I love a good party, but honestly, I’m mostly just there for the snacks. If I could park myself next to the food table and just leisurely sample through the appetizers and treats, occasionally chatting up a friend here and there, I would consider that the perfect party.
With the holidays around the corner, I thought I would whip up an easy spread of delicious crostini toppings since crostinis are one of my favorite things to eat and serve at a party.
For this post, we are partnering with Walmart, and I love that they make it easy to shop for all your party food needs as well as your serving dishes and holiday decor items, all in one place! I grabbed all my grocery needs for this platter in one trip to Walmart and I was so happy that I could save time to get everything at one store (and get to assembling them faster).
My favorite party foods to serve are ones that are easy to make and taste great, so these five crostini options will make hosting a breeze and your friends and family will think you’re also pretty fancy too!
Why are Crostinis The Perfect Party Food?
- They are bite size (well, a few bites): Having easy-to-pick-up appetizers is always a plus with a party, and one that you can eat in a bite or two also gives guests a chance to try a few without filling up on just that snack.
- The topping options are unlimited: Seriously, there are a million ways to top crostinis … from savory to sweet, to both, the options are endless so you could serve them at every party and never have to do it the same way twice if you didn’t want to.
- Easy to customize: If you have guests that are vegetarians, or vegans, or dairy-free, you can swap out ingredients to make sure your guests have something delicious they can have as well (they make gluten-free baguettes as well!).
What type of bread should I use for crostinis?
The best bread to use for crostinis is a French baguette (the long skinny breads that you see in bike baskets in Paris, haha). Once sliced, the pieces are toasted in the oven and you get the perfect crunch that is chewier than a cracker, but more sturdy for holding toppings than a regular piece of toast would be.
While you could use another bread as the base of your crostini, just be aware it may not be as sturdy as a sliced baguette is when toasted.
Can I make crostinis in batches?
Yes!! That’s the other great thing about these is that you can cut a bunch of bread slices, toast them, and then just spread them out in a line and top with your assorted toppings. You can make them all the same or mix and match flavors just by varying the toppings.
You can also roast a lot of your fruit toppings together on different sides of the same pan. Just keep an eye on them as they may bake at different rates.
Roasted Grape and Honey Goat Cheese Crostini
This is one of my favorite apps I’ve ever had at a party! I actually had one of these at my co-worker’s house years ago and asked her friend immediately for the recipe.
The roasted grapes give the dish some sweetness along with the honey in the goat cheese, and the creamy cheese with the roasted rosemary gives it a tangy undertone that pairs perfectly.
Prosciutto and Plum Crostini
Another way to marry sweet and savory is to use prosciutto, as it pairs really well with fruits like plums, peaches, pears, and slices of melon like honeydew and cantaloupe.
You can also roast fruit slices (the plumbs, peaches, or pears) until they start to soften a bit or even crisp up the prosciutto first on a cookie sheet until it starts to get crispy, but it’s also great as-is and can be a nice contrast if you have other topping options that are roasted.
Chocolate Hazelnut with Berries and Mint
Chocolate hazelnut spread on bread is one of my favorite things in the world, so adding it to a crostini with fresh berries and mint is a really fast way to make a desert crostini and please all those chocolate bread lovers like myself. This one is really fast to put together so you can make more in a snap as needed.
Roasted Tomato and Feta
What’s better than tomatoes, basil, and cheese? You can do a feta slice for a tangier option or stick with something a little more mild like a mozzarella or even a cream cheese. This one is definitely a classic standard that’s a crowd pleaser any time of the year.
Blackberry and Baked Brie Crostini
This is one of those toppings that feels fancy but is still a snap to make! Adding a bit of honey and vanilla to the blackberry gives it something extra and smashing a few of them will give you an instant jam as well to add to the brie.
For serving appetizers like these, I love serving trays like that marble and wood serving board, and these long white trays are so versatile for events all year round.
Bigger trays like this wood one with handles are perfect for apps or plates and silverware presentation.
Those Santa plates are adorable (similar here)! And every party needs a set of gold cheese knives (similar here) and gold silverware, if you ask me.
How festive does that look!? I love those lit birch trees (they are super easy to set up and to store), the glass trees add a punch of color to the table (big and small), the candle holders add warmth (love those pink candles), and the snow globe adds fun!
Having a table runner in a holiday color is a must and I wove these star lights into a pre-lit pine garland and the result feels so magical. I also love that snow globe print above the table that I added wool ball garlands to. So festive!
You can double or triple one of the recipes if you just want to make one or two options for a party, but I hope this becomes an easy way to run to your local Walmart and get all of your holiday appetizer needs in one spot.
Do you have any other favorite ways to top a crostini? Happy holidays, everyone! xo. Laura
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Ingredients
Roasted Grape and Honey Goat Cheese
- ¾ cup grapes (washed)
- 1 spring rosemary
- 2-3 ounces honey goat cheese (or just mix a drizzle of honey into regular goat cheese)
- ¼ French baguette
- 1 drizzle olive oil
Chocolate Hazelnut with Berries and Mint
- chocolate hazelnut spread
- 4 springs mint (fresh)
- 1 cup berries (assorted)
- ¼ French baguette
Roasted Tomato and Feta
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- 6 basil leaves
- ¼ French baguette
- ¼ block of feta cheese
Prochutto and Plum
- ¼ French baguette
- 5-6 slices prosciutto
- 1 plumb (can also use peach or melon slices)
- 3-4 wedges Laughing Cow spreadable cheese (can also use another preferred cheese)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme for garnish (optional)
Blackberry and Baked Brie
- 1 cup blackberries
- ¼ wheel of brie cheese
- 1 drizzle of honey
- 1 drop of vanilla extract
- ¼ French baguette
Equipment
- cookie sheet
Instructions
Roasted Grape and Honey Goat Cheese
- Begin by taking your washed gapes, halve them, and put them in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil on top. Finely chop your rosemary, add it to the grapes and olive oil, and mix together. Preheat oven to 375˚F, and place the grape and rosemary mixture on a baking pan. Bake the grapes for 10-20 minutes until their skins are wrinkled and begin to blister. Turn the oven down to 350˚F. Cut your baguette into thin slices. Brush each side of the bread slices with olive oil, and bake on another baking sheet for 7 minutes or so until they are toasted. Spread your honey goat cheese onto each crostini, and top with your roasted grape and rosemary mixture.
Chocolate Hazelnut with Berries and Mint
- Turn the oven to 350˚F. Cut your baguette into thin slices. Brush each side of the bread slices with olive oil, and bake on another baking sheet for 7 minutes or so until they are toasted.Spread a layer of chocolate hazelnut spread on each crostini and top with berries and chopped fresh mint.
Roasted Tomatoes and Feta
- Begin by taking your washed grape tomatoes, halve them, and put them in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375˚F, and place the tomatoes on a baking pan. Bake the tomatoes for 10-20 minutes until their skins are wrinkled and begin to blister. Add chopped basil to the tomatoes.Turn the oven to 350˚F. Cut your baguette into thin slices. Brush each side of the bread slices with olive oil, and bake on another baking sheet for 7 minutes or so until they are toasted. Add slices of feta to your crostinis and top with the tomato and basil mixture.
Prosciutto and Plumb
- Turn the oven to 350˚F. Cut your baguette into thin slices. Brush each side of the bread slices with olive oil, and bake on another baking sheet for 7 minutes or so until they are toasted.Spread a thick layer of cheese onto each crostini and layer half a slice of prosciutto in a ribbon on top. Add a slice of plum to the prosciutto and fresh thyme for a garnish.
Blackberry and Baked Brie
- Turn the oven to 350˚F. Cut your baguette into thin slices. Brush each side of the bread slices with olive oil, and bake on another baking sheet for 7 minutes or so until they are toasted.Add slices of brie to your crostini and put them back in the oven until the brie starts to melt a bit. While the brie is melting, add your blackberries to a bowl and drizzle with a bit of honey and a few drops of vanilla extract. Smash a few of the berries so that the juice begins to mix in with the vanilla and honey. Spread the blackberry mixture and a bit of the juice over the warm crostini and top with a bit of fresh mint.
Appetizers are my favorite food group! I’ve never made crostinis. Your recipes sound yummy! I’m definitely going to give them a try. Thanks!😊
I’m with you on the snacks! My idea of a perfect holiday dinner is just appetizers!
I feel a bit betrayed by how much ABM is pushing Walmart lately. It doesn’t fit with what you have presented for years. 😔