These Sweet Potato Appetizer Bites are so easy to put together and make a healthy, flavor packed appetizer your whole family will enjoy any night of the week. Made with tender roasted sweet potatoes, a creamy basil cashew cream and peppery arugula, this appetizer is sure to please even your pickiest eaters.
I shared a snapshot of this recipe a few weeks ago on my Instagram page and everyone went WILD for this recipe. My Instagram folks have been begging me to post this ASAP so today I’m sharing these adorable Roasted Sweet Potato Appetizer Bites, which double as a snack or a light lunch.
Sweet potatoes, which are naturally sweet without any sugar needed, take this recipe to the next level. It’s a quick recipe to make and is surely a crowd pleaser whether you’re entertaining for a group of people or just for your family.
I think these little bites are ideal for a cool winter afternoon or evening when you’re in the mood for something hearty and warm and comforting but not too heavy to make you feel like there’s a bomb in your belly. I know that feeling all too well and I’m sure many of you do, as well!
I topped these Roasted Sweet Potato Bites with a dairy-free cream for a touch of flavor and of course, creaminess! The Cashew Basil Cream is a mix between a hummus and yogurt consistency and it tasted delicious. Naturally sweet from a touch of fresh basil, these Bites are surely healthy comfort food for your body that you won’t feel guilty about eating!
The steps are fairly simple as you can see from the images above (raw sweet potato slices laid out on a baking sheet pre-baked and then roasted sweet potato slices laid out on a baking sheet post baking) followed by the roasted sweet potato slices image below with the Cashew Basil Cream on top. These images will help you follow along so you have an idea of what the steps look like.
If you’re not a fan of fresh basil, no worries. You can easily use fresh cilantro or tarragon if desired. However, I think fresh basil is the winner here, folks. Before you get started roasting your sweet potatoes for these Bites, I have a few tips for you!
When you’re slicing the sweet potatoes, make sure to keep them at a 1/2 inch thickness so that they’re not too thick or too thin, which will affect the cooking time! The 1/2 inch thickness is perfect. No need to measure it; you can eye ball it and give it your best judgement.
Lastly, if you’re not a fan of arugula, no worries. Top these Roasted Sweet Potato Appetizer Bites with baby spinach (raw spinach or sauteed spinach with garlic and olive oil) or any other leafy green vegetable you desire.
The best part?
The orange zest on top. It adds an insane amount of flavor and boosts the sweetness in these Bites without any sugar in sight. If you’re a sweet potato lover, you’re going to love this recipe.
Enjoy!
xx
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These Roasted Sweet Potato Appetizer Bites are ideal for entertaining. They're ideal for kids because you can use your hands to eat them and they're full of flavor and whole ingredients.
Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil extra-virgin
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- sea salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. orange zest
Cashew Basil Cream
- 1 cup cashews soaked overnight and drained
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 large navel orange
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
- sea salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Sweet Potatoes
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
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Peel the sweet potatoes and discard the skin. Slice each sweet potato in half widthwise with a sharp knife and then slice each of those halves in half again (cutting at a 1/2 in width) for each slice. Place the sweet potato slices on the prepared baking sheet and spray or lightly coat them with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the ground cumin, sea salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown.
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Meanwhile, make the Cashew Basil Cream below and set aside.
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Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then top each sweet potato bite with a dollop of the Cashew Basil Cream, arugula, sesame seeds, sea salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh orange zest and serve immediately.
For the Cashew Basil Cream
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Combine the cashews (drain, rinse and dry them after soaking in water for at least 12 hours), almond milk, basil, juice of 1/2 orange, sea salt and pepper in a mini food processor. Puree until creamy.
so fun! i love how simple these are