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Savory Sweet Potato Nachos – Loaded, Plant-Based Appetizer

November 16, 2022

7 5 minutes read

Sweet potato nachos are easy to make a perfect food for parties, quiet nights in or a fun family game night. Top my vegan nachos how you want and dig right in to a plant-powered treat!

large metal tray full of baked sweet potato nachos with lots of fresh toppings.

Step aside, take out. These sweet potato nachos are taking over and I can attest to the fact that they are the best vegan nachos I’ve ever made. Seriously though, they are sweet and savory, spicy and creamy, and oh so enjoyable! I love making a giant tray of these a topping with my vegan queso from Simple Green Meals, cashew cream and all the spicy peppers I can chop. These plant based nachos are easy to make and enjoy any way you want.

ingredients for vegan nachos including: black olives, avocado oil, spices, sweet potatoes, green onions, jalapeño pepper, black beans and tomato

Sweet Potato Nacho Ingredients

My recipe includes 100% real plant ingredients for the best flavor, color and presentation… that will be gone in minutes once you take your first bite. Plant based nachos can be bursting with flavor and here’s how I do it:

Sweet Potatoes: The sweeter the better for this dish, in my opinion. Use a mandolin for evenly sliced pieces.
Avocado Oil: This oil doesn’t burn in high-heat and therefore works better on nachos than olive oil.
Spice Mix: I mix together cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and sea salt for a lovely spice rub to sprinkle over the sweet potato rounds. This brings a more complex flavor to the overall recipe as well as highlights the natural flavors in the sweet potatoes.
Black Beans: You can use the beans of your choice, yet I love the earthiness of black beans, as well as the protein they provide.
Tomato: I usually use whatever tomatoes I have on hand, so if you have a fav variety then choose that one!
Jalapeño Pepper: There should always be some spice on nachos, and fresh jalapeño peppers are def the way to go.
Black Olives: Another great healthy fat to add, and I love the tang that black olives bring.
Green Onions: While I love purple onions, I was craving a super fresh element for these nachos, and green onions provide that without overpowering the dish.

Now, on to the creamy toppings!

Best Nacho Toppings

Since most of the ‘toppings’ listed above are getting baked into these vegan nachos, I view toppings as what gets added right before serving. Here are my fav ways to serve my sweet potato nachos:

Squeeze of lime + cilantro: Nothing beats the brightness of fresh lime juice, and the cilantro always adds a bit of pizazz.
Avocado Crema: This gorgeous sauce is like an upscale, creamy cousin to guacamole. It’s perfect for dipping or spreading right on the nachos.
Cashew Cream: For those sour cream lovers, this is the ultimate dairy-free version. I keep freezer bags of this cream on hand as it can go on pretty much anything.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese: I’m a sucker for a cheesy finish and this unique mix does the perfect job. You’d never guess this isn’t real sprinkle cheese thanks to the nutritional yeast.

5 photos showing steps to making plant based nachos including slicing sweet potatoes, covering them with oil and spices, baking them and then topping them with a variety of toppings.

How to Make Plant Based Nachos

Nachos are pretty straight forward, but there are a few steps you can take to ensure the best results. And that’s what we want, right?!

Start by carefully slicing the sweet potatoes into very thin slices. The more even you can make the slices the bettter. Tip: use a mandolin for even slices.
For the best flavor, toss the sliced potatoes in avocado oil, then toss well in the spice mixture to evenly coat.
Arrange the coated potatoes in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. the pieces may overlap a little and that’s fine.
Once the potatoes are baked to fork tender, top with the veggie toppings in an even layer and bake again to heat them up.
Finally, top with the dips/extra toppings you want right before serving.

Tips for Crispy Nachos Chips

If you like a crispier ‘chip’ for your nachos then you want to follow this easy tip. Once the sweet potatoes are baked to fork tender, switch the oven to broil and broil on high for 3-5 minutes.

You’ll need to watch the pan closely to ensure the potatoes get crispy but not burnt. They should bubble up on top and the edges will curl. Remove from oven and let rest a few minutes, then test for crispiness.

gorgeous tray of nachos using plant based ingredients

Vegan Nachos FAQs

Are sweet potato nachos healthy?

This recipe is firmly in the snack category. That said, I use fresh plant based ingredients and stick to seasonal ones when possible. That way my nachos have the freshest produce and change every time I make them!

How do I make my sweet potato nachos crispy?

Easy! Once you bake the chips until fork tender, give that pan a toss then return to the oven on broil. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, watching closely to ensure the sweet potato rounds are getting crispy but not burnt.

What toppings are good on nachos?

I love loaded nachos, so almost no topping is off-limits: black beans, guacamole, avocado crema, cashew cream, fresh jalapeños, green onions, fresh salsa, tomatoes and more!

plate of homemade nachos topped with avocado crema

Sweet Potato Nachos

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Kick back and dig into this sweet n’ savory plant based sweet potato nachos. Gorgeous fresh chips baked to perfection and topped with a rainbow of toppings, you’ll never order nachos again! These are really pretty easy to make and so worth it for the warm flavors.

Total Time37 minutes

Servings2

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes (thinly sliced into ⅛-inch rounds)
2 tablespoon avocado oil
½ teaspoon cumin (ground)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1.5 cups black beans (drained and rinsed, 1 can)
1 tomato (diced)
1 jalapeño pepper (thinly sliced)
½ cup sliced black olives
1 green onion (thinly sliced)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato slices with oil. In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes and toss well to coat.
Arrange in an even layer on baking sheet. Sweet potato slices may overlap each other.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Remove pan from the oven and top the potatoes evenly with black beans, tomato, jalapeño, olives and green onions. Bake again for 7 minutes, or until toppings are warm.
Serve with cilantro, squeeze of lime juice, avocado crema, cashew cream and vegan parmesan cheese for the ultimate appetizer.

Notes

For extra crispy sweet potato chips, once they are fork tender, switch oven to broil and broil on high for 3-5 minutes, watching closely to ensure the chips brown and don’t burn.
Feel free to use the toppings of your choice, these are your nachos!
Remove the seeds from the jalapeño pepper to cut back on the spice.
Swap avocado crema with guacamole.
Swap vegan parmesan sprinkle with vegan cheese of your choice.

Nutrition (estimated)

Calories: 558kcal (28%) Carbohydrates: 82g (27%) Protein: 16g (32%) Fat: 20g (31%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 14g Sodium: 1248mg (54%) Potassium: 1444mg (41%) Fiber: 21g (88%) Sugar: 12g (13%) Vitamin A: 33204IU (664%) Vitamin C: 16mg (19%) Calcium: 139mg (14%) Iron: 5mg (28%)

3 photos of plant based appetizers including buffalo cauliflower wings, vegan charcuterie and crispy avocado fries.

More Plant-Based Appetizers

I love finding plant-based versions of appetizers, but they’ve gotta taste good to be worth it. I can personally testify the following apps are delicious AND made with real plants:

November 16, 2022

7 5 minutes read