Spinach and Artichoke Bites

Spinach and Artichoke Bites

vegan ~ plant-based ~ dairy-free ~ egg-free

Makes: 24 to 30 Bites
Total Time: 30 minutes (includes prep)
Difficulty: Easy
Author/Credit: Jessica Williams/Vegan Rescue

Go Birds!

These Spinach and Artichoke Bites are the perfect game day food! Here in the States, we have a big game this Sunday. It is the Super Bowl, and our Philadelphia Eagles are in it to win it! These are the perfect bite-sized appetizers for any gathering, event, potluck, or game day. They are flavorful and come together extremely quick. Continue reading for the secret ingredient. I really hope you try this one. Enjoy!

For these Spinach and Artichoke Bites, you may end up with up to thirty bites. This depends on how you portion out the crescent rolls. For this recipe, I used a 24-count mini muffin/cupcake pan. However, since I used two containers of the crescent rolls, I ended up with additional. Today, I had extra filling and crescent roll dough. I rolled the filling up in the dough. Then I made separate crescent rolls with the extras. Creating this recipe as Spinach and Artichoke Crescent Rolls is another option, which is also a winner. Just place them on a baking sheet and bake them up for the same amount of time. Also, regarding the vegan cheeses… for this recipe today, I used the VioLife brand. However, I have successfully made this recipe in the past using Tofutti’s Cream Cheese and Daiya Shredded Mozzarella.

Secret ingredient…

The secret ingredient… is the Pesto paste. Basically, I call it a secret… only because of the flavor-bomb it brings. Honestly, it is so unsuspecting. I have made these Spinach and Artichoke Bites many times and in different ways. It is always the pesto that makes it pop! You can use the pesto in the paste form as pictured below. Or you can use jarred pesto as you would use for pasta. Check out this Spinach & Pesto Panini recipe link to see what I mean by the jarred variation. Occasionally, I mention the various uses of pesto. I try to show that it is not just only great for pasta. You can add it to sandwiches and pizzas or use it in so many other ways.

Spinach and Artichoke always pair well together. Check out the end of the post for additional recipes using each. Also, a quick note about artichokes. Whether you buy jarred artichokes or packaged artichoke hearts, you should definitely give them a once over. Visually look or even feel to make sure there are no remaining rough pieces left. If you find any tough pieces cut them off, because they are not edible.

Ingredients:

3 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional to grease the pan
1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
10oz (1 Package) Frozen Spinach
3 Tbsp of Water
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 Tbsp Basil Pesto Paste
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
4oz (half of an 8oz block) Vegan Cream Cheese (I used VioLife brand)
1/2 Cup Vegan Shredded Mozzarella (I used VioLife brand)
2 (8oz packages) Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
15oz Artichoke Hearts, drained/chopped

Chop your artichokes – be on the lookout for any rough pieces.

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
-Prepare your mini muffin pan. Add additional extra virgin olive oil to a napkin or paper towel. Then, grease each section of the pan. Alternatively, you can use cooking spray.

-In a saucepan, add the 3 teaspoons of olive oil, garlic, frozen spinach, and water. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. This will allow the spinach to cook down.

-Next, to the pan with your cooked down spinach. -Add the nutritional yeast, pesto paste, salt/pepper, cream cheese, vegan mozzarella cheese, and chopped artichoke hearts. Stir together to combine. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheeses.

For the dough:

-While the Spinach and Artichoke mixture is cooking. On a lightly floured surface, or on a piece of parchment paper (as pictured). Add your crescent roll dough and gently roll out to close the seams.
-The refrigerated crescent rolls I used here – comes as two separate sections within one tube. I handle each separately by rolling each out into one larger square. I then cut this square into a 3×3 grid to make 9 smaller pieces. (Note: I prefer using a pizza cutter, but you can use a knife or kitchen scissors. Over the years, I have found the pizza cutter to be the best tool for this job).

-Place your cut pizza dough into your mini muffin pan. Add about a tablespoon or two of filling to each. -Check out the pictures or video for a visual.

-Bake for 13 minutes at 375 degrees F until golden brown.

-Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
-Enjoy!

(Note: I prefer using a pizza cutter, but you can use a knife or kitchen scissors. Over the years, I have found the pizza cutter to be the best tool for this job).

For more spinach recipes try these:

Potato Spinach Cakes – Recipe here.

White Pizza with Spinach – Recipe here.

Vegan Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells – Recipe here.

Spinach Soup – Recipe here.

For more artichoke recipes try out these delicious recipes:

Artichoke and Asparagus Antipasto Salad – Recipe here.

Quick Veggie Pizza – Recipe here.