Light, sweet, and filled with creamy goodness, our Deviled Fruit with Farmer Cheese is sure to be the fan favorite at your next party or gathering. Resembling the same culinary creativity behind deviled eggs, this fruit version is a lighter, sweeter alternative that can be served as an appetizer, snack, or replacement for heavy desserts.
To make this recipe, we hollowed out kiwis and strawberries before filling them with a mixture of protein-rich Lifeway Farmer Cheese and slightly sweet, nutty almond butter. This filling is packed with nutrients, it’s easy to prepare, and best of all, it can be made on the fly if you’re short on time.
Kiwis and strawberries are both rich in vitamin C and offer gut-healthy plant fiber that supports a healthy microbiome. They’re easy to cut open and use in this recipe since their flesh is firm and holds up well to the filling, but feel free to experiment with other fruits if you prefer.
Our cultured farmer cheese is also an excellent food for gut health, as it contains five strains of live and active probiotics that support your microbiome from the inside out. And, best of all, the protein in farmer cheese is a terrific ingredient for appetizers since it helps keep you full and supports your muscles and bones, all while you enjoy a healthy treat!
Find Lifeway Farmer Cheese in a store near you here, and try this recipe with us for your next gathering or just to enjoy as a snack at home.
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with a variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese,a creamy, high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and a healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 15 minutes Servings: 20 piecesIngredients
Farmer Cheese Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups Farmer Cheese
- 1/4 cup raw almond butter
- optional: 1 tsp. raw honey and 1/2 tsp. vanilla if you want it sweeter
Fruit:
- 4 green kiwis, peeled and cut in half lengthwise*
- 6 fresh, large strawberries cut in half lengthwise (remove the leaves if desired)
Topping:
- 1/4 cup diced kiwis (from about 2 whole kiwis)
- 1/4 cup diced strawberry pieces (from about 2-3 large strawberries)
- low sugar granola of choice or sliced almonds as a garnish
Directions
- Make the filling: Add Lifeway Farmer Cheese, almond butter, and honey and vanilla if using to a food processor, then blend until creamy. Fill a piping bag with this mixture and set aside; if you do not have a piping bag, set aside and see directions below.
- Make the deviled fruit: Scoop out the insides of the kiwis and strawberries to hollow them out for the filling. You can save the fruit you cut out for a smoothie or use it to make the diced fruit for the toppings below.
- Fill each piece of hollowed fruit with the filling from step 1. If you do not have a piping bag, simply scoop a bit with a spoon into each piece of fruit and fill the best you can.
- Add the diced fruit toppings to each piece of filled fruit and any garnishes you want to use. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve, then enjoy!
- *Green kiwis are firmer than yellow kiwis, so we used the green ones to hold the filling for the best results.
