Skip the bread and use roasted sweet potato rounds instead! These Sweet Potato Crostini with Mascarpone Cheese and Walnut Bacon Crumble are the perfect combination of sweet and savory for delicious holiday appetizer!
Thanksgiving is less than a month away, and I’m all about the appetizers this year! These sweet potato crostinis are the perfect bite for your family and friends, and so addicting! The sweet potato rounds are a great alternative to bread or crackers, and they’re healthier too! They’re topped with creamy mascarpone cheese, and a bacon sage walnut crumble that’s to die for!
Why we love these sweet potato crostini
Why do you need to make these sweet potato crostini? It’s a healthier option for an crostini appetizer, and it uses sage fried in bacon fat! It’s an unexpected combination that makes these little bites so mouthwatering! It’s the perfect appetizer for the holidays, but can be served year round, too!
Ingredients for this recipe
Sweet potato
There are a few different varieties of sweet potato you can find at your grocery store. The most common are jewel and Beauregards. Really any kind works for this recipe. When choosing a sweet potato, choose small to medium-sized firm sweet potatoes with smooth skin and no bruises or cracks.
Mascarpone Cheese
Mascarpone is American’s cream cheese Italian counterpart. It has a looser, velvety texture, to cream cheese and rich mouthfeel similar to a double-crème brie. It’s mixed with a little bit of cinnamon and maple syrup to add some sweetness to each bite.
Bacon
The sweetness of the sweet potato and saltiness of bacon is a match made in culinary heaven! Bacon is chopped up and combined with walnuts and sage for a delicious crumble.
Sage
This earthy green herb is super popular in fall dishes (i.e. thanksgiving stuffing), and it has a slightly peppery taste with hints of mint, eucalyptus, and lemon. It blends beautifully with Mascarpone cheese! The sage leaves are fried in leftover bacon fat, which adds a salty note that makes these sweet potato crostini irresistible! When picking sage leaves at the store, choose ones that aren’t bruised.
Walnuts
Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy fats and high in antioxidants, and provide a delicious crunch!
How to make sweet potato crostini
Prepare the sweet potato:
Remove the mascarpone cheese from the fridge before preparing the sweet potatoes. You’ll want it at room temp. Next, prepare the sweet potatoes. You may choose to peel the sweet potato or not, this is up to you. Personally, I like the flavor and texture of sweet potato skin, but it will taste wonderful without it! The only thing you’ll lose is some added nutrients and fiber. Next, cut the sweet potato into equal 1/2 inch rounds. This will ensure cooking time is the same for all the sweet potato crostini. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Bake the sweet potato and bacon
Both the sweet potato and bacon can go in simultaneously. Set the air fryer or oven temperature to 400. Set the sweet potatoes and bacon on separate sheet pans and place in the oven. Line the baking sheets with foil. The foil will capture the bacon fat, which we’ll use later to fry the sage. The bacon will cook for 10 minutes, the sweet potatoes will cook for 20. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temp.
Fry the sage
Chop the walnuts while the sweet potato and bacon are cooking. Once the bacon is out of the oven, carefully remove the baking sheet and remove the bacon. Place the bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Pour the hot bacon fat into a bowl and set aside. Remove the sage leaves from the stem. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add bacon fat and fry 6–8 sage leaves at a time until crisp, about 2–3 seconds. Transfer with a fork to paper towels.
Chop bacon and sage
Chop the sage, bacon and mix it with the walnuts. In another small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and 6 oz mascarpone cheese. Stir until combined.
Top the sweet potato crostini
Spread 1 teaspoon sweetened mascarpone on each sweet potato crostini, and top with 1 teaspoon of the bacon walnut sage crumble.
Tips for making the best sweet potato crostini
Make sure the mascarpone cheese is room temperature when spreading or it won’t go on smoothly.
Pick sweet potatoes that are firm with smooth skin.
Other recipes to try
The Best Meat and Cheese Charcuterie Board
Cookie Butter Dip and Fruit Charcuterie
Baked Brie with Balsamic Onion Jam
Thanks for reading! If you make this recipe please come back and let me know how you like it by leaving a rating and review.
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Sweet Potato Crostini with Walnut Bacon Crumble
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 side servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, sliced
3 tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
6 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
10 sage leaves
3 slices bacon
4 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
Instructions
Cut the sweet potato into equal 1/2 inch rounds. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Set the air fryer or oven temperature to 400.
Set the sweet potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet.
On a separate foil lined sheet pan, lay bacon 1/2″ apart. Cook bacon at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove and place on a paper towel. Drain bacon fat into a bowl and set aside.
Simultaneously, cook the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let cool to room temp.
Remove sage leaves from stems. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add bacon fat and fry 6–8 sage leaves at a time until crisp, about 2–3 seconds. Transfer with a fork to paper towels.
Chop the sage, bacon and walnuts and mix together.
In another small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and 6 oz mascarpone cheese. Stir until combined. Spread 1 teaspoon sweetened mascarpone on each sweet potato crostini, and top with 1 teaspoon of the bacon walnut sage crumble.
Serve!
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