Oil-Free Vegan Crostini Appetizer

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This Oil-Free Vegan Crostini Appetizer is a tasty app for vegans and non-vegans alike! Made with an almond spread and topped with fresh figs, rosemary, and salt, this plant-based crostini will be a crowd pleaser!

Every time I cook with figs I can't help but admire how beautiful they are! The pink and green colors together are so pretty. So I thought I'd really showcase them with this crostini recipe.

Place a sliced fig right on top of your appetizer and it will turn from blah to beautiful. Not that this crostini is blah.. It has so much flavor in just a little bite!

On top of a slice of toasted bread lives a delicious almond spread. The spread is rich and creamy, slightly sweet but with a mainly savory/salty flavor profile. Then you add that beautiful fig which not only adds color, but also sweet (but not too sweet) flavor. A bit of fresh rosemary creates another layer of savory flavor. And then finally a sprinkle of salt. I'm telling you - the salt really makes the whole bite.

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Why I love this Oil-Free Vegan Crostini Appetizer
Ingredient Notes
How to make this Oil-Free Vegan Crostini Appetizer
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe Prayer
More bite sized vegan appetizers
Tried this recipe?
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Why I love this Oil-Free Vegan Crostini Appetizer

Dietary needs - this recipe is dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free, sugar-free, and can be made gluten-free
Delicious appetizer - this crostini makes an incredibly taste appetizer that even non-vegans will love
Minimally processed - when I searched for vegan crostini I found a bunch of recipes that use vegan cheese. I'd rather have something completely plant-based and minimally processed, so I came up with this recipe!

Ingredient Notes

Bread Slices: I used a baguette that I sliced into ½" pieces. If you are gluten-free, look for a gluten-free baguette. This also works with other types of bread.
Fresh Figs: any variety of fig is okay here. Mission figs have that beautiful red interior, but Brown Turkey figs still taste delicious!
Fresh Rosemary Sprigs: fresh rosemary is best. Dried rosemary could work - if you do use dried, be sure to chop it very finely.
Sea Salt: or any salt you have around.

Spread

Almonds: use raw almonds for best results.
Coconut Cream: This is the thick part in a can of coconut milk, or you can buy a small can of just the cream.
Garlic
Liquid Aminos: You can use tamari or soy sauce (which isn't gluten-free).
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt

How to make this Oil-Free Vegan Crostini Appetizer

Step 1. Soak the almonds in boiling water. This gets them nice and soft so they are easier to blend and create a paste instead of a nut butter when pureed.

Step 2. Blend the soaked almonds, coconut cream, garlic, liquid aminos, balsamic vinegar, and salt in a food processor until the mixture is combined.

Step 3. Spread the almond mixture onto a slice of bread and top with several fig slices. Garnish with rosemary and sprinkle with sea salt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use another nut besides almonds?

I haven't tried this with any other nut, but I think that walnuts or cashews might work well. They will produce a slightly different flavor though.

For a no-nut version, I would suggest using sunflower seeds.

Is there a coconut substitution?

You could try adding some almond butter or another nut/seed butter. The spread will become a little thicker and less creamy, but it should still have a great flavor!

What if I can't find fresh figs?

I get it. Fresh figs can be tricky to find when not in season.

Option 1. You can try this with dried figs. Dried figs tend to be sweeter than fresh, so the overall bite will be sweeter, but the flavors should still work well.

Option 2. You can try another type of fresh fruit. Apricots or nectarines would probably work best.

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for this food. We are grateful for you abundance. Amen.

More bite sized vegan appetizers

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