25 Easy Crostini and Bruschetta Recipes
Featuring a combination of vegetables, seafood, and cheese, these crunchy bites are a delicious way to start a meal.
Crostini and bruschetta are two appetizers that are guaranteed to please time and time again. The bread—typically smaller slices of baguette or loaf bread for crostini and larger slices of rustic bread for bruschetta—acts as a built-in plate, making them the perfect finger food. They're easy to prepare and provide a base for all kinds of seasonal vegetables, fruit jam, smoked fish, briny condiments, and lots and lots of cheese. These quick and easy appetizer recipes make elevating a meal—even on weeknights—a breeze.
All crostini and bruschetta recipes start with good bread. Slices of baguette, pumpernickel, or a rustic country bread are drizzled with olive oil and baked in the oven or grilled until they're golden brown on the outside but still soft on the inside. From here, some are smeared with cheese—creamy ricotta, tangy, crumbly goat cheese, or even shreds of Manchego, Parmesan, or sharp cheddar. Add vegetables, whether grilled slices or thin shavings of raw produce, or fruit (figs are fantastic!). Then sprinkle with fresh herbs for color and fragrant flavor and dig in.
During summer, there's nothing like tomato-topped bruschetta. We have recipes that call for both raw tomatoes, where the color and flavor of heirloom varieties shine, as well as grilled tomatoes, which bring a smoky, charred flavor. Pair with garlic and basil, of course, for a quintessential Italian recipe. To ensure that the bread doesn't get soggy from the juicy tomatoes, toast the bread for a few extra minutes so that it's extra-crispy, a hallmark of bruschetta.
When the cooler months come around, top crostini or bruschetta with seasonal fruit like kumquats or persimmons or a warm caramelized onion jam. Play around with flavors and textures with these fun and simple recipes.
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Roasted-Garlic Toast with Tomato
Thinly sliced Campari tomatoes and mashed garlic confit top baked rustic bread for an umami-packed bruschetta bite.
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Mortadella, Artichoke-Heart, and Olive Crostini
Salty and sophisticated, this crostini brings together mortadella, a cured meat studded with pistachios and black pepper, oil-packed anchovy fillets, artichoke hearts, and pitted black olives. Together, they make for an unstoppable crostini.
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Beets with Greens and Ricotta on Toast
A timeless treat, ricotta crostini is taken to the next level by topping each slice with beets sprinkled with ground coffee (yes really!), plus thinly sliced garlic and sautéed beet greens.
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Smoked Trout Pâté on Toasted Baguette
Making trout pâté for this appetizer is so easy. Simply combine cream cheese, minced shallot, lemon juice, chives, and smoked trout, then spread the pâté on toasted baguette slices.
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Persimmon and Brie Crostini
Toasted baguette slices, gooey melted Brie, sweet persimmons, and freshly cracked pepper—our mouths are watering just thinking about taking a bite of these little toasts. Fortunately, they only take 10 minutes to make!
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Zucchini Bruschetta
A perfect summer bite! Tender zucchini sautéed in butter with shallots and red-pepper flakes makes a succulent bruschetta topping.
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Cherry and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Take cherries on a spin by pairing them with tangy goat cheese and fresh thyme in this sweet-meets-savory bruschetta recipe.
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Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Top grilled garlic-rubbed bread with a rainbow of heirloom tomatoes along with thinly sliced red onion and plenty of fresh basil for the ultimate summer appetizer.
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Clams Casino Crostini
The classic seafood dish—featuring fresh clams, minced garlic, bacon, and plenty of herbs—is transformed into a tasty, briny, and crusty appetizer.
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Roasted Grape and Burrata Crostini
Upgrade supermarket grapes by roasting them until sizzling and blistered. Serve with creamy burrata cheese for a heavenly appetizer that no one will be able to stop eating.
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New Caesar Salad
Serving Caesar salad on crostini (think of them as bigger croutons!) is a genius idea. Vinegary white anchovies give the toasts an extra flavor kick.
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Chicken-Liver Crostini with Quince Jelly
Make your own chicken liver mousse (it's easier than you think!), then spread it over toasted baguette slices with Quince Jelly for these sophisticated crostini.
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Cucumber-Feta Toasts
Looking for a refreshing vegetarian appetizer? Try topping toasted baguette slices with lemony feta and crisp cucumber slices.
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Grilled Pepper Bruschetta
Toss flame-kissed peppers and juicy cherry tomatoes with briny capers, red-wine vinegar, and olive oil for a flavor-packed toast topping. Finish with shaved Parmesan.
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Spinach Pesto on Sardine Crostini
Seeking healthy finger food? Look no further than these protein-packed toasts. The meaty sardines are a great foil for garlicky spinach pesto and sweet currants.
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Ricotta Crostini
Creamy ricotta cheese makes a delicious base for all kinds of crostini. Try drizzling with olive oil and cracked pepper or top with tomato-anchovy salad or roasted broccoli rabe.
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Minted Pea and Prosciutto Crostini
Mint pairs beautifully with the sweetness of bright green peas in this crostini. Prosciutto is just icing on the crostini.
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Melted Chocolate with Fleur de Sel Bruschetta
Luxurious melted chocolate covers crunchy toast in this bruschetta recipe that's just right for a sweet snack or dessert.
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Prosciutto, Melon, and Balsamic Vinegar Bruschetta
The classic pairing of sweet melon and salty prosciutto is enhanced by a splash of good-quality balsamic vinegar in this bruschetta recipe.
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Charred Carrot Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Parsley
This colorful bruschetta recipe is topped with a mashup of roasted, charred carrots and tangy goat cheese.
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Fava Bean, Mint, and Pecorino Romano Bruschetta
A hint of spice from crushed red pepper complements the fava beans in this bruschetta recipe.
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Crostini with Kale and Parmesan
Cooking kale until it's wilted and soft gives a nice texture contrast to the crunch of the toasted baguette and shaved Parmesan for an all-around delicious crostini recipe.
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Grilled Tomato Bruschetta
The soft, charred tomatoes and the bread for this bruschetta recipe can both be cooked on the grill.
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Pesto-Bocconcini Crostini
This crostini recipe comes together in a flash with the help of store-bought ingredients like prepared pesto and bocconcini (bite-sized balls of mozzarella).
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Gravlax and Cucumber Crostini
Like a bite-size smoked salmon and cucumber tea sandwich! Dijon mayo and plenty of fresh dill round out the flavors in this easy appetizer.