Looking for a great vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free appetizer option for the holidays? Try my easy, fast, delicious “Cheesy” Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites!

"Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com
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Going dairy-free has been fairly easy. However, I’ve had the hardest time missing real cheese. Do you know how hard it is to be a food blogger and avoid cheese at all of these amazing food events, especially the wine events? There is always, always GOOD cheese! It’s crazy difficult, and sometimes I do indulge and then pay for it for the days after.

One of my fave dairy-free cheeses

Luckily, there are brands like Daiya Foods, who work hard to constantly improve their plant-based products. Some pizza places even use their Shreds (similar to shredded cheese) as dairy-free cheese options. All Daiya products are dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and free of eggs, peanuts, fish, and shellfish. That’s quite a feat to create products that are allergen-free!

"Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com

Recently, I had the opportunity to try the new and improved Daiya Cheddar Style Slices and the Daiya Swiss Style Slices. I was admittedly impressed! They were more flavorful and had less of a processed factory taste than other vegan “cheese” alternatives.

I’ve enjoyed the slices to be delicious in grilled cheese sandwiches, and have used them to create some delicious party appetizers. I hope you enjoy the recipe I’m sharing today — and that you enter to win today’s Day 9 of my 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways: a panini press and a

Step-by-step instructions

These are SO super easy to make because I use a lot of shortcuts. You start with wheat bread slices, and you could definitely use gluten-free bread slices if you want.

"Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com

Using a cookie cutter, cut out bread circles and then cut out Daiya slices with the same cookie cutter. Top the bread slices with one Daiya slice.

"Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com

Look how cute the Daiya Swiss style slices are: they have holes in them just like regular ol’ Swiss cheese slices do!

"Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com

Then you top each bite with a small teaspoon of pesto. I use store-bought pesto, but you could also use your own homemade pesto made without any cheese. My creamy avocado pesto would be great for this appetizer – just make it without parmesan cheese for a 100% vegan dish!

"Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com

Finally, top each bite with a spoonful of sun-dried tomatoes. Again, you can totally use jarred sun-dried tomatoes – or you can make your own.

"Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com

Pop into a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes, just until the Daiya slices have melted. Serve and impress your guests! "Cheesy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites recipe and Daiya Giveaway on UrbanBlissLife.com

“Cheesy” Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
These “Cheesy” Vegan Tomato Pesto appetizer bites are so easy and fast to make, and are perfect for any party!
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Ingredients 

  • 8 slices white or wheat bread
  • 4 Daiya Cheddar Style Slices
  • 4 Daiya Swiss Style Slices
  • 1 jar pesto
  • 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Using a circle cookie cutter or pastry cutter, cut out 2 circles from each slice of bread
  • Using the same circle cutter, cut out circles from the Daiya slices
  • Top each slice of bread with one Daiya circle slice, then top with about a teaspoon of pesto sauce, followed by a teaspoon of sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Place each appetizer bite onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, just until the slices have melted.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 148mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 76IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 122mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

About Marlynn

I'm a cookbook author, recipe developer, photographer, WSET 2 Certified wine pro, mom of two, and dog lover. I'm here to help you with fast, easy, and delicious recipes, food & wine pairings, cooking & baking tips, plus food and wine travel guides.

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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68 Comments

  1. Mary Cloud says:

    I love a Hot Ham and Cheese with lots of Mayo

  2. sarah mayer says:

    I love a tuna sandwich with cheese and lots of veggies.

  3. Christi says:

    Grilled cheese.