Stuffed Baked Figs with Vegan Cream Cheese

It is fig season again! Let’s make one of the greatest possible fig desserts out there. Baked figs stuffed with cheese! But not any cheese: These figs are filled with a deliciously creamy vegan cashew cheese, so the recipe is completely cruelty-free! Altogether, this dessert is super easy to make, looks like a fancy Michelin star recipe, and it tastes delicious. This recipe is perfect for a date night or as a special treat to enjoy after dinner! 

Ingredients you need for making stuffed baked figs:

• Fresh figs
• Vegan cashew cream cheese 
• Sugar beet syrup
• Lavender 
• Hazelnuts 
• Cane sugar
• Salt & pepper to season
• Optional: fresh oregano 

The star of the dish is the figs. I have mine fresh and ripe, picked right from my grandparent’s garden. I’d recommend going with really nice and ripe figs. They have such a great natural sweetness. It’s best if they are at a stage where they still keep their shape. Otherwise, they might fall apart when baking them. 

Next, you need to have vegan cheese to fill the figs with! Don’t worry if this sounds intimidating. This vegan cashew cream cheese is super quick and easy to make and tastes delicious. It works well for a lot of other dishes as well. You can have it on bread, bagels, as a dip, or use it to make sauces for your pasta. You can even use it as a topping to make delicious lasagna! Also, it keeps well in the fridge and can be frozen, so make yourself a nice batch! 

Next, I like to add a layer of sweetness to this recipe. I am using sugar beet syrup today. It has deep, earthy, and caramel notes that harmonize well with this recipe. Alternatively, you can also try molasses or a bit of maple syrup. 

To take the dish to the next level, I am adding some dried lavender and fresh oregano. It can be hard to get your hands on, but it is worth the flavor. They add these fantastic floral notes. If you can’t get your hands on those, you might try something like dried sage. 

Lastly, for some additional texture and nutty flavors I included toasted hazelnuts. You can also opt for almonds or walnuts if you prefer. 

Stuffed baked figs with vegan cream cheese recipe: 

Once you have the cashew cream cheese on hand, this recipe is super straightforward. You can already preheat your oven to 400°F (200° Celsius) 

Firstly, give the figs a thorough wash. It is perfectly fine to eat the peel. It will turn nice and soft after baking. Therefore, it is important to have the figs clean. Next, cut your hazelnuts. I went for bigger pieces for texture, so I approximately cut each nut in half. 

Next, I like to cut the bottom of the figs so they can stand upright. Also, discard their stems. Now, you can cut a quarter insertion about ½ through the fig. 

Place the figs on the baking sheet. Open them up slightly using the insertions you cut, and stuff them with the vegan cream cheese. Give them a crack of black pepper and a pinch of cane sugar before placing them in the oven. Broil them for 10-15 minutes. The figs and the cheese should have caramelized nicely. 

While the figs are in the oven, you can toast the hazelnuts. I toasted mine without oil at medium temperature. Be careful not to burn them. 

Now, you can plate the figs. I like to make a little base with molasses or the sweetener of your choice, on which I place the figs. Then, I finished the stuffed figs with a pinch of dried lavender each and a few fresh oregano leaves for garnishing. 

And that’s all there is to this stuffed baked fig recipe. As you can see, these stuffed figs are quick and easy to make once you have the ingredients on hand. And they are a truly impressive dessert! 

Let me know what you think in the comments, and enjoy! 

Some more recipe recommendations: 

• German baked apple
• Lavender milk tea
• Fig chutney recipe
• Fig crostini with vegan cream cheese
• Roasted fig couscous salad with almonds
• German Schmalzgebäck
• Vegan creme brûlée

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