These lovely cranberry pecan crostini appetizers are the perfect light bite to start any special gathering of friends.
Cranberries are one of those foods that always seem to find their way onto the holiday table.
They are wonderful as a snack with drinks before dinner and also make a lovely starter to a meal when served on small plates with a light salad.
Having a small bite-sized bit of deliciousness will start your party off in style. Serve them alone, or incorporate them into an antipasto salad or platter.(See my tips for making an antipasto platter here.)
These delicious cranberry pecan crostini appetizers are super easy to make and light enough to make sure that having one or two doesn’t spoil the main course. They are a great appetizer to serve on National Cranberry Relish Day – November 22.
The recipe is an amazing combination of cheese, cranberries, pecans, and fresh herbs.
Let’s Make these cranberry pecan crostini appetizers
I made my own crostinis by using a loaf of Italian bread cut on the diagonal and baked in the oven for a few minutes after being drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil. The cheese that I chose for these easy appetizers is a cream cheese variety that I found on a recent shopping trip.
It’s flavored with garlic and herbs and makes a great base for my toppings.
Tempted yet? It’s time to get started on these crostini appetizers
Start preheating your oven to 375 º F and then slice your baguette on the diagonal into 1/2-3/4″ thick slices.
Use a pastry brush to add olive oil to both sides of the baguette slices and place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Season lightly with sea salt and cracked black pepper and bake for 10 minutes, then flip the slices and bake another 8 minutes until they are golden in color.
Let the slices cool for a bit and then spread the cream cheese on each crostini.
Add a few dried cranberries and some chopped pecans in a little mound.
Fresh herbs are the final step. Add your favorite fresh herbs to the appetizer tops. I chose chives, rosemary, and thyme.
Each spice goes nicely with the cheese, cranberries, and pecans and it makes each crostini take on just a little different flavor.
Arrange 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.
If you aren’t having a cocktail type of party, serve these with a simple salad to start your holiday meal.
Either way, they are easy to make, easy to serve and SO MUCH tastier than just chips and dip.
Pin 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.
Cranberry Pecan Crostini Appetizers
These lovely Cranberry Pecan Crostini Appetizers are the perfect appetizers to start your gathering.
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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- 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 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 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.