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    You are here: Home / Appetizers / Vegan Stuffed Phyllo Cigars

    LAST UPDATED: October 9, 2020 • FIRST PUBLISHED: October 9, 2020

    Vegan Stuffed Phyllo Cigars

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Stuffed Phyllo Cigars

    These irresistible phyllo cigars are stuffed with a mixture of Kalamata olives, fresh herbs and cashew cheese. A show-stopping appetizer that nobody would ever guess was vegan!

    Wooden Table Set with a Plate of Phyllo Cigars, Lemon Wedges and Olives, Water Glass, and Bunch of Scallions

    A word of caution if you decide to make these: they're stupidly addictive. Seriously. The recipe only makes a batch of 12 and they're kind of meant to be party food. That means you could easily put a big dent in your supply of pre-dinner snacks intended for your guests.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Consider making a double batch!

    ​​​​​​​What Are Phyllo Cigars?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Close Up of Phyllo Cigars Showing Cashew Cheese Filling

    Phyllo cigars are little baked phyllo tubes that are stuffed with...well, just about anything! They come in sweet and savory varieties with all kinds of surprises inside. But one thing that you'll rarely find is a vegan phyllo cigar.

    This recipe was the inspiration for my vegan phyllo cigars. I swapped out the feta with cashew cheese and took things up a notch by adding extra herbs. The result was delicious!

    What You'll Need​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Close Up of Olives and Phyllo Cigars Topped with Parsley on a Plate
    • Raw cashews
    • Water
    • Garlic
    • Lemon juice
    • Salt & pepper
    • Kalamata olives
    • Scallions
    • Fresh parsley
    • Fresh dill
    • Frozen phyllo
    • Olive oil
    • Unsweetened non-dairy milk

    How to Make Phyllo Cigars

    Refer to the following section for detailed instructions and tips, or scroll all the way to the bottom of the post if you'd like to skip to the recipe.

    Make the Filling

    You'll need to soak your cashews before getting started, preferably overnight.

    To make your filling, drain and rinse your cashews, and add them to a food processor bowl with some water, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Blend everything up until smooth and creamy!

    Now add your olives, herbs, and some black pepper. Briefly blend the mixture again to chop and mix everything up. Give the mixture a taste-test and make any adjustments you deem necessary.​​​​​​​

    Collage Showing 4 Stages of Blending Phyllo Cigar Filling in a Food Processor: Add Raw Cashews, Blend, Add Olives & Herbs, and Blend Again

    Make the Cigars

    If you're new to cooking with phyllo, know that it can be a little tricky! The sheets are super thin and easy to break. Have some extras on hand.

    You'll also want to get a damp towel ready. Use this to cover your stack of phyllo sheets as you work, to keep them from drying out.

    Fire up the oven and get a baking sheet ready!

    Spread a phyllo sheet on the counter with a short end facing you. Brush the top half with olive oil. Now fold it in half, gently smoothing out any air bubbles.

    Now brush one side of the folded sheet with oil, and fold it again. You'll end up with a four-layer phyllo rectangle.​​​​​​​

    Collage Showing Steps of Folding and Brushing Phyllo with Olive Oil for Making Stuffed Cigars

    Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of your filling in a line, about a half inch from one of the shorter sides of your rectangle, then tightly roll everything up.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Collage Showing 2 Steps of Filling Phyllo Cigars: Spoon Filling on Phyllo, and Roll

    Arrange your cigars on a baking sheet, seam-sides down, as you make them. Brush them all with some non-dairy milk before popping them in the oven.

    Hand Brushing Non-Dairy Milk on Phyllo Cigars

    Bake the cigars until they're browned and crispy. Let them cool for a few minutes before enjoying.

    Hand Grabbing a Phyllo Cigar from a Plate

    Phyllo Cigar Tips & FAQ

    • Can these cigars be made gluten-free? Yes, if you can find vegan and gluten-free phyllo dough. I'm not aware of any brands, but I did find this recipe that you can use to make your own.
    • Leftovers and storage: Leftover cigars will keep for about 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge. The phyllo won't stay super crispy, but they'll still taste delicious. You can get some degree of recrisping by popping them in 400°F degree oven for a few minutes.
    • Have some extra phyllo sheets on hand when you make these. I almost always break at least one!
    • Can I use roasted cashews to make these? I don't recommend it! Your filling will taste more like cashew butter and less like cheese. Raw cashews have a much more neutral flavor (roasting makes them taste nutty), so they work a lot better for making vegan cheese.
    • Did you forget to soak your cashews? Try boiling them for 15 minutes instead. And next time, soak and freeze some cashews (freeze them right in the soaking water), so you've always got what you need on hand.
    • Looking for more delicious vegan phyllo recipes? Try my vegan spanakopita or savory hand pies!

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Wooden Table Set with a Plate of Phyllo Cigars, Lemon Wedges and Olives, Water Glass, and Bunch of Scallions
    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    Vegan Stuffed Phyllo Cigars

    These irresistible phyllo cigars are stuffed with a mixture of Kalamata olives, fresh herbs and cashew cheese. A show-stopping appetizer that nobody would ever guess was vegan!

    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American, Greek
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Soak Time 4 hours
    Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 161 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
    • ⅓ cup water
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 garlic clove
    • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
    • ½ cup roughly chopped Kalamata olives
    • ¼ cup chopped scallions
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
    • Black pepper, to taste
    • 12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
    • ⅓ cup olive oil, or as needed
    • 2 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Place the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.

    2. Blend everything until smooth.

    3. Add the olives, scallions, parsley, and dill. Briefly blend again just until the ingredients are chopped and incorporated into the mixture.

    4. Taste-test the filling and season with salt and pepper to taste.

    5. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

    6. Place a phyllo sheet on a work surface, extending lengthwise away from you. Cover your remaining phyllo sheets with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

    7. Brush the top half of the sheet with olive oil, then fold the sheet in half, folding the bottom half over the top. Gently smooth out any air bubbles.

    8. Now brush the right or left side of the sheet with oil, and fold the sheet in half, over the oil-brushed half. Smooth out any bubbles.

    9. You'll now have a smaller phyllo rectangle oriented lengthwise away from you. Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of your filling in a line, about ½ inch from the edge of the rectangle closest to you.

    10. Roll the tube away from you to enclose the filling.

    11. Arrange the tube on a baking sheet, seam side down.

    12. Repeat the rolling process until all of the phyllo sheets and filling are used.

    13. Brush the tubes with non-dairy milk and place the baking sheet into the oven.

    14. Bake until the cigars are golden brown and crispy.

    15. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cigars to cool for a few minutes before serving.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Stuffed Phyllo Cigars
    Amount Per Serving (1 cigar)
    Calories 161 Calories from Fat 111
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12.3g19%
    Saturated Fat 2.1g11%
    Sodium 211mg9%
    Potassium 106mg3%
    Carbohydrates 11.3g4%
    Fiber 0.9g4%
    Sugar 0.7g1%
    Protein 2.9g6%
    Calcium 24mg2%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Cozy Thai Butternut Squash Curry
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Comments

    1. Justin Martin says

      October 14, 2020 at 11:42 pm

      5 stars
      I can't wait to try these and many others of your recipes. I recently subscribed for your email updates and they are all well made, look and sound delicious. 🙂 You are really a great cook/chef. 🙂

      Reply
    2. Elke Speliopoulos says

      November 27, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Made these as Thanksgiving appetizers yesterday. My Greek-American husband was over the moon.

      Reply
    3. Barb says

      December 07, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      I have not made these yet because we are not olive fans...is the taste strong in this recipe?
      Or do you have any suggestions what to substitute for the olives?They look delicious

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 08, 2020 at 8:53 am

        The olive taste it pretty strong. Some diced artichoke hearts or roasted red peppers might be nice as a substitute. Either way I'd taste text the mix in case you need to adjust any other seasonings - I'm thinking it might need some extra salt since olives are pretty salty. I'd love to hear how they turn out if you try one of these variations!

        Reply
        • Krinio says

          December 08, 2021 at 2:35 pm

          I really think sundried tomatoes (in Greece we have them preserved in oil as well, so they are pretty tender) would work nicely, in fact that's what I plan on trying tonight!

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            December 08, 2021 at 3:15 pm

            That sounds delicious! I hope you enjoy them!

            Reply
    4. elaine says

      March 06, 2021 at 11:27 am

      make this with home made phyllo. Its not difficult, is much cheaper than buying ready made phyllo sheets, tastes much better and is naturally vegan!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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