Basil infused cream cheese spread on top of a thin, salty, pretzel, then topped with sliced fresh vegetables. A simple, perfect appetizer or party food.
This recipe has a twinsie post —> Strawberry Shortcake Pretzel Bites. It uses the same construction, a thin crispy, salty, pretzel topped with sweetened cream cheese, a fresh strawberry slice, a wee bit of fresh basil and artfully covered in melted chocolate. A perfect bite. Check it out!
You can use whatever veggies you prefer to top these savory little bites. I like the way thin sliced peppers of different colors look. Almost sushi-ish in their bright freshness. The cucumber is a necessity, as it provides a perfect complementary crunch that matches the pretzel and balances with the creaminess of the cream cheese. It was also really nice with the creamy cream cheese and soft avocado, topped with crunchy peppers. I hope you find a better looking avocado than I did though. It can be so hit or miss!
The pretzel thins I got came in an 8oz bag and between making 30 of these and 30 of the strawberry shortcake bites, I still had tons of pretzels left. So, you could totally make more!
These are great for parties, as an pretty appetizer for a dinner party, or just for yourself, to snack on while netflix bingeing :-). They cannot be made in advance as the pretzels will start to get soggy after a couple hours or after being in the refrigerator. They assemble quickly though, so it isn’t too much trouble doing right before serving.
| Prep Time | 15 |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings |
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- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped finely)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cucumbers **
- 1-2 peppers (red, yellow, orange - whichever you like)
- 1 avocado
- any other veggies you'd like to use
- 30 pretzel thins
Ingredients
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- In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, basil, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let the flavors develop. I usually let it sit overnight.
- Slice your cucumbers in approximately 1/4" slices.
- Slice your other veggies very thin and cut them so they will fit nicely on the pretzel thin.
- Spread some of the cream cheese on each pretzel thin. Top each with a cucumber and then the pepper slices. Or, be creative and top some with just pepper slices or just avocado, or avocado and cuke or however you like. I personally liked when each bite had the bright crunch of the cucumber.
** I seek out small cucumbers, or those long thin ones, for this as they are smaller, less seedy, and crunchier. You can use regular slicing cukes but you'll have to cut them in half to fit the pretzel thin. Plus, maybe peel them - whatever supermarkets are coating the skins with nowadays is not pleasant.