Get ready to impress with this drool-worthy sweet and savory vegan sweet potato appetizer (or snack!) that happens to also be gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. The crunchy walnuts and pomegranate seeds match perfectly with the smooth ricotta and creamy roasted sweet potatoes. With simple spices to perk up the flavor even more and a beautiful bright mix of colors, these simple and flavorful NC sweetpotato rounds with vegan ricotta are sure to be a showstopper.
NC SweetPotato Rounds with Vegan Ricotta
Winter, spring, summer, or fall — this appetizer has it all! Bold flavors? Check. Creamy and crunchy textures? Yup! Elegant look? Absolutely. These sweet and savory NC sweetpotato rounds with vegan ricotta add the perfect amount of flare for a dinner party, but are so delicious and so easy, you can also whip them up as a quick and healthy snack! The warm NC sweetpotatoes are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, with the other ingredients enhancing both of those textures — smooth and tangy vegan ricotta, warm crunchy toasted walnuts, pops of pomegranate seeds and chives, and a quick drizzle of maple syrup for sweetness. Quick hits of salt and pepper bring all the flavors together for the perfect bite!
Health Benefits of These NC SweetPotato Rounds with Vegan Ricotta
They say it’s best to eat the rainbow, and this definitely delivers that nutritious range of colors. NC Sweetpotatoes bring fiber and antioxidants for gut health, a good amount of beta-carotene for eye health, plus many more vitamins and minerals. Walnuts are packed with healthy fats, fiber, omega-3s, protein and antioxidants which help things like gut health, weight control and brain health. Pomegranates are one of the healthiest fruits you can get your hands on, so adding them here boosts not only the flavor and texture, but the nutrients as well. They have a surprising amount of fiber, protein, vitamin C, and folate, and are jam-packed with antioxidants to support healing.
How to Make NC SweetPotato Rounds
Putting this nutritious and delicious appetizer together is quick and easy. You want to start with a hot oven — preheat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to get your NC sweetpotatoes that perfect crispy-crunchy-creamy texture. Choose two long NC sweetpotatoes, as close in width as possible so they’re all around the same size.
Cut the potatoes into round slices (keep the skin on — lots of nutrients in there!) and rub all sides with avocado oil, sprinkle with pepper and bake on bare baking sheets for 20 minutes (flipping them at the 15 minute mark). Be sure to take them out before they become too brown. Add salt as soon as they come out of the oven.
As the NC sweetpotatoes are roasting, toast your walnuts in the toaster oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. No toaster oven? No problem! This step only takes 5 minutes and can be done before or after the potatoes in the regular oven (just don’t forget to adjust the oven temperature).
Once everything is roasted and toasted, it’s time to pull it all together. Put your roasted NC sweetpotato rounds on a serving platter and top with a dollop of vegan ricotta. Sprinkle the walnuts, pomegranate seeds and chives over the ricotta. Then top the whole thing off with a quick drizzle of pure maple syrup.
This appetizer is so vibrant and scrumptious. It’s sure to impress. No one needs to know just how simple it is.
Thinking about the rest of your dinner party? These next courses are sure to keep impressing your guests.
- Crispy Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Avocado Kale Salad with Vegan Ranch Dressing and Crispy Chickpea Croutons
- Cauliflower Steaks with Lemony Mashed Peas and Mint
- Roasted Whole Rainbow Carrots Over Creamy Hummus with Green Tahini Sauce
- Creamy Vegan Garlic Mushroom Fettuccini
- Vegan Chickpea Bolognese Pasta
- Instant Pot Cauliflower and Chickpea Vegan Tikka Masala with Coconut Rice
The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission
I’m excited to be partnering with the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission (NCSPC) on this recipe. The NCSPC has been supporting growers since 1961 and has maintained North Carolina as the number one NC sweetpotato producing state in the United States since 1971. NC Sweetpotatoes are one of my favorite vegetables and pop up in many of my recipes. They are convenient and versatile and somehow serve as both a comfort food and health food all at once. A medium sweet potato is just a little over 100 calories, and they are loaded with fiber and nutrients. They are available year-round, naturally sweet and easy to prepare.
Now, let’s make these SweetPotato Rounds with Vegan Ricotta!
This easy SweetPotato Rounds with Vegan Ricotta recipe will be an instant favorite to serve to guests as an elegant and colorful healthy appetizer. They are naturally vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, legume-free, peanut-free and refined sugar-free so this recipe works well for many types of diets.
I cannot wait for you to give this NC SweetPotato Rounds with Vegan Ricotta a try!
NC SweetPotato Rounds with Vegan Ricotta, Toasted Walnuts, Pomegranates and Chives
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Get ready to impress with this drool-worthy sweet and savory vegan NC sweetpotato appetizer (or snack!) that happens to also be gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. The crunchy walnuts and pomegranate seeds match perfectly with the smooth ricotta and creamy roasted NC sweetpotatoes. With simple spices to perk up the flavor even more and a beautiful bright mix of colors, these simple and flavorful NC sweetpotato rounds with vegan ricotta are sure to be a showstopper.
Ingredients
- 2 long NC sweetpotatoes, cut into rounds*
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil (+ more for coating the baking sheets)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ cup toasted walnuts pieces
- ¾ cup Homemade Vegan Ricotta
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds (or dried cranberries)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- drizzle of pure maple syrup
- Garnish: flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a silicone brush to brush two bare baking sheets with avocado oil.
- Coat NC sweetpotato rounds with 3 tablespoons of avocado oil on all sides and arrange in a single layer on the rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle with pepper and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Flip each round and bake another 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fine salt.
- While the NC sweetpotatoes cook, use a toaster oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.** Arrange walnuts in a single layer on a bare baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. I sometimes toss them in 2 teaspoons of avocado oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and a generous sprinkle of salt before roasting for extra flavor.
- Top each round with 1 tablespoon of the vegan ricotta cheese. Add the pomegranate seeds, toasted walnut pieces and fresh chives overtop the cheese. Next, drizzle a tiny amount of maple syrup and sprinkle flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve and enjoy immediately while the NC sweetpotato rounds are warm.
Notes
*This works best with NC sweetpotatoes that are long, skinny and uniform in width throughout. I cut them into rounds that are 2 inches in diameter and ¼-inch thick. I like to leave the skin on for added nutrients, aesthetics and texture.
**No toaster oven? No problem! This step only takes 5-10 minutes and can be done before or after the potatoes in the regular oven (just don’t forget to adjust the oven temperature).
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
This post is sponsored by the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission (NCSPC). The recipe and all opinions are my own.
Erica says
This was a huge hit at our holiday gathering! Love the mix of flavors and textures. Absolutely delicious!
Elaine Gordon says
I'm honored you trusted me with your holiday gathering and am thrilled it was a huge hit!! Thank you so much for sharing Erica!