This recipe for cranberry pecan crostini appetizers is the perfect light bite to start any special gathering of friends.
These snacks are nice to serve with drinks before dinner, and they also make a lovely starter to a meal when served on small plates with a light salad.
Having a small bite-sized appetizer will start your party off in style. Serve them alone, or incorporate them into an antipasto salad or platter.
The recipe is an amazing combination of cheese, cranberries, pecans, and fresh herbs. Keep reading to learn how to make them.
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Ingredients for the cranberry pecan crostini appetizers
To make this tasty appetizer, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 Italian baguette, uncooked
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea Salt & cracked black Pepper to taste
- For the topping:
- Cream cheese flavored with garlic & herbs
- 1/3 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup of pecan pieces
- Rosemary, thyme, or chives to garnish
The cheese that I chose for these easy appetizers is a cream cheese variety flavored with garlic and herbs. It makes a great base for the toppings.
Cranberries are one of those foods that always seem to find their way onto the holiday table and they add a nice sweetness to these appetizers.
How to make the crostini appetizers.
I made my own crostinis with a loaf of Italian bread. They are cheaper than store-bought crostinis and taste so much better.
Start preheating your oven to 375°F (190ºC). Slice a crusty baguette on the diagonal into 1/2-3/4-inch 3/4-inch-thick slices.
Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Season the bread slices slightly with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake them in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then flip the slices and bake for another 8 minutes until they are golden in color.
Remove from the oven and let the crostinis cool.
When the crostinis are cool, spread them with cream cheese.
Add a few dried cranberries and some chopped pecans in a little mound in the center of the cream cheese.
Fresh herbs are the final step. Add your favorite fresh herbs to the appetizer tops. I chose chives, rosemary, and thyme. Avoid dried herbs. You want the brightness that fresh herbs offer.
Each of the herbs goes nicely with the cheese, cranberries, and pecans, and they make the crostini stake on just a little different flavor.
Arrange the crostinis on your favorite holiday platters, add a pretty festive candle, and you will put your guests in the holiday mood.
When I made these at my last party, my guests could not get enough of them. They add the perfect holiday touch to your party and give your guests a hint of what is to come next on your menu.
Creamy, crumbly, tart, and crunchy, each bite of these cranberry crostini appetizers is the perfect way to get the party started.
Serve these with drinks, or as a simple bite to start your holiday meal.
Either way, they are easy to make, easy to serve, and SO MUCH tastier than just chips and dip.
Share this easy party appetizer on X
If you enjoyed making these crostini appetizers, why not share the recipe with a friend? Here is a post to get you started:
🥂✨ Ready to elevate your appetizer game? These cranberry-pecan crostini are the perfect festive bite: tangy cranberry, crunchy pecan, all atop toasty bread. 🍇🥜🍞👉Get the recipe on The Gardening Cook. #HolidayAppetizers #Crostini… Share on XPin these cranberry crostini appetizers for later
Would you like a reminder of this tasty party appetizer recipe? Just pin this image to one of your appetizer boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
For another cream cheese appetizer, be sure to check out my phyllo cup recipe. It’s made with crab and cream cheese and is super easy to prepare.
Admin note: This article for cranberry pecan crostini appetizers first appeared on the blog in November 2016. This post has been updated with new photos, a printable recipe card with nutrition, and a slideshow video.
Cranberry Pecan Crostini Appetizers
These lovely Cranberry Pecan Crostini Appetizers are the perfect appetizers to start your gathering. They are easy to make and great to serve with drinks, or as a light bite to start a holiday meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Italian baguette, uncooked
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste
- Cream cheese flavored with garlic & herbs
- 1/3 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup of pecan pieces
- Rosemary, thyme or chives to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
- Slice the baguette diagonally into 1/2"-3/4" slices.
- Lightly brush both sides of the slices with extra olive oil, using a pastry brush.
- Season both sides with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Bake 10 minutes, flip the slices, and bake them another 8 minutes until golden. Remove and cool.
- Spread each slice with the cream cheese.
- Add a few dried cranberries and some pecan pieces in a small mound and garnish with either chives, rosemary, or thyme.
- Serve as a party appetizer, or with a small salad as the starter for your main meal.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.