Easy Vegan Crostini Appetizer

This easy and elegant vegan crostini appetizer are topped with persimmon, mint and homemade dairy free whipped cheese. They're the perfect festive holiday appetizer. 

This post was originally sponsored by Carapelli Olive Oil. All opinions are our own.

We're all about time-saving hacks during the holiday season. Whether it's relying heavily on Amazon Prime for fast shipping or simply using make-ahead recipes whenever possible. This time of year seems busier than ever, and recipes like these plant-based crostini are keeping us sane.

These festive crostini are beautiful and tasty. We topped crunchy, crusty French bread with a spread of homemade vegan whipped goat cheese.

That got a topping of fresh persimmon, bright pomegranate seeds, crunchy nuts and a sprinkle of mint. The result is a red, white and green one-bite appetizer that your guests will love.

What is Crostini?

Crostini is an Italian word that refers to slices of toasted bread with toppings. They're popular appetizers because they're easy to make, pass and enjoy without getting your hands too messy.

The possibilities are pretty endless when it comes to topping your crostini.

In the summer, we're all about fresh bruschetta like this Strawberry Peach Bruschetta or this Crostini with Strawberry Avocado Salsa. Or a preserved tomato bruschetta to enjoy all year long.

Another, more wintery, favorite vegan crostini recipe is a rendition of our Wild Mushrooms on Toast. Simply swap out the toast for petite bread slices.

Instructions

Many traditional Italian crostini recipes rely on cheese. And just because we're eating dairy-free doesn't mean we're going to skip out on everyones favorite crostini topping. These vegan crostini appetizers are full of delicious homemade plant-based whipped goat cheese.

Vegan whipped cheese

The cheesy part of our vegan crostini couldn't be easier. All you need is a good blender or food processor. Simply dump in your ingredients and whip them all up! Here's what's in our vegan whipped goat cheese topping:

We use dairy free cream cheese as the base for our vegan whipped cheese recipe. We love Kite Hill brand cream cheese. I recommend the plain version, since there are so many other delicious flavors in these vegan crostini appetizers.

For more cheesy goodness in our whipped goat cheese recipe, toss in some dairy free feta. Violife makes a good option.

The rest of the flavor in our whipped dairy free goat cheese crostini topping comes from high quality olive oil, a bit of sweetness and delicious alliums. We use maple syrup or honey, which pairs so well with cheese.

A dash of garlic and onion powder round out this savory dairy free whipped cheese topping.

You can make the cheese topping for these vegan crostini appetizers a day or two before serving. Simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to assemble your appetizers.

Toast the bread

While you're whipping your vegan cheese topping, you can toast the crostini themselves. Simply slice a fresh baguette into ¼ inch slices. You can cut them on the diagonal, or bias, for a bit more surface area and a nicer look.

Next, lay out the crostini on a baking sheet and brush each side with olive oil. This ensures a nice even browning for your crostini. You can also sprinkle them with salt and pepper, or simply add the salt and pepper directly into the olive oil and brush on.

Finally, pop the crostini into the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until they're golden and toasty.

Assemble

Now that you have your homemade vegan whipped crostini topping and the toasted crostini, it's assembly time. Before you get spreading, have the rest of the toppings on hand.

We top our vegan crostini appetizers with fresh persimmon slices, pomegranate seeds and toasted nuts. We love hazelnuts, but pistachios, walnuts or almonds would all work. Or, if you're nut-free, simply skip them.

First, give each toasted crostini a generous spread of vegan whipped cheese topping. Then, layer on a persimmon slice. Top it all off with a sprinkle of pom seeds, nuts, fresh mint for color, and a drizzle of olive oil for shine.

We used our favorite Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's such high quality oil and we love using it with salads, pastas, dips, and even desserts!

Ingredient Subs and Swaps

To make these easy, one-bowl appetizer work for everyone, here are some simple swaps:

• If you're not dairy free, you can use real cream cheese and feta for the crostini topping.
• Gluten free bread will work just as well as the French bread. Simply cut it into similar sized squares, toast and top!
• If you can't find persimmons, pears, apples, or figs would also work well.
• If you're not a fan of mint, fresh rosemary, oregano, thyme or another fragrant herb is a great substitution.

More Vegan Appetizer Recipes

• Vegan Jalapeño Poppers
• Vegan Two-Bite Stuffed Mushrooms
• Roasted Carrot Dip
• Vegan Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Enjoy this easy, make ahead holiday appetizer this year and be sure to let us know if you make the recipe! Tag us on Instagram @crowded_kitchen. We can't wait to see what you make!

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