Goat Cheese Crostini

Here’s an easy finger food idea for a party: goat cheese crostini! Simply make homemade toasts and top with goat cheese, honey and fresh herbs.

It’s often that Alex and I are stumped when we first think of finger foods to serve for a party. So over the years, we’ve developed a crutch: goat cheese crostini. This appetizer idea could not be easier: honestly, it’s more an idea than a recipe. Bake up some homemade crostini, top with goat cheese and honey, and you’ve got the most delicious sweet and savory taste treat. The flavor of soft goat cheese is so perfect in itself that you don’t need any other seasoning. Once you make this once, it will become part of your repertoire for years! Here’s what to do.

Start with a baguette

Any baguette or small round crusty bread will do for this goat cheese crostini! You will want it to be an artisan-style loaf, because that’s what gets crispiest in the oven. An enriched bread or roll will be too soft. Likely you can find a French-style baguette at your local grocery.

Or if you have time and love to bake, you can make one at home! (Here’s our Homemade Baguette Recipe.) Of course because this is a seriously easy recipe, we assume you’ll probably pick one up at the store.

Make the crostini!

Crostini are so easy to make: they’re simply toasted baguette slices that bake for 10 minutes until they’re as crispy as a cracker! You don’t even need any oil to make them. Here’s what to do:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Slice a baguette diagonally into thin slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. No oil needed!
• Bake for about 10 minutes. The exact timing will depend on the age of the baguette and thickness of the slices. Let them cool to room temperature so you can…top them!

Top that goat cheese crostini

The last thing you have to do for goat cheese crostini: top it up! To keep this recipe truly an easy appetizer, here’s what we added. The savory, creamy goat cheese against the sweet of the honey is truly magic! The flavors shine in their simplicity:

• Soft goat cheese (chevre)
• Honey
• Fresh herbs: mint, basil or thyme
• Fresh ground black pepper

More goat cheese crostini toppings!

Of course, you don’t have to stop there. This one is the basic recipe, so it’s designed as the base that you can add to from there. This is perfect for using up whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand. In the summer, you can use almost any veggie or fruit that’s seasonal! Make up your goat cheese crostini using the recipe below, then swap out the honey for some of these variations:

• Tomato goat cheese crostini. Add fresh tomatoes mixed with salt and minced garlic, chopped basil.
• Blackberry crostini. Add fresh blackberries or cherries, mint, and balsamic reduction
• Roasted tomato crostini. Make these roasted tomatoes and top with fresh ground pepper.
• Eggplant crostini. Make roasted eggplant and add it over the goat cheese.
• Peach crostini. Add sliced ripe peaches, honey, and a sprinkle of mint.
• Pear crostini. Top the goat cheese with sliced pears, fresh thyme and balsamic reduction.
• Onion crostini. Top with caramelized onions and fresh thyme.
• Broccoli crostini. Make roasted broccoli and add it to the goat cheese crostini with toasted pine nuts.
• Shaved asparagus crostini: Make shaved asparagus salad and use it to top the crostini.
• Strawberry crostini. Top the goat cheese with sliced ripe strawberries, fresh mint and lots of black pepper. Balsamic reduction optional.

If you happen to be cooking for someone who can’t eat goat cheese, try one of these Substitutes for Goat Cheese.

Can you make crostini ahead?

You can! You can make crostini up to 5 days in advance. Allow them to cool fully, then store them in a sealed container at room temperature until serving.

Goat cheese vs cow’s cheese

There’s nothing better than a fresh log of soft goat cheese, in our opinion! Did you know there a few benefits of goat cheese over a standard cow’s cheese like cheddar or mozzarella? Here’s what gives goat cheese a leg up (Source: Prevention):

• More vitamins and minerals than cow’s cheese. Goat’s milk is richer in essential nutrients than cow’s milk (like vitamin A & B, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium).
• Slightly less calories than cow’s cheese. Goat cheese has just 75 calories per ounce—vs cheddar cheese which has 115 calories.
• Easier to digest. Goat cheese has less lactose than cow’s milk and a slightly different protein structure. That means people who are lactose intolerant many times can digest goat cheese!

More goat cheese recipes

If you’re like us, you could enjoy creamy cherve any day of the day! Here are some goat cheese recipes so you can try just that:

• Try Baked Goat Cheese with Tomatoes, which makes magic with tangy fire roasted tomatoes
• Blend up Whipped Goat Cheese, a quick and creamy dip
• Grab Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese, a quick and easy dinner recipe tastes like it took all day to make.
• Opt for Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates: the sweet and savory combo keeps everyone coming back for more
• Try an Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer, or start the day with a Goat Cheese Omelette

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Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer

02

Goat Cheese Omelette

03

Baked Goat Cheese Dip

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Goat Cheese Pizza

This goat cheese crostini recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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