Cashew cheese & fig balls

Plant based, nutritious and healthy and made with just a few ingredients, these cashew cheese & fig balls are sure to delight. 

If you are dairy free or not these cashew cheese & fig balls will make a delicious accompaniment to any cheese board served with fresh sourdough bread or crunchy crackers.

Did you know despite being convenient and a good alternative for people looking to move from dairy to plant based, lots of plant based cheeses are highly processed. Many contain a high amount of coconut oil, preservatives, artificial flavours, and over 10 ingredients. Equally many are made without nuts at all providing no protein and minimal nutrition.

These cashew cheese & fig balls contain only two main ingredients, cashew nuts and organic figs, plus some pantry staples creating a healthy and nutritious alternative to store bought processed plant based cheeses or dairy cheeses.

You can adapt the recipe to increase quantities to make more, or add your own additions of herbs and garlic, the choice is yours.

At Feeling Wholesome, Julian and I love to share a delicious plant based grazing board complete with these gorgeous cashew & fig cheese served with fresh grapes, crunchy crackers and a handful of fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

Makes 6 small balls or one large.

  • 100g cashews – soaked for 60 minutes
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 0.5 Tsp smoked paprika
  • Pinch of salt & pepper
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 1 organic dried fig 

Topping

  • 3 Tbsp seeds – eg pepitas, sunflower
  • 1 organic dried fig or cranberries or blueberries (optional)
  • Dusting of smoked paprika 

Step 1.

Soak cashews in water for 60 minutes then drain.

Step 2.

Place cashews, dried fig, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, salt & pepper, lemon juice and water to a high speed blender. 

Step 3.

Blend well adding more water to make a smooth consistency.

Step 4.

Pour mixture from the blender into a bowl and roll into 6 small balls. Alternatively you make like to make one big ball.

Step 5.

Roll the cashew cheese & fig balls into the nuts adding a small piece fig on top.

Step 6.

Cover each ball with a light dusting of smoked paprika and chill for an hour.

These cashew & fig cheese balls will last in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Enjoy x