I love a dish that has multiple layers of flavors, ranging from sweet to savory, to smoky. These complex flavors are amazing in my Vegan Blueberry Crostini, made with homemade blueberry jam, herb toasts, and homemade vegan cream cheese made from cashews! Your holiday party appetizer table will be complete with these crisp delights!
One of my favorite finger foods is crostini. They are crisp little toasts topped with anything ranging from bruschetta tomatoes, jam, cheeses, and more. Lots of fancy parties serve these babies on a platter with an array of toppings.
While herby baked toasts are great on their own, I like to make these sweet and savory Vegan Blueberry Crostini! They feature many elements that blend together beautifully when you take a bite. Plus, they look stunning on any table!
Use delicious and crusty bread for these toasts. I like to use some bakery-fresh baguettes for the toasts because they are small and dainty, perfect for finger foods at a party.
This appetizer is basically a cheese tray all-in-one. You have the vegan cream cheese for tartness and creaminess, the blueberry compote for sweetness and freshness, and the toast for crunch. An elegant food for an elegant time of year!
How to Make the Perfect Toasts
The toast itself is pretty important in these Vegan Blueberry Crostinis. You want something small enough to hold, tiny enough to eat in two bites, but sturdy enough to hold toppings.
A crusty baguette is a perfect bread for these toasts. They are naturally thin, so the slices end up being perfectly sized. They are light and airy, so the toast is not too dense upon biting. Because of the large air pockets in the bread, they make for a lovely mouthfeel.
To make the perfect toasts for crostini, it all begins in the oven. I bake them at a pretty high temperature, 425F, to make sure they are crisp on the outside. Upon baking, I mix some herbs, garlic, and oil to season the toasts for even more flavor.
Once crisp, I remove the toasts and allow them to cool. Once they are at room temperature, they are ready for toppings!
Ingredients in Vegan Blueberry Crostini
For the Toasted Bread:
1 French baguette, sliced 1-inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup vegan butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
For the Vegan Cream Cheese Sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup filtered water
For the Blueberry Compote:
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
½ cup organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup filtered water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon arrowroot starch + 1 tablespoon WARM water
How to Make Vegan Blueberry Crostini
For the Toasted Bread:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet, lining it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, dried parsley, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes until combined.
Place slices of baguette flat onto your baking sheet and brush with mixture and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp around the edges.
Meanwhile, make the vegan cream cheese sauce.
For the Vegan Cream Cheese:
Add all ingredients into a high-powdered blender (cashews first) and blend until sauce becomes creamy.
NOTE: If needed, add a bit more lemon juice or water (1 tablespoon at a time), until desired consistency is met. Set aside.
For the Blueberry Compote:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the blueberries, lemon juice, cane sugar, vanilla, and water together, stirring until everything comes to a boil and the blueberry juices are released.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced considerably, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. To thicken, mix together the arrowroot and WARM WATER until combined and "milky" consistency. Add to the blueberry mixture and stir until it begins to thicken. Once done, remove from heat.
To Assemble:
Once bread slices are toasted, remove them from the oven, letting them cool for 1-2 minutes or until they are safe to handle.
Generously spread the vegan cream cheese sauce onto each slice of bread followed by 1-2 tablespoons of the blueberry compote/topping. Repeat until all crostinis are made. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.
Bon Appetit!
Other Recipes You'll Love
If you love my Vegan Blueberry Crostini, you will also love these dishes!
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet, lining it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, dried parsley, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes until combined.
Place slices of baguette flat unto your baking sheet and brush with mixture and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp around the edges.
Meanwhile, make the vegan cream cheese sauce.
TO MAKE THE VEGAN CREAM CHEESE SAUCE:
Add all ingredients into a high-powdered blender (cashews first) and blend until sauce becomes creamy. NOTE: If needed, add a bit more lemon juice or water (1 tablespoon at a time), until desired consistency is met. Set aside.
TO MAKE THE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE/TOPPING:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the blueberries, lemon juice, cane sugar, vanilla, and water together, stirring until everything comes to a boil and the blueberry juices are released.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced considerably, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes. To thicken, mix together the arrowroot and WARM WATER until combined and "milky" in consistency. Add to the blueberry mixture and stir until it begins to thicken. Once done, remove from heat.
ASSEMBLY:
Once bread slices are toasted, remove them from oven, letting them cool for 1-2 minutes or until they are safe to handle.
Generously spread the vegan cream cheese sauce unto each slice of bread followed by 1-2 Tbsps of the blueberry compote/topping. Repeat until all crostinis are made. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.
Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
STORAGE: Crostini toppings can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container (separately) for up to 3 days; crostinis are best consumed within the same day once made.
SOAKED CASHEWS: Add cashews to a bowl or measuring cup, cover with fresh cold water and cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp overnight. If soaking for 3-4 hours, add cashews to measuring cup and cover with boiling water instead.
Thank you so much for the delicious Vegan Blueberry Crostini recipe! The crostini were a bit hit and I’ll be making them again.
I omitted the garlic powder and opted for chopped fresh parsley in the vegan butter sauce, and added a pinch of cinnamon to the blueberry sauce. Even non vegans enjoyed the crostinis!
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Thank you so much for the delicious Vegan Blueberry Crostini recipe! The crostini were a bit hit and I’ll be making them again.
I omitted the garlic powder and opted for chopped fresh parsley in the vegan butter sauce, and added a pinch of cinnamon to the blueberry sauce. Even non vegans enjoyed the crostinis!
Hi Dew! This makes me so happy to hear that these were a hit! I love serving these during gatherings! Thanks so much for giving them a try! 🙂