Holiday Crostini with Smoky Bean Spread and Cranberry Sauce

These holiday appetizers are both stunning, delicious, and healthy! Toasted pieces of whole wheat baguette are smeared with a smoky, creamy white bean spread and a freshly made tangy cranberry sauce. Toasted hazelnuts and bright, fresh mint top them off to be a party favorite. Vegan, whole food plant-based, and totally oil-free.

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Holiday Crostini with Smoky Bean Spread and Cranberry Sauce

Yield: 10

Author: Courtney Crary- Not Like Mama

Prep time: 30 MCook time: 5 MTotal time: 35 M

These holiday appetizers are both stunning, delicious, and healthy! Toasted pieces of whole wheat baguette are smeared with a smoky, creamy white bean spread and a freshly made tangy cranberry sauce. Toasted hazelnuts and bright, fresh mint top them off to be a party favorite. Vegan, whole food plant-based, and totally oil-free.

Ingredients:

For the Cranberry Sauce

12 oz fresh cranberries
½ cup water
½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp orange zest
½ tsp ginger, powdered
¼ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt

For the Smoky Bean Spread

1 14 oz can cannellini beans (or white beans)
¼ cup reserved bean juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 small or 1 large clove garlic
2 Tbsp tahini
2 tsp liquid smoke

For the Holiday Crostini

2 baguettes, sliced at a bias into 1 inch thick pieces
⅓ cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped

Instructions:

For the Cranberry Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, water, orange juice, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest, and ¼ tsp salt.
Bring to a simmer.
Simmer, uncovered, until the water has disappeared, the cranberries have lost their shape, and a thick sauce has formed.
Remove from heat and to cool.

For the Smoky Bean Spread

In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the beans, reserved bean juice, garlic, liquid smoke, tahini, lemon juice, and ½ tsp salt.
Process or blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if desired.
Set aside.

For the Holiday Crostini

Set the oven to a low broil (about 450 degrees F).
Place the baguette slices on a large baking sheet and place under the broiler. Watch them closely- they burn easily!
Once one side has toasted (about 1-3 minutes), turn them over and toast the other side.
Set the pieces on a cooling rack to cool. Repeat this process until all the pieces of baguette are toasted.
On each slice of toast, smear roughly 1 Tbsp of smoky bean spread. On top of the bean spread, add a spoonful of cranberry sauce. Top with a sprinkle of crushed hazelnuts and fresh mint.
If desired, garnish with a very light sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Save a few for yourself before serving immediately. Watch as they all disappear and enjoy!

Notes:

-This will make excess cranberry sauce! Save it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days and either enjoy it as a side, in your smoothies, or on your morning oatmeal!

Calories

174.07

Fat (grams)

4.41

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.46

Carbs (grams)

30.74

Fiber (grams)

4.21

Net carbs

26.53

Sugar (grams)

15.51

Protein (grams)

4.79

Sodium (milligrams)

155.65

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

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About the Crostini:

Despite the fact that we eat approximately one zillion calories on Thanksgiving and Christmas, hosts still feel the need to provide appetizers for their guests (or just their loud, hungry family). Typical appetizers for winter holidays in my home included meat and cheese plates and disappointing veggie platters with ranch dressing. When my husband and I started hosting our own Thanksgivings, the appetizers turned into baked brie and bacon-wrapped, goat cheese-stuffed dates. But since we went WFPB, these crostini have been our go-to appetizers.

They’re a crowd pleaser. The savory, smoky bean spread grounds the sweet and acidic cranberry sauce. The hazelnuts add a burst of fragrant oil and crunch, and the mint brightens everything up. It’s an unlikely combination, but it works.

I love taking things that would already be on the Holiday dinner table and using them in other, unexpected ways. Your family probably won’t eat the entire bowl of cranberry sauce (I know mine doesn’t), so why not use part of it in another way? By the way, you can totally use your own cranberry sauce recipe for this. It will work just as well.

Ready to make it? Let’s talk recipe notes:

RECIPE NOTES:

As previously stated, use this cranberry sauce recipe or use your own. Mine will yield around two cups of cranberry sauce. Double the batch if you plan on serving some of it on the table with dinner.
This smoky bean spread is very versatile and delicious on a host of other things. I strongly recommend making a double batch and putting it on everything from veggie platters to sandwiches. If you like this spread, try my Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Smoked White Bean Spread and Pomegranate arils.
Whatever you do, don’t leave out the mint! I tried these with other herbs and it just didn’t work as well- they need the brightness from the mint.
Last, use good baguettes. You know what I’m talking about- the kind that have an irregular crumb structure, large air pockets, and a super crusty exterior. The baguettes I used to photograph these were sad, trash baguettes. Be better than me and use quality loaves. Use whole wheat to keep it WFPB.

That’s all you need to know to make this delectable appetizer that is oil-free, refined sugar-free, but simply irresistible. I hope you and your family love it as much as we have!

Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Tag me on Instagram @notlikemama. I love to see your version of my recipes!

Happy Cooking (and Happy Holidays)

✌️Courtney