Walnut and Fig Balls with Cinnamon and Honey

Middle Eastern Xerophagy Published April 11, 2026

These are the sweet, dense, energy-packed bites that get you through the long services of Holy Week when your body is running on nothing. Dried figs and walnuts pressed together with honey and cinnamon — no cooking, no heat, nothing but your hands and a bowl. They taste like something a monk in the Judean desert would have carried in his pouch, because that is more or less what they are.

The figs provide the binding — their natural stickiness holds everything together without any cooked element. The walnuts give substance and fat. The honey is both sweetener and glue. Roll a batch on Sunday evening and they will carry you through the week.

FASTING LEVEL: Xerophagy (the strictest level — no cooked food, no oil, no wine)
SERVINGS: 12 balls (about 4 servings)
TIME: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup dried figs (about 8-10 large), stems removed, roughly chopped
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds, for rolling

METHOD

1. Place the walnuts in a bowl and crush them with your hands or the bottom of a jar until broken into small, uneven pieces. Do not pulverize — you want texture, not powder.

2. Add the chopped figs to the walnuts. Work them together with your hands, pressing and kneading until the fig stickiness begins to bind the mixture. This takes 2-3 minutes of firm squeezing.

3. Add the honey, cinnamon, cloves if using, and salt. Continue kneading until everything is uniformly combined and the mixture holds together when pressed.

4. Pinch off tablespoon-sized portions and roll firmly between your palms into balls. If the mixture is too dry, add another teaspoon of honey. If too sticky, wet your hands slightly.

5. Spread the sesame seeds on a plate and roll each ball in them until coated.

6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating — they firm up and the flavors meld. Store in an airtight container.

NOTES

- These keep for two weeks in the refrigerator and actually improve after the first day as the honey soaks into the figs.
- The fig-and-nut combination appears in ancient monastic texts as a standard xerophagy provision. This is not a modern "energy ball" trend — it is genuinely old food.
- Swap walnuts for raw almonds or a mixture of both. Dates can replace half the figs for a sweeter, stickier result.
- Two or three of these with a cup of water is a legitimate xerophagy meal. Calorie-dense and portable.