Cheddar Fig Honey Bites

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Cheddar Fig Honey Bites are a delicious, quick and easy snack. Gluten free and full of flavors, these bite-sized treats will be a hit at your next party.

This is an unsponsored, unpaid post. I received complimentary product, but the opinions are mine alone.

I’m on a mission to create more appetizer recipes on the blog. In 5 years of blogging, 99% of my recipes are main course dishes. I do have some sides, but I’ve only done two appetizers, and both were in the past few months:

• Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms
• Baked Spicy Honey Chicken Wings

I don’t even have a good reason to not have more appetizers. I love to entertain, and appetizers are a great way to feed guests in a casual atmosphere. Appetizers are easy to eat, and it allows me to prepare a variety of items rather than a meal. I have quite a few appetizers in my arsenal, and it’s high time that I begin to share them on the blog.

I recently received a Cheesy Shipment, an assortment of Cabot cheddar cheese.

I’m a huge cheese fan, and am always on the lookout for new types and varieties. I’ve only ever seen Extra Sharp cheddar at my local grocery store, so I was excited to learn about all the available varieties. This is only a portion of what Cabot cheese offers! If you love cheese as much as I do, then you need to check out all of their cheeses.

I normally eat cheese plain as a snack, or in macaroni & cheese. But with all this new cheese to try, I need to branch out with more recipes. This was the perfect opportunity to create a fun appetizer. Some creativity and inspiration later, I had Cheddar Fig Honey Bites.

INGREDIENTS TO BUILD CHEDDAR FIG HONEY BITES

• Almond Nut-Thin crackers 
• Fresh basil
• Cabot Chipotle cheddar cheese
• Valley Growers fig spread
• Raw honey
• Cherry or grape tomatoes (optional)

I found the Nut-Thins at Sprouts Farmer’s Market. I’d never seen the crackers before, but they were on sale so I figured that was a sign for me to try them. Plus, my friend Kara has been on me to make gluten free recipes, and Nut-Thins are gluten and wheat free. The first order of business was to taste test the crackers, before making the Cheddar Fig Honey Bites. Man, I’ve been missing out! The crackers have a great crunch and mild flavor. Smokehouse is one of four flavor varieties.

I planned to make the Cheddar Fig Honey Bites last Saturday, then lost my inspiration to do a whole photo setup and decided to wait a day. Since I was already in a cheese mode, I made macaroni & cheese with the Chipotle cheddar. The mac & cheese was so good, I knew I needed to take the plunge and make the Cheddar Fig Honey Bites.

A GLUTEN FREE APPETIZER

Yes, Cheddar Fig Honey Bites are gluten free. I had to research gluten content in cheese, and learned that real cheese is indeed gluten free. When I first saw gluten free items starting to pop up on the market I thought they would taste different so I was hesitant to taste them. But I quickly realized that was not true. Whether you follow a gluten free lifestyle or not, you can–and will–enjoy these Cheddar Fig Honey Bites.

When I have to talk myself into doing a recipe and photos for the blog, the results don’t always work out well, so I was hesitant until I took the first bite. I had nothing to worry about, because I definitely hit it out of the park with these Cheddar Fig Honey Bites. The crunch of the crackers, the bold bite of Chipotle cheddar, and the sweetness of the fig spread and honey play so well off of each other. The Chipotle cheddar cheese has a definite kick, but it’s not overwhelming or too spicy. If you don’t like spicy, then use a milder variety. The options are completely up to you.

I made a few extra Cheddar Fig Honey Bites to eat while I took the pictures. And I ate every single one myself. Don’t judge.

I received a jar of the fig spread a few weeks ago, and created Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze. This was my first recipe using fig spread, and one of the first times I even ate it. I loved the combination of fig and honey, and knew it would work well for these Cheddar Fig Honey Bites. You only need a dollop of the fig spread on each cracker, and the final touch is a drizzle of raw honey on top.

I actually didn’t plan to use basil or tomatoes for the Cheddar Fig Honey Bites. But when I began to put them together, I realized I needed color. I added a large basil leaf on each cracker. I have tons of fresh basil in my garden, and I can’t use it fast enough. The basil adds such a wonderful punch of flavor and vibrant color. Then I decided to add grape tomatoes, because I had some that I needed to use up. The tomato bursts in your mouth, and adds a nice bite.

The best part about Cheddar Fig Honey Bites? They’re ready to go in just minutes. You can make them a couple of hours ahead of time, and put them in the fridge. Take them out about 15 minutes before serving, so they return to room temperature. Definitely make a lot of these Cheddar Fig Honey Bites, because they won’t last long.