Fruit-and-Cheese Skewers with Jalapeño Honey

By Julia Heffelfinger

March 4, 2022

Fruit-and-Cheese Skewers with Jalapeño Honey

Image credit: Julia Heffelfinger for Clean Plates

These crowd-pleasing skewers use Daiya’s new dairy-free Jalapeño Havarti and Medium Cheddar cheese with whatever ripe, juicy fruit you can get your hands on. We like to include a rainbow of different fruits like citrus and berries, in addition to more tropical fruits like kiwi, mango, pineapple, or dragon fruit. For a final flourish, we drizzle the skewers with a homemade hot honey with candied jalapeños and a bit of flaky sea salt. These skewers make for a delicious sweet and savory cocktail party bite, a starter for a weekend brunch, or a healthy dessert. Plus, they’re completely dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-fat.

Image credit: Julia Heffelfinger for Clean Plates

Fruit-and-Cheese Skewers with Jalapeño Honey

SERVES

Makes about 30 skewers

PREP TIME

35 min

COOK TIME

05 min

Ingredients

1 cup honey

1 large jalapeño or 1 serrano peppers, thinly sliced

Pinch of kosher salt

One 7-ounce block Daiya Jalapeño Havarti, cut into ½-inch cubes, at room temperature

One 7-ounce block Daiya Medium Cheddar, cut into ½-inch cubes, at room temperature

3 kiwis, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

2 oranges, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1 pint raspberries

1/2 pint blueberries

Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the honey, jalapeño, and a pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Scrape the jalapeño honey into a small, heat-proof jar and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, using 5-inch wooden skewers, alternate the Daiya “cheeze” cubes and cubed fresh fruit, such as strawberries, grapes, pineapple, kiwi and melon. Use two “cheeze” cubes per skewer. Arrange on a platter.

Drizzle the jalapeño honey over the skewers and garnish with the candied jalapeño slices. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.

This recipe works best with thinner skewers, and bringing the cheese to room temp helps to keep it from splitting apart.