Skip the bread! Grab a sweet potato instead! These gluten-free sweet potato bites are topped with creamy whipped goat cheese, tangy dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans.They are finished with a golden drizzle of honey. The combination creates a scrumptious and wholesome appetizer, perfect for entertaining!
"These sound super yummy!! What a delicious and clever appetizer. I would probably try some fresh or dried thyme as the herb sprinkle. And if I had any nut allergy friends coming over, I might substitute some crispy bacon crumbles for the pecans."
- Chris
I received a very special invite to the "Come to Our Table" dinner event hosted by the SweetPotato Commission. The dinner was a farm to fork experience inspired by North Carolina farm fresh ingredients. The dinner made me exceptionally proud to be a Carolinian.
Chef Chris Wrenn served these sweet potato appetizers. In honor of NC agriculture and the NC sweet potato farmers, I have tried humbly to recreate my own version. My sweet potato bites are not as good as his, but I think you will enjoy them none-the-less. They are easy to make and perfect for entertaining. Enjoy! Xoxo-Katie.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You will need the following ingredients to make sweet potato bites.
- sweet potatoes
- coconut oil- Because the sweet potatoes bake at a high temperature, I prefer to use coconut oil. You can easily substitute with avocado oil or olive oil.
- seasoned salt- The seasoned salt adds a nice pop of flavor. A tasty substitute would be cajun seasoning. If you have neither on hand, you can use salt.
- goat cheese- Whipped feta cheese or whipped blue cheese would also be delicious.
- cream cheese- You can substitute with Neufchatel or mascarpone cheese.
- candied pecans- Candied pecans take these little sweet potato bites to the next level with their irresistible sweetness and crunch. However, simple toasted pecans will work perfectly fine.
- honey- Honey offers a delicious compliment to the goat cheese. A tasty substitute could be maple syrup.
- dried cranberries- Dried blueberries or raisins would make great substitutions.
- basil- Fresh rosemary, chives, or Italian parsley would also make excellent garnishes.
How to Make Sweet Potato Bites
Follow these simple steps to make this sweet potato appetizer.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice sweet potatoes into ¼ inch thick slices (24 slices).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Layer your sweet potatoe rounds on top of the parchment paper. Spray the sweet potatoes with coconut spray and sprinkle each with seasoned salt. Flip the sweet potato slices over and repeat.
- Bake 10 minutes. Flip slices over and bake an additional 10 minutes. (20 minutes total.)Transfer sweet potatoes onto a serving plate.
- Mix goat cheese, cream cheese, and 1 tablespoon of honey until whipped and creamy. Spread goat cheese over every sweet potato slice.
- Sprinkle each potato with crushed pecans and cranberries.
- Drizzle each potato with honey, then garnish with fresh sliced basil.
Cooking Tips
- You can certainly use a sharp knife. However for quick, easy, uniform cuts, I suggest a mandolin.
- Keep the sweet potato skin on. It keeps the rounds together. It is also packed with lovely fiber and nutrients.
About the Recipe
I was invited to a very special "Come to Our Table" dinner event hosted by the SweetPotato Commission. The dinner was a farm to fork experience inspired by North Carolina farm fresh ingredients. When I received the beautiful invitation, I literally broke out in goosebumps. I love any kind of farm to table dinner and I knew this one would be a culinary treat. I was not disappointed.
The "Come to Our Table" dinner was set at the North Carolina State Fair Grounds at the Tobacco Pavilion near the Heritage Circle. If you are not familiar with the Tobacco Pavilion, it is a large open covered outdoor space with a gigantic outdoor fireplace. It is a beautiful lake view property, ideal for outdoor entertaining.
I literally gasped as I entered the pavilion. Two long elegantly dressed farm tables ran down the center of the room. On each table ran a simple white linen table runner decorated with clustered glass votives filled with ruby red cranberries and lit candles, and trios of fresh green herbs in planters. A dainty radish was placed on each plate for a splash of bright red color. A string quartet played magnificently in the corner. I was completely blown away.
Food was catered by the very talented and creative Chris Wrenn, owner of the Old North State Catering Kitchen. 98% of the menu showcased North Carolina farm fresh ingredients to include incorporating different uses of the sweet potato. Trays of sweet potato bites with goat cheese appetizers and shot glass sized shrimp and grits were offered as starters, as we mingled with the North Carolina farmers.
Dinner was beyond incredible. Served buffet style, the following choices were offered to delight in:
- Roasted pork tenderloin with a bourbon reduction
- Roasted chicken breasts topped with pimento cheese cream sauce and country ham cracklings
- Carved beef tenderloin cooked to perfection with pan au jus and tiger dill horseradish sauce
- Cheesy baked macaroni and cheese (slap your momma good!)
- Roasted zucchini and squash (you know, for those who want to eat healthy…)
- Mashed sweet potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes with topping choices of crushed pecan brittle, molasses, brown sugar, and raisins
- Vegetarian lasagna
- Fresh baked rolls
Dessert selections included a NC blueberry cobbler, NC sweet potato donuts, and cupcakes. Are you hungry now?
NC Sweet Potato Agriculture
David Godwin, sweet potato farmer and owner of Godwin Produce Company stated, "I don't think there is any stronger faith in a family than a family that farms, because every year they risk everything to put it in the ground." He explains that every season, farmers don't know whether a hurricane or drought will wipe out an entire crop. They have to gamble everything and trust in three things, "You are trusting your family. You are trusting the land, and the sea, and everything to prepare it. Most of all, you are trusting God will prepare it for you. That's a big leap of faith."
Did you know?
- NC agriculture is the 3rd most diverse agriculture state in the entire country.
- 40% of NC sweet potatoes goes overseas.
- NC is a small farm state with a total of 46,418 farms. Of these, 42,900 are 500 acres or less. 37,560 are 179 acres or less.
- NC agriculture and agribusiness employs nearly a fifth of the NC workforce with over 670,000 jobs!
- 33% percent of NC farmers are woman.
Our farmers work extremely hard. They work all hours, day and night. They work in every kind of weather from cold to hot, and dry to wet. Their efforts provide jobs, improve the economy, and produce food to feed our families. Think about where your food comes from. Did you support your local farmer today?
Please leave me a comment below if you make these sweet potato appetizers. Tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your sweet potato bites on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Honey-Drizzled Sweet Potato Bites with Whipped Goat Cheese
Equipment
- mandoline
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes large sized
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil spray You can substitute olive oil if you prefer.
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 5 ounces goat cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup chopped candied pecans You can substitute toasted pecans.
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice 2 sweet potatoess into ¼ inch thick slices (24 slices).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Layer your sweet potatoes on top of the parchment paper. Spray the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons coconut oil spray and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon seasoned salt. Flip the sweet potato slices over and repeat.
- Bake 10 minutes. Flip slices over and bake an additional 10 minutes. (20 minutes total.)Transfer sweet potatoes onto a serving plate.
- Mix 5 ounces goat cheese, 2 ounces cream cheese, and 1 tablespoon honey until whipped and creamy. Spread goat cheese over every sweet potato slice.
- Sprinkle each potato with ¼ cup chopped candied pecans and ⅓ cup dried cranberries.
- Drizzle each potato with additional 1 tablespoon honey, then garnish with sliced 1 tablespoon fresh basil .
Notes
Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.
Claire says
I made these at the weekend and they were so good!
The sweet potato was a great idea for those avoiding wheat crackers!
But for me the star was the whipped goats cheese! I could eat that on anything. YUM
Going to make these again with some crostini instead of the sweet potato.
Jen says
These are the perfect appetizer! They're so cozy and delicious. Instead of cream cheese I substituted in some other nice soft, creamy goat cheeses from my local cheese shop.
Chris says
These sound super yummy!! What a delicious and clever appetizer. I would probably try some fresh or dried thyme as the herb sprinkle. And if I had any nut allergy friends coming over, I might substitute some crispy bacon crumbles for the pecans.
So many of your recipes look amazing. Can’t wait to try them!!