Sweet Potato Bites
10
Last updated on Sep 12, 2025
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This sweet potato bites recipe makes the ultimate holiday appetizer. Roasted sweet potato rounds are topped with whipped ricotta, pecans, pomegranate and honey for a colorful and festive seasonal snack.
Every year I make these sweet potato bites for holiday gatherings and they disappear faster than anything else on the table. They have that festive vibe that makes them perfect for entertaining, but they are surprisingly easy to put together.
The base is roasted sweet potato rounds topped with whipped ricotta, pecans, pomegranate, honey, and thyme. The mix of creamy, crunchy, juicy, and sweet always wins people over!
Table of Contents
Why You Gotta Try This One
These little bites are the kind of appetizer that make people stop and ask, “What’s in these?” They bring a fresh twist to the holiday table and are just as fun to serve as they are to eat. They are:
- Versatile: You can play with toppings and swap ingredients to match the season or your guests’ preferences.
- Party-perfect: They’re easy to prep ahead, and they hold up beautifully on a platter without getting soggy.
- Great for pairing: Serve alongside another festive appetizer like my goat cheese stuffed dates.
- Beautiful presentation: The colors pop, making them as eye-catching as they are tasty.
Here’s What You Need
- sweet potatoes – the base of these bites. Look for sweet potatoes that are long and narrow so you get nice bite-sized rounds when sliced.
- ricotta cheese – use traditional ricotta or vegan ricotta if you need a dairy-free option. I like Kite Hill’s almond milk ricotta for plant-based.
- pecans – toast them for extra crunch and flavor. If you don’t have pecans, swap in walnuts or almonds. For a nut-free option, pepitas work well.
- pomegranate – fresh pomegranate seeds (arils) add a festive pop of color. To save time, grab a container of arils from the produce section.
- honey – a drizzle ties all the flavors together. Use honey for the best taste, or maple syrup/agave if you want to keep these vegan.
- fresh thyme – I mix some into the ricotta and sprinkle a little on top for extra flavor. Dried thyme works too — just use 1 teaspoon mixed into the ricotta.
- avocado oil cooking spray – to coat the sweet potato rounds before roasting. Coconut oil spray works too.
How to Make
These sweet potato bites come together quickly with just a few simple steps. Once you prep your ingredients, the oven and food processor do most of the work.
Step 1: Slice sweet potatoes into ¼-inch rounds. The thinner the slices, the crispier they’ll get.
Step 2: Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet, spray with avocado oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 375ºF for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Step 3: While the potatoes roast, toast the pecans for extra crunch. Then whip ricotta with fresh thyme in a food processor until light and creamy.
Step 4: Once the sweet potatoes cool slightly, top each round with whipped ricotta, pecans and pomegranate seeds. Finish with a drizzle of honey and more thyme if you like.
Tips for the Best Sweet Potato Bites
- Get the rounds crisp, not soggy: Don’t overcrowd your baking sheet. Give the sweet potato slices some space so they roast instead of steam. If you want them extra crisp, place a wire rack on top of your baking sheet and roast the slices on that.
- No food processor? No problem: You can whip ricotta with a hand mixer, stand mixer or even by hand with a whisk. It won’t be quite as airy, but whisking vigorously for a few minutes still makes it light and spreadable.
Make Ahead + Storage
You can prep parts of this recipe ahead to save time:
- Roast the sweet potato rounds and let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. (Cooling fully prevents condensation and sogginess.)
- Whip the ricotta with thyme up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge.
When you’re ready to serve, reheat the sweet potato rounds in a toaster oven for a few minutes or enjoy them cold. Then just assemble and top.
If you have leftovers, store fully assembled bites in an airtight container in the fridge for 1–2 days. They’re still tasty cold, but don’t reheat well once topped.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Sweet Potato Bites
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes, look for ones that are long and narrow
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup pomegranate
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, plus more for topping
- freshly ground pepper
- honey, for drizzling
- avocado oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Cut sweet potatoes into ¼-inch thick rounds. Spray rounds with cooking spray, sprinkle on a little sea salt and bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, flipping once around the 15 minute mark.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting, add the pecans to a small baking sheet and place in the heated oven for about 5-10 minutes to toast. You can toast pecan halves and chop after or toast chopped pecans. If your pecans are already chopped it will take less time for them to toast. This step is optional, but recommended.
- Meanwhile, add ricotta into a food processor with 1 Tablespoon of fresh thyme and salt. Process until blended.
- Let sweet potatoes cool for a few minutes, until they aren’t too hot to handle. Top each one with a spread of whipped ricotta, chopped pecans and pomegranate. Sprinkle on fresh thyme, drizzle honey, add fresh ground pepper and serve.
Notes
- Topping swaps: These bites are versatile! Try seasonal swaps like avocado slices, pear with honey and thyme, or even a dollop of jam for something sweet.
- Nut-free option: Skip the pecans and use pepitas or sunflower seeds for crunch.
- Serving tip: These are best enjoyed fresh after assembly, so plan to serve right away if making them for a party.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can these be refrigerated and served cool or “room” temp? I want to make on a Friday and bring to a gathering the next day.
Hi Sarah! Absolutely, here is how you can prep them ahead of time:
1) Slice and roast the sweet potato rounds as directed. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It’s super important to let the rounds cool completely or there will be condensation in the container which leads to soggy sweet potatoes!
2) You can also whip the ricotta ahead of time. Whip the ricotta and fresh thyme in the food processor and then store in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
3) To assemble, you can use the cold sweet potato rounds or pop them in a toaster oven for a few minutes to reheat. Add the toppings and enjoy!
Hope these are a hit!
hi, Cannot wait to try the sweet potato rounds. Taking them to a Christmas party.Did you leave the skin on the sweet potatoes?
Yes, I recommend leaving the skin on, just wash them really well. Enjoy!
These were a big hit at Thanksgiving dinner: SO pretty and extra-delicious! Thank you for this recipe and I’m eagerly exploring lots of others on your site.
Happy to hear these sweet potato bites were a hit, Gin. Thanks so much for the review!
Where do you find vegan ricotta? Would it be dairy free too? These look delicious. I’m fairly new to your site with multiple allergies.
Hey Kathy – I know Kite Hill has a vegan ricotta. You’d have to check to see if they sell it in your local stores. 🙂 And yes, vegan would also mean it’s dairy-free!
I forgot to put my toasted pecans on top before I took these to book club, but these were tasty and a bit lighter than some offerings, and close to bite size. I did peel my potatoes, as the skin was quite rough. i think I would spice differently next time, perhaps a spicy blend lightly on the sweet potatoes and in the ricotta. Used a ziplock with end cut off to pipe onto rounds. Honey was a nice touch, prettier before transport and the 45 min to an hour wait after driving and arriving at my destination.
Amazing! I am so glad this worked out great for you, Jen. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!