan cheese / ✅ if using nut-free vegan cheese