Carrageenan Free Vegan Watermelon Bites with Cashew Feta
Sweet, juicy watermelon topped with a tangy, creamy cashew feta is one of those combinations that sounds unexpected but tastes absolutely inevitable. The "feta" here is made entirely from soaked raw cashews blended with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast — no dairy, no store-bought vegan cheese with questionable additives, just whole ingredients you can actually pronounce. That matters a lot when you're avoiding carrageenan, a thickener commonly used in commercial plant-based cheeses and dairy alternatives to achieve that smooth, spreadable texture. By making the cashew feta from scratch, you sidestep that concern entirely while still getting something genuinely rich and satisfying. A drizzle of balsamic glaze, a scatter of fresh mint, and a pinch of flaky sea salt pull everything together into a bite that feels elegant enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a weeknight snack. Chilling the cashew mounds before assembling gives them just enough structure to sit beautifully on each watermelon cube without sliding off. It's the kind of appetizer that disappears fast and always gets asked about.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the cashew feta
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 4 hours, then drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
For the bites
- 6 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 24 pieces)
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn or thinly sliced
- 1–2 tbsp balsamic glaze, for drizzling
- flaky sea salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, then add them to a food processor along with the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, water, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder. Process for 2–3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and creamy with no visible cashew pieces.
- 2
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, drop the cashew feta mixture in rough 1-teaspoon mounds onto the prepared baking sheet — you should get about 24 mounds. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the mounds are firm enough to handle.
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