These Roasted Fruit Crostini Appetizers are one of my favorite ways to kick off a dinner party with friends- or to glam up a simple starter salad. The combination of the crispy bread, nutty cheese, and the sweet juiciness of the roasted fruit is just perfect. They are very easy to make, and also look and taste wonderful.
What makes these Crostini Appetizers so special?
The secret to making these Crostini special lies in the marinade. It gives the fruit a deep, complex flavor and brings out their beautiful colors, even more. I added a hint of chili flakes in the marinade to spice things up and to enhance the interesting play on sweet and savory aromas. Make sure to set aside the remaining marinade after you tossed the fruit in it. You can drizzle it over your Crostini later, right before serving, to give it that final burst of flavor.
Alternative Ingredients
In this recipe, I used red grapes and blueberries, but you can easily substitute them for your favorite stone fruit. They will be just as delicious with peaches, plums, or cherries, too. If you don’t like the earthy flavor of Camembert cheese very much, replace it with Brie cheese or an even milder cheese, such as Ricotta. It’s important to serve these when the fruit is still lukewarm, as it will be much more juicy and this will make a difference. Don’t forget to top them with roasted walnuts for that added crunch.
Enjoy!
ROASTED FRUIT CROSTINI APPETIZERS
INGREDIENTS
Toasted Walnuts
- 2 tbsp walnuts
Marinade
- 9 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp balsamic vinegar reduced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp honey liquid
- 2 tsp chili flakes
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Fruit
- 200 g red grapes
- 200 g blueberries
Assembly
- 1 Ciabatta cut into 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) slices
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Camembert or Brie cheese approx. 150 g, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Toasted Walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius (350° Fahrenheit), and line the baking tray with parchment paper.
- Spread the walnuts onto the baking tray, without any overlapping, and bake them on the center rack of the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, until they’re golden brown and give off a strong, nutty flavor. Remove them from the oven, allowing them to cool down.
- Finally, roughly chop the walnuts and set them aside. Keep the oven on.
Marinade
- For the marinade, mix all the ingredients up to and including the black pepper in a medium bowl, set aside.
Fruit
- Without removing the stems, toss grapes in the marinade, then place them on one side of the baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Then, toss blueberries in marinade and place them on the other side of the tray. Set aside the remaining marinade.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Finally, remove the tray from the oven and set it aside.
Assembly
- Increase the heat of the oven to 200° Celsius (392° Fahrenheit).
- Brush the bread slices with a little olive oil, and bake them on the center rack of the oven for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove them and let them cool briefly.
- Spread Camembert onto the slices, then layer the roasted fruit, including their juice, on top. Drizzle over the remaining marinade and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Serve immediately while the fruit is still lukewarm.
