These caprese crostini appetizers are easy to make and serve at parties. These canapes not only look good but taste good too. These are sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your next party!
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Want a fast and easy appetizer? Make caprese crostini! These are quick to make and require no cooking and are sure to please.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It takes less than 10 minutes to put these together, and there is no baking involved.
- These canapes are not only great for serving up at parties. They are also a great healthy snack. But do be warned, they can be quite addictive because they taste so good.
- They are a budget-friendly appetizer, and all you need is five simple ingredients to make these.
Ingredients
Mini toasts - these are tiny pieces of toasted bread you can buy at the supermarket. The ones that we get have 48 in a pack.
These are great to use because they are already toasted, so you don't need to bake pieces of bread to make the crostini base.
Cream cheese - is used to act as glue to hold everything on top of the mini toasts. We used unflavoured Philadelphia cheese, but you could you another similar cream cheese.
Cherry bocconcini - are small fresh mozzarella balls that are a little bigger than a cherry. We used these because they look nice and present well when cut in half.
If you can't get small mozzarella balls, you can cut thin slices from a large piece of mozzarella.
Cherry tomatoes - choose ones that are about the same size as the mozzarella balls. You could also use grape tomatoes for this recipe.
Basil leaves - if you can, choose small young leaves because they look nice.
Step By Step Instructions
Caprese crostini is so easy to make! All you need to do is spread cream cheese onto the mini toasts, then top with a basil leaf, half a bocconcini ball, and a cherry tomato slice.
Variations
- Use marinated mozzarella cheese balls instead of plain.
- Use a flavored cream cheese spread like garlic and chives.
Expert Tips
Don't assemble these too far in advance because the toast will start to turn soft. It is best to make these closer to serving time but no longer than 30 minutes in advance.
To make assembly quicker - you can cut the tomatoes and bocconcini in advance and keep them in separate containers in the fridge until you need them.
Use cream cheese at room temperature for easy spreading.
If you can't get mini toasts, you can always make crostini with a thin baguette. You want a thin baguette because crostini are small and dainty and not large and hearty like bruschetta.
See below for instructions on how to make a baguette crostini.
Homemade baguette crostini will be a little larger than the ready-made mini toasts but will be just as delicious.
How to Make Baguette Crostini
- Use a serrated knife to slice bread into crosswise rounds about 1 cm (¼ inch) thick.
- Use a pastry brush and brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil, then season with a light sprinkling of salt.
- Place the oiled bread slices in a single layer onto a baking sheet, and bake in preheated 2000°C (400°F) for about 8 -12 minutes.
Flip them over halfway through cooking so that both sides cook. If after 10 minutes they are not crisp and lightly golden brown, bake them a little longer. - Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray.
You can make these up to four days in advance. Store them in a dry and air-tight container at room temperature until ready to use. Click here to get a printable recipe for baguette crostini.
Just like the mini toasts, it is best to add toppings to baguette crostini just before you are ready to serve.
Serving Size
A serving size is three pieces of Caprese crostini.
Calories Per Serve
A serving of three Caprese crostini is about 104 calories.
Serving Suggestions
Arrange the tomato basil mozzarella crostini neatly on a serving platter and serve them as is.
If you like, finish the crostini with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or balsamic glaze, or balsamic reduction. But only do this at the last minute to stop them from going soggy.
See our cherry tomato and bocconcini skewers recipe for instruction on making a balsamic glaze or reduction.
Storage
These don't store well and are best made close to serving time and served fresh.
Caprese crostini can not be frozen.
FAQ
To stop crostini from going soggy, spread on something fatty before adding other toppings to act as a moisture barrier.
Something fatty could be; butter, cream cheese, whipped feta or whipped ricotta, pate, pesto, or something similar. These will stop the crostini from going soggy in the short term.
More Snack Ideas
- Italian bread dipping oil
- Puff pastry sausage rolls
- Easy pork spring rolls
- Cherry tomato and bocconcini skewers
- Fresh tomato bruschetta with mozzarella
- Warm tomato mozzarella bruschetta
- Puff pastry tomato tartlets
- Marinated mozzarella balls
- Zucchini and carrot slice
- Marinated feta in oil with sundried tomatoes and herbs
Do make these fresh caprese crostini appetizers for your next party because they are sure to be a hit.
If you do make them, please come back and leave a comment below because I would love to know how you went.
Recipe
Caprese Crostini
Ingredients
- 90 grams (3.2 ounces) mini toasts, our pack contained 48 mini toasts or homemade crostini
- 200 grams (7 ounces) Philadelphia cream cheese or a similar style cheese at room temperature
- 48 basil leaves
- 24 cherry bocconcini (small mozzarella balls) each cut into half
- 16 cherry tomatoes each cut into three slices
Instructions
- Spread one mini toast evenly with a layer of cream cheese.
- Press the base of a basil leaf into the cream cheese at one corner of the mini toast.
- Add half a bocconcini ball, place it near the basil leaf, and gently press it into the cream cheese to hold it in place.
- Next, add a slice of cherry tomato and press into the cream cheese.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don't assemble these too far in advance because the toast will start to turn soft. It is best to make these closer to serving time but no longer than 30 minutes in advance.
- To make assembly quicker - you can cut the tomatoes and bocconcini in advance and keep them in separate containers in the fridge until you need them.
- Use cream cheese at room temperature for easy spreading. If you can't get mini toasts, you can always make crostini with a thin baguette. You want a thin baguette because crostini are small and dainty and not large and hearty like bruschetta. See below for instructions on how to make a baguette crostini. Homemade baguette crostinis will be a little larger than the ready-made mini toasts but will be just as delicious. HOW TO
- Use a serrated knife to slice bread into crosswise rounds about 1.3 cm (½ inch) thick.
- Use a pastry brush and brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil, then season with a light sprinkling of salt.
- Place the oiled bread slices in a single layer onto a baking sheet, and bake in preheated 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes. Flip them over halfway through cooking so that both sides cook. If after 10 minutes they are not crisp and lightly golden brown, bake them a little longer.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray.
Mary says
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