These cassava balls are made with the cassava root vegetable which is boiled then mashed,seasoned and made into bite sized balls with a vegan cheese filling. They can be air fried or fried via stovetop – your choice and gluten free!
If you are looking for an appetiser or snack to nibble on throughout the day then you definitely need to make this.
An incredibly easy recipe to make and highly addictive too.
I love cassava, yes I said it! It’s one of those root vegetables that has slowly gained more recognition.
Especially with a lot of people who are transitioning to a number of grain free diets or simply embarking on a change in lifestyle.
Cassava, yucca or manioc is the same tuber root vegetable that is consumed in the Caribbean, Africa, South America and Asia.
From a Caribbean stand point, cassava is used to make bread, Jamaicans call it Bammy. You can make dessert with it i.e cassava pone, farine, mash or include it in your stew.
This recipe has a slightly different twist to how the majority of Caribbean people would prepare cassava.
My recipe is very much inspired by Bolinho De Macaxeira, a Brazilian snack with a meat and cheese filling.
It's a cross between a Cassava Dumpling and Fritter
My version is vegan and omits the use of eggs and has a more Caribbean flair to it. I tested the recipe in both the air fryer and stove top (frying it in a very small amount of oil).
Those of you who follow my recipes know I use very little oil when I fry food. A good example of this would be when I make fritters – Banana, pumpkin or saltfish or fry fish.
Having tried this recipe on the stove and in the air fryer, while both methods do work, I would say that frying them does have that slight edge in yielding more crispiness which I do tend to favour a bit more.
It’s really a matter of what you prefer. The recipe does give instructions on how to prepare it using either method.
The steps
- Bring a large saucepan with the cassava to the boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the cassava is tender and soft to prick with a fork (you will know when it is ready because the vegetable will change from opaque to translucent).
- Drain off all the water and discard the woody part that is in the centre (both fresh and frozen will have this).
- While the cassava is still hot, add the dairy free butter, paprika, thyme, black pepper, parsley, onion/garlic powder and pink salt.
- Use an immersion stick blender to break down the cassava pieces into a thick-ish mash. If you are struggling to do this then add a splash of water, a little at a time not too much or it will be too sticky.
- Once the mash is done, work it into a dough ball, if it feels too sticky then add some flour. Add the flour in increments (very very small amounts) while working the mash into pliable dough (it shouldn’t be too sticky nor too firm, just in between).
- Grab a small piece of the dough in the palm of your hand and fill the centre with cheese (you won't need more than a few pieces per ball)
- Cover the side with the exposed cheese pieces with the dough and roll it into a round ball using both hands and repeat this step.
- On medium heat, preheat a small frying pan with oil (I used no more than ¼ cup of oil).
- Place a few of the cheese balls in the pan and fry until golden (move the pan side to side/back and forth and use a spoon to baste the oil onto the cheese balls to cook them through evenly without using excess oil).
Air fryer pictures
- Dip and coat each ball in oil.
- Place them in the fryer basket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Note and tips
- This recipe works with both fresh and frozen cassava. I used frozen cassava which is easier to work with as you don’t need to peel it.
- I made about 18 cheese balls with this recipe.
- Do a taste test of the dough, you may want to add more seasoning just before shaping the balls.
- Cassava is known as yucca or manioc
- When forming the balls don’t over pack the filling, you want no more than a few small pieces of cheese.
- Make sure the dough isn’t sticky, it if too sticky then you are going to struggle with forming the balls. You can remedy this with adding some flour to firm things up.
- Make sure the cheese is directly in the centre when creating the balls and don’t make them too thin or the cheese will seep through when you’re cooking them especially air frying them.
- The size of the balls will vary, it’s okay that they don’t look the same
More Caribbean side dishes
Serving Sauces
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Cassava Balls (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 2 lb cassava I used frozen (1kg)
- 1 cup vegan cheese grated or chopped into very small square pieces (112g)
- 2 tablespoon dairy free butter (30g)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder (15g)
- 1 tablespoon garlic granules (15g)
- 1 tablespoon paprika (15g)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (15g)
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme stems removed
- 1 tablespoon black pepper (15g)
- ½ tablespoon pink salt or to taste (7.5g)
- gluten free flour see instructions
- olive oil for frying/dipping/coating see instructions
Instructions
Stovetop version
- Bring a large saucepan with the cassava to the boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the cassava is tender and soft to prick with a fork (you will know when it is ready because the vegetable will change from opaque to translucent).
- Drain off all the water and discard the woody part that is in the centre (both fresh and frozen will have this).
- While the cassava is still hot, add the dairy free butter, paprika, thyme, black pepper, parsley, onion/garlic powder and pink salt.
- Use an immersion stick blender to break down the cassava pieces into a thick-ish mash. If you are struggling to do this then add a splash of water, a little at a time not too much or it will be too sticky.
- Once the mash is done, work it into a dough ball, if it feels too sticky then add some flour. Add the flour in increments (very very small amounts) while working the mash into pliable dough (it shouldn’t be too sticky nor too firm, just in between).
- Grab a small piece of the dough in the palm of your hand and fill the centre with cheese (you won't need more than 3 pieces per ball)
- Cover the side with the exposed cheese pieces with the dough and roll it into a round ball using both hands and repeat this step.
- On medium heat, preheat a small frying pan with oil (I used no more than ¼ cup of oil).
- Place a few of the cheese balls in the pan and fry until golden (move the pan side to side/back and forth and use a spoon to baste the oil onto the cheese balls to cook them through evenly without using excess oil).
Air Fryer Version
- Follow the instructions above up until steps 8
- Preheat the air fryer (very important)
- Once the cheese balls have been formed, place some oil in a small bowl.
- Dip and coat each ball in oil.
- Place them in the fryer basket (make sure the basket is coated in oil too).
- Set the fryer to 180c/356f for 5-6 minutes, shake and rotate the fryer and check them often (very important).
- As soon as the cheese balls are golden remove them from the fryer, DO NOT over cook them or they will burst, flatten and the cheese will ooze out.
Notes
- This recipe works with both fresh and frozen cassava. I used frozen cassava which is easier to work with as you don’t need to peel it.
- I made about 18 cheese balls with this recipe.
- Do a taste test of the dough, you may want to add more seasoning just before shaping the balls.
- Cassava is known as yucca or manioc
- When forming the balls don’t over pack the filling, you want no more than a few small pieces of cheese.
- Make sure the dough isn’t sticky, it if too sticky then you are going to struggle with forming the balls. You can remedy this with adding some flour to firm things up.
- Make sure the cheese is directly in the centre when creating the balls and don’t make them too thin or the cheese will seep through when you’re cooking them especially air frying them.
- The size of the balls will vary, it’s okay that they don’t look the same
Karen
Hi, wondering if this can be made using cassava flour instead of from the whole root itself. Have you ever tried, and if so, how much flour would you recommend? Thanks
Charla
Hi Karen, My first attempt was with cassava flour and it wasn't too great. You do need the whole root for this recipe as it yields a much better texture. Using cassava flour instead of the root vegetable results in an awful gummy texture! Sorry, I hope that helps 🙂
Keish
These Cassava Balls are everything! I loved the idea from the minute I saw your post and knew I had to try making them. Such a great and creative idea for incorporating more root veg into your diet. The recipe is super easy to follow and it resulted in a beautiful snack that I will be making regularly from now on. Thank you Charla ❤
Charla
Thank you so much for your feedback and so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Frank Davies
Sounds very interesting. I have frozen packs of bammy not used because a family party at Christmas was cancelled - do you think I could work with those, and what would I have to do with them?
Charla
Hi Frank, No Bammy is the result of using cassava root, that recipe has been made already and cannot be moulded into anything else. I have a recipe for how to prepare and cook Bammy and I will post the recipe right here (see the section on how to cook it in the recipe card). You will need to defrost it, soak it in milk and cook it - fried or grill it. I hope that helps.