12 Crostini Recipes That Are the Perfect Customizable Appetizer for Every Party (2024)

Butternut-Sage Crostini

Come fall months we're looking for all kinds of ways to cook with butternut squash. Usually you'll find the fall squash in sides and entrées, but here we put it to work as he base of this crostini recipe. Start by roasting the squash to bring out its sweetness, then puree with sage, hazelnuts, and lemon juice to make the squash spread. Top that with a citrusy ricotta schmear and a sprinkle of hazelnuts and sage for a final garnish.

White Bean Arugula Crostini

If you're in search of crostini recipes that work for a vegan guest (or your own eating plan) try this appetizer. White beans, dried tomatoes, vinegar, arugula, and parsley make a crostini topper that's hearty yet fresh.

Blue Cheese, Walnut, and Pear Crostini

For those who prefer a hot appetizer to a cold one, this might be the best crostini recipe for your party table. The simple topping of pear slices, blue cheese, and white cheddar cheese gets broiled to bubbly perfection.

Ricotta, Gorgonzola, and Honey Spread

A little sweet, a little savory, and a bit pungent from the Gorgonzola, this crostini recipe has all kinds of flavor dimensions. Beating together the ricotta and Gorgonzola with a hand mixer ensures the blue cheese flavor is evenly distributed across each slice of bread.

Buy It: Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer ($17, Target)

Radish Salad Crostini

Here's one of our crostini appetizers that really stuns, thanks to its beautiful presentation. The secret is in using watermelon radishes, if you can find them. A simple slice adds distinct beauty to the recipe. Our recipe says to cut matchstick pieces, but slices show off the color variation even better, so feel free to play with how you cut the radishes to add on top. A drizzle with oil and sprinkle of fresh thyme makes the dish look like it came from a restaurant kitchen.

Toasties with Egg Salad

By starting with purchased hard-cooked eggs, the prep time for this creative crostini is just a few minutes. While the bread is toasting in the oven on a baking sheet, stir together the crostini toppings to mound atop the warm bread slices. You'll have a satisfying party appetizer in 30 minutes or less.

Buy It: Mainstays Baking Pan ($5, Walmart)

Fresh Berry Bruschetta

Yes, this one is named a bruschetta, but crostini and bruschetta really are quite similar and sometimes you want a sweeter appetizer choice, so we're including this recipe. These summery slices star fresh berries and get additional sweetness from a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar on the bread before it toasts. Whipped cream cheese makes and easy-to-stir spread to pile the berries on.

Caramelized Onion and Gorgonzola Crostini

The name tells you just how flavor packed this crostini recipe is. But it doesn't even touch on how easy it is to make. Simply slice and toast your bread, cook onion in butter to caramelize, then add your onions to the toasted bread with a sprinkle of Gorgonzola. Easy peasy and irresistible.

Double Cranberry Crostini

Take some of the best parts of the Thanksgiving meal (cranberries and turkey) and make it into a crostini appetizer that delivers Thanksgiving menu flavors any time you crave them. Or make this with Thanksgiving leftovers by substituting leftover cranberry sauce for the chutney and leftover turkey in place of meat purchased from the deli.

Salmon Cream Cheese with Pickled Onions Crostini

This recipe will be reason enough to always keep some pickled onions on hand. The sweet tangy flavors they offer pair deliciously with salmon cream cheese. If you can't find salmon cream cheese, swap in regular cream cheese and stir in either canned salmon or smoked salmon.

Cilantro Canapes

This is one of our favorite crostini recipes for summer months, thanks to its bright flavors. It's loaded with fresh herbs, lime juice, cucumber, and tomatoes to make a light appetizer that won't weigh you down, but that will tide you over until the main course.

Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Crostini

Fans of the classic caprese ingredients—mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil—will request this appetizer on repeat. Simply top your oiled and toasted baguette slices with those three ingredients, and you're done. To make it look like a dish served at a restaurant, you could drizzle with extra olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.