Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.
The Sweet Potato Starter Bites are easy peasy and I especially love them when its cooler out. (Yes, I know I live in California now, but the insulation just isn’t as good as it is back in the icy Midwest, so I’m always cold.) I like making these because I can turn my oven on and it not only warms up the house, but in just a short while I can have a tasty and filling appetizer.
They are so quick to come together. I’ve given you a couple of ideas for the toppings, but honestly they will work with many different things. I like to make at least two versions when serving them so my guests (or my family) have options.
I also like that sweet potatoes and yams come in several different colors so when you plate them to serve they look really pleasing on the plate. In these photos you can see a purple yam and an orange and a yellow sweet potato. They are available at your regular grocery store, so be on the look out for them.
The various colors of sweet potato and yams bake in the same amount of time so you don’t have to worry when using different kinds. (This recipe also works with regular russet potatoes but they take a little bit longer to bake, so if you switch that up, be sure and put the russet potatoes in for about 10 minutes longer than the yams/sweet potatoes.)
I’ve spread them all with a creamy cheese (Philadelphia Cream Cheese) then I made couple of choices for different versions of toppings.
For the first version: a top the creamy cheese simply add chopped pistachios and cranberry pieces. The nuts give a nice crunch while the dried cranberry adds a tart burst of flavor.
In the second version—don’t worry, they’re just as easy: on top of the creamy cheese add chopped walnuts and a few slices of dried figs. Then I drizzled sweet honey over the top. Mmmmm, the honey brings the whole bite together, nutty, fruity, creamy cheese tied together with the sweetness of the honey.
The fact that these Sweet Potato Starter Bites are a two bite appetizer make them a perfect choice for a party appetizer but they also are a great filler when you just need something little before a light meal.
Try these the next time you want something fast, easy and delicious!
- 2 large sweet potatoes or yams peeled
- 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1/4 cup Pistachios meat only, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup Walnuts meat only, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 4-6 dried figs sliced into slivers
- Any dried herb of your liking tarragon, basil, oregano all work well
- 1 Tablespoon Honey for drizzling optional
- olive oil for brushing
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Take the cream cheese out of fridge and allow it to soften while the you work with the sweet potatoes.
- Slice peeled sweet potatoes/yams into 1/4" slices. You can cut them at a diagonal to get a longer diagonal piece or cut them straight across to get a more round looking bite.
- Place olive oil in a small bowl and use a brush to baste both sides of sweet potato/yam and place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces are complete.
- Place in oven for 20 minutes. Edges will turn a golden brown, The potato/yam will be firm on the outside and the inside will be like a baked potato consistency.
- Once rounds are finished baking sheet, allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Once you can handle the rounds, using a knife put a thin layer of cream cheese on all rounds.
- If I'm using multi colored potato/yams I will have one color with one set of toppings and the second color with a different topping.
- Lightly top 1/2 of the cream cheese topped rounds with a small amount of chopped pistachios and dried cranberry bits. Then sprinkle with the herb of your choice.
- On the other half of the cream cheese topped rounds place 2 slivers of the dried figs on top then sprinkle with a few pieces of the chopped walnuts.
- Place all rounds on the serving platter. On top of the fig/walnut rounds drizzle a little bit of honey over them to allow for a slight bit of sweetness.
- Serve while they are still warm.
You can get a colorful plate by using different colors of yams and sweet potatoes. The cooking time is the same no matter what color/variety you use when using yams or sweet potatoes.
This recipe also would work with russet style potatoes, but the cooking time would be an additional 10 minutes for a russet potato. If you are doing russets and yam/sweet potatoes place the russet slices in the oven for 10 minutes then add the yam/sweet potato slices on the tray. By doing it this way, your rounds will all finish at the same time.
Calorie Information for this recipe was calculated in My Fitness Pal using the ingredients/brands I purchased to make the recipe. If you are following a strict diet, please calculate the calories using the brands/ingredients you actually purchased for complete accuracy.
Jeff says
April 11, 2017 at 9:50 pmA great twist on potatoes. Everyone loves the different colors!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
November 18, 2016 at 11:25 amThis is great! I love sweet potatoes!
Dan says
November 18, 2016 at 10:38 amLove the use of figs and cream cheese on these potatoes – the perfect bite!
karissa says
April 16, 2016 at 5:39 pmThis looks like a tasty app to make. I love that it seems quick and easy.
Hannah says
April 15, 2016 at 5:11 pmI LOVE sweet potatoes! I love that you made these into small pieces, so they can really be used as an appetizer!
nicole torres says
April 13, 2016 at 5:34 pmOh, my word. Those look amazing, and I’m a sucker for potatoes. Looks delicious; I’ll have to add these to my recipe list. YUM!
CourtneyLynne says
April 12, 2016 at 6:07 pmOmg these look so yummy!!! I just love sweet potatoes!!! So need to make these
di says
April 12, 2016 at 5:46 pmFun! Love that they are nice finger foods and healthy too! Few tweaks these could be vegan too!
Michele says
April 13, 2016 at 2:37 pmI need to look at some vegan options…good idea! ~m
Becca says
April 12, 2016 at 5:07 pmI love sweet potatoes! These look pretty easy, but still very colorful and fun. Would be great for the next party!
Michele says
April 13, 2016 at 2:37 pm🙂
Heather says
April 12, 2016 at 3:11 pmThese look so delicious! And I love anything that is an easy app. I think I could actually eat these for dinner 🙂
KRYSTLE COOK says
April 12, 2016 at 8:18 amMy grandpa would love these. He just had me buy him some sweet potatoes the other day.
alexandria says
April 12, 2016 at 7:44 amYum. I love sweet potatoes. My daughter used to be obsessed with them, but not anymore. Otherwise, I would totally make these as a snack.
Michele says
April 12, 2016 at 10:03 amI remember those days with my niece… one day it was the best food ever, then next day it was oooh, yuck! who knows, maybe she’ll come around to like them again!
Amanda Love says
April 12, 2016 at 7:25 amOh these look really good. I think these would even be great snacks for the kids. I much prefer these over bags of chips as well. Will be trying to make these over the weekend.
dani cc says
April 12, 2016 at 5:58 amwe’ve made many things with sweet potatoes but never anything like this. This is such a great idea, can pretty much top it with so many different things.
jill conyers says
April 12, 2016 at 1:13 amSweet potatoes are one of the world’s best foods. It’s at the top of the list with avocado.
tiaras and tantrums says
April 11, 2016 at 8:31 pmI’m not too fond of sweet potatoes – but these sound delicious! I guess if you put something you really like on something that you may not care for – it will taste great!
Michele says
April 12, 2016 at 9:54 amIsn’t that the truth… thats how I learned to eat eggplant! Covered in cheese with a yummy sauce, now I actually really enjoy it! ~m
Debra says
April 11, 2016 at 8:28 pmOh man. These sound divine. I never had sweet potatoes growing up, so I am just discovering the amazing ways to use them!
tp keane says
April 11, 2016 at 6:41 pmLove these sweet potato bites. I love sweet potato but was limited with what I could do with it. Great ideas.
Roxanne says
April 11, 2016 at 6:04 pmThose look amazing! Wondering now why I’ve never thought to do this? I love sweet potatoes!
michele says
April 11, 2016 at 5:36 pmomg these look delicious! I seriously want to try these because I love potato skins and this is a great healthy spin on it. Great post! xx felinebykatsairs.com
Laci says
April 11, 2016 at 5:06 pmYum !!!! And I love the look of these definitely mystyle I live serving neat treats like This
Diedre says
April 11, 2016 at 4:25 pmI love sweet potatoes! My hubby is a farmer and he’s always looking for fruits and veggies in non traditional colors, so I’ll have to tell him to grow different types of sweet potatoes so we can try this dish. I love how elegant and chic your presentation was as well!
Heather Lawrence says
April 11, 2016 at 3:45 pmNormally when I think of sweet potato I’m in visioning dippong fries in mayo. This looks like a delicious appetizer! Now I just need an excuse to make a batch.
Michele says
April 17, 2016 at 11:26 amI’m originally from the midwest and when I lived there every fry MUST be dipped in mayo! `m
Rachel Langer says
April 11, 2016 at 3:42 pmI am saving this for later. They are healthy, pretty, and I bet they are delicious also!
Michelle @ Sunshine and Hurricanes.com says
April 11, 2016 at 3:40 pmWhat a fun and unique appetizer for a dinner party! I love that these aren’t your normal start to a meal!
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
April 11, 2016 at 3:38 pmWhat an absolutely AWESOME appetizer idea! My whole family would just devour these! They sound amazing.
Michele says
April 17, 2016 at 11:26 amThanks robin! ~m
Karen says
April 11, 2016 at 3:27 pmI have always wanted to try out a recipe with those fabulous purple potatoes!! This looks so incredibly yummy that I need to make it this upcoming weekend!
Karen | GlamKaren.com
Kait says
April 11, 2016 at 3:20 pmOh my gosh these look amazing! MY parents are coming into town later this week and I was trying to brainstorm an easy appetizer for their arrival. These will be PERFECT!
vicky and ruth says
February 1, 2016 at 1:25 pmI love easy and quick to make appetizer ideas. Looks delicious
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
February 1, 2016 at 2:30 pmThis is right up your alley then….easy-peasy! ~m
MEGAN LAWSON says
January 14, 2016 at 6:57 pmThese sound delish!!!!!! Yummy!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
January 15, 2016 at 6:32 pmThanks Megan! They have become one of my favorite snacks! ~m
Heather says
December 3, 2015 at 7:46 pmThese look amazing!! I love purple potatoes and the combination of the cheese and nuts has to be both creamy and crunchy and does it get any better than that??
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 3, 2015 at 8:57 pmThanks heather! I agree, creamy crunchy is the best! `m
Shadi says
December 2, 2015 at 11:09 amthe combination of the colors make me so happy! And I love sweet potato!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 2, 2015 at 12:59 pmIt’s the little things right? Thanks!
Chris @ Simple Food 365 says
December 2, 2015 at 10:47 amWhat a great little bite to start the meal! Delicious looking!
Chelsea says
December 2, 2015 at 8:27 amThese are the perfect finger food!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 2, 2015 at 12:58 pmThey sure are! 🙂 Thanks! ~m
Melissa says
December 1, 2015 at 7:49 pmThese are aqesome! Easy and beautiful!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 2, 2015 at 12:57 pmI know right? I love that they look like they came in a restaurant…. all professional and all, but that I made them!! ~m
Reichel says
December 1, 2015 at 7:49 pmOh I love sweet potatoes in pretty much everything. This a fun way to use them though. Almost like replacing the cracker 😉
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 2, 2015 at 12:56 pmMe too! (love sweet potato!) enjoy! ~m
jennyb says
December 1, 2015 at 1:41 pmYummy. Pinned so I can have a go at making these!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 2, 2015 at 12:52 pmaw, thanks Jenny~ let me know what you think! ~m
Natalie @ A Fit Philosophy says
December 1, 2015 at 6:41 amThese are the cutest little appetizers I have ever seen! yumm!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 10:56 amThanks Natalie! I love little bite size appetizers, it makes it “ok” to eat a lot of them right?? ~m
Julie@MomFabulous says
December 1, 2015 at 6:36 amI love the idea of using different colored yams. What a pretty appetizer!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 10:57 amIt sure makes it look like it was made in a restaurant doesn’t it? ~m
Carol Cassara says
December 1, 2015 at 6:26 amI love sweet potatoes and yams! I can’t believe I’ve never seen these before. Neat recipe.
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 10:58 amThanks~ me too!
Lee Anne says
December 1, 2015 at 6:18 amThose look so good!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 11:01 amI love recipes that are easy to make AND Delicious! Thanks~m
hayli says
December 1, 2015 at 5:46 amThese sound yummy!
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 11:02 amThanks Hayli! ~m
jessica edmunds says
December 1, 2015 at 5:41 amthese look super tasty! i wish i could have made them for thanksgiving! yum yum
xx
http://www.thejpetite.com
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 11:02 amThey are good for little occasions too! ~m
Candy says
December 1, 2015 at 3:47 amGreat recipe. Thanks.
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 11:00 amThanks Candy! ~m
Catstello says
December 1, 2015 at 1:47 amI LOVE sweet potato so much. I only ever order it in restaurants, finally I have a recipe I can use 😀
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 11:00 amIt’s so easy to make— Glad you like it!! ~m
Marlynn @ UrbanBlissLife says
December 1, 2015 at 12:29 amLove the beautiful colors together on the plate! What a fun and delicious appetizer to serve.
WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says
December 1, 2015 at 10:59 amThanks Marlynn! ~m