Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Sliders w/ Fig and Caramelized Onion Cashew Cheese

These Gluten-Free and Vegan Sweet Potato Sliders with Fig and Caramelized Onion Cashew Cheese, Apples, and Arugula are a wonderful holiday appetizer packed with a perfectly balanced sweet and savory flavor!

Recipe created by Katie Mathews @farelyrooted

 

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan

Serves 16 small sliders

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Sweet Potato Mash

1 lb sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)

1 TB extra virgin olive oil (or melted butter)

2 TB Just Date Syrup

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp sea salt

Caramelized Onion

½ sweet onion, sliced very thin

1 TB vegan butter (I used Miyoko’s)

1 TB olive oil

¼ tsp sea salt

Fig & Caramelized Onion Cashew Cheese

1 ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 to 4 hours

Juice of 2 lemons

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp sea salt

2 TB purified water

¼ cup fig jam

Caramelized onions from above recipe

Additional Ingredients for Assembly

2 small bags (or 16 individual) Bread SRSLY Classic Gluten-Free Sourdough Dinner Rolls

2 green apples, cored and sliced thin

2 cups baby arugula 

 

DIRECTIONS

1. First things first. Make sure you have cashews soaked or soaking, as they need to soak for 2 to 4 hours to soften!
2. Preheat oven to 400 and individually wrap sweet potatoes in foil, poking holes with a fork to let the steam out.
3. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 40-50 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven, unwrap, and let cool enough to handle.
4. Meanwhile, make caramelized onions. Heat 1 TB vegan butter and 1 TB olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Once lightly sizzling, add sliced onion and sea salt to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned/caramelized, but not burned. Pour hot onions into a bowl to cool completely.
5. To make cashew cheese, drain the soaked cashews and add them to a high-powered blender with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and water. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed to get all cashew bits incorporated. If your blender is having a hard time churning, add more water 1 tsp at a time until the cheese blends smooth, but thick.
6. Transfer cheese to a small bowl and stir in fig jam and cooled caramelized onions. Set aside or in the fridge until ready to use.
7. When sweet potatoes are cool, remove the skins, adding all the flesh to a medium bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth, and then mash in olive oil, Just Date date syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt, until evenly combined.
8. Prep the rolls. Slice Bread SRSLY dinner rolls in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Toast at 400 for 7-10 minutes, until the tops are slightly golden.
9. Assemble sliders. Spread 2 TB sweet potato mash on the bottom halves of the rolls (drizzle a bit more date syrup on if you want a little extra sweet!) and about 1 TB of cashew cheese on the top halves of the rolls. Sandwich each roll with sliced apples and a few leaves of arugula. 
10. Serve and enjoy!