Crusty crostini are little, baguette slices toasted until super crunchy, great for party appetizers and dips and they’re so easy to make! Loaded up with your favourite toppings, they’re wonderful for serving up at parties or large gatherings but they can also make a great light meal or summer dinner.
Get creative with toppings like these steak crostini or serve them with this ricotta dip or this feta saganaki. Once you’ve got your crunchy little toasts ready to go, they really are so versatile.
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What are crostini?
Crostini are small toasts that are completely crunchy throughout and used for topping to make delicious snacks or served with dips or pate. Just a little oil is brushed over and a sprinkling of sea salt before being baked until golden and shatteringly crisp.
Crostini is italian for “little crusts” and the crunchy texture is great with creamy soft cheese or dips. Crostini is the plural of the singular crostino.
Not just for parties, crostini make a great lunch, light meal or simple family dinner too. It all comes down to what you use them for or top them with.
Ingredients
With just 3 simple ingredients, crostini truly are a great quick and easy party starter.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
It all starts with a nice crusty baguette. Try to get a thin one as opposed to the quite rounded ones and one with great air pockets in (almost ciabatta style) will give you the best texture. Baguettes with a fine crumb, no large air pockets, will still work but the texture is slightly more crumbly.
Other than that, you’ll just need some oil and flaky sea salt. A garlic clove or two will allow you to add some great additional flavour. A tomato, sliced in half, is great to rub the cut side over the crostini too.
Homemade crostini can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
How to make crostini
No baguette needs to go to waste anymore. If you have some leftover, you can just turn it into these crostini instead – they’ll last at least a week in the pantry in an airtight container.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Slice the baguette
Start by slicing your baguette into thin slices bout 1cm / ⅖ inch and on a slight angle. Lay them out onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
Use a pastry brush to brush a little oil over both sides of the bread slices. Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over each one. You can also sprinkle over a little black pepper if you want a little spice to it.
2. Bake them
Finally, bake them in a preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes, flipping them over halfway, until they look golden and crunchy.
Tips and tricks
- You need to start with good bread. You’re after a long, crusty baguette and it should be thin rather than round in shape. This just makes them a little easier to eat.
- Use a serrated knife to cut your slices.
- Don’t cut your slices too thick or they can be hard to bite through. I find about 1cm/⅖ inch is about right. You can cut them slightly thinner however, if you’re using bread that quite “holey”, they may break apart easily.
- Cut your slices to suit their purpose. Cut them on an angle for larger slices that are great for more toppings. If you cut your slices straight across (at right angles to the long side of the baguette) they’re great for dipping or smaller appetizers.
- Make sure they’re nice and golden so they’ll be crunchy throughout.
- Rub the baked crostini with the cut side of a clove of garlic for added flavour.
- Try grilling your crostini on a griddle pan to get charred lines for a slightly smoky flavour.
- Day-old baguette / stale baguette works fine too.
Dips for crostini
Crunchy, golden crostini are wonderful for dipping into creamy dips and cheeses. They’re also great for spreading on things like pate! Try some of these dips with your crostini.
- Romesco sauce
- Ricotta dip
- Feta saganaki
- Whipped goats cheese with peppered honey
- Yogurt dip
- Spinach cob loaf dip (sans the cob loaf)
- Cheese with basil pesto
- Olive tapenade/pesto
- Hummus
- Soup
- Spread them with jam
- Dressed avocado or guacamole
Toppings for crostini
Crostini are so versatile with so many flavours. Try some of these topping ideas.
- Serve with cut garlic cloves and tomatoes, serrano and manchego cheese. Rub the garlic, then the tomato, cut sides, over a crostini then top with cheese and serrano ham. A great Spanish tapas starter
- Sliced cheeses and relish
- Goats cheese or feta with roasted pepper slices
- Cheese, turkey and cranberry sauce (a great way to use up holiday leftovers).
- Sliced cheddar, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of ground coffee (inspired by Jamie Oliver and yes it really works)
- Try these steak crostini with goat cheese (see below)
- Mozzarella, tomato and basil with a drizzle of balsamic glaze – Caprese style
- Mozzarella and pesto
- Smoked salmon and chives with a cream cheese spread
- Cream cheese, sliced fruits (like strawberries, pear and peaches) with honey drizzle
- Make a tomato bruschetta with diced tomatoes, finely diced red onion and finely chopped garlic
You can get so creative with these so I’d love to hear what you try in the comments below.
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Ingredients
- 1 crusty baguette
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or as needed
- flaky sea salt as needed
- 1-2 cloves of garlic optional
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Serrated knife
- Pastry brush
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced) / 400F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
- Slice the baguette with a serrated knife on a slight diagonal into roughly 1cm (⅖ – ½ inch) thick (see notes if you want them thinner).
- Brush each side of the baguette slices lightly with oil and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle over a little flaky sea salt over each one then bake for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Optional: To take your crunchy crostini up another level rub them with a garlic clove while still hot. Peel the garlic clove, cut in half and rub the cut side over the crusty toasts.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Slicing the baguette: You can cut thinner slices however if it’s a baguette with lots of holes, it may not hold together so well. Try not to cut them too thick or they’re too hard to bite through.
- Baking temperature and time: You can bake these in a lower oven (180C/350F) for 10-12 minutes or a higher oven (220C/430F) for 7-9 minutes.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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4 Comments on “How to Make Crostini”
I’m going to make your crustini because I love ❤️ serving it alongside a bowl of soup. 🥰
Yes, they’re so great with soup. Enjoy, Cheryl.
I made these at New Year they were perfect with different toppings
I’m so happy to hear this, Ann. Truly appreciate you dropping back to leave a review.