Description
These Sweet Potato Rounds with Cranberry and Cream Cheese are the perfect holiday appetizer! Crispy roasted sweet potato slices are topped with honey-whipped cream cheese, tangy cranberry sauce, toasted nuts, and fresh herbs. They’re naturally gluten-free, make-ahead friendly, and disappear in minutes at any gathering.
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Base:
- 2–3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional)
Cream Cheese Topping:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Cranberry Component:
- 1/2–3/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce or cranberry relish
- Optional: 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1–2 teaspoons orange juice to brighten
Finishes/Garnish:
- Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
- Fresh thyme or rosemary, finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt
- Extra honey or maple for drizzling
Instructions
Oven to 400°F. Put parchment paper on your baking sheet or you’ll be scraping stuck sweet potato off for days.
Cut them into rounds half an inch thick. If they’re different sizes some burn while others are raw. I peel mine because I don’t like the texture but you do you.
Toss rounds with oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon. Use your hands it’s faster. Spread them on the pan so they’re not touching. Touching means steaming means no crispy edges means what’s the point.
20-ish minutes. Flip halfway. You want soft middle, crispy brown edges. That’s where the flavor is.
Beat cream cheese til fluffy. Add honey, vanilla, salt. Keep beating for a couple minutes. Should look lighter and airier.
Canned sauce is thick. Stir it until it’s not. Orange zest and juice here make it taste less canned. Skip if you don’t care.
Let the sweet potatoes sit for five minutes when they come out. Hot potatoes melt the cream cheese right off.
Cream cheese on each round. I use a spoon unless my mother-in-law is coming over then I use a piping bag. Spoonful of cranberry on top. Not too much it’ll slide.
Nuts, herbs, flaky salt, drizzle of honey. Done.
Notes
- Use a mandoline slicer for perfectly even rounds in seconds
- If your cream cheese is too stiff to pipe, add 1 teaspoon of milk to loosen it
- Warm your cranberry sauce slightly (10 seconds in the microwave) so it spreads smoothly without tearing the cream cheese layer
- Toast your nuts in a dry skillet until fragrant – it only takes 3–4 minutes but makes a HUGE difference in flavor
- For extra-special presentation, use a piping bag with a star tip for the cream cheese
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American