Make the perfect Crostini at home that’s so much better than store bought! Golden crispy toasted bread topped with your favorite toppings, ready in 10 minutes. I've shared 3 flavors to choose from, use them for appetizers, dips and soups.
Why buy Crostini when you can easily make them at home for a fraction of the price. Making them yourself not only tastes better but they're so much healthier too. If you've ever read the labels of crostini packets, they normally have so many additional ingredients that are so unnecessary, so you’ll never see me buy them. All you really need is good bread, olive oil and salt...yep that's it! You can also use up any leftover stale bread that would usually go to waste, to make these crostini or even croutons.
The actual name "crostini" actually translates to "little crusts" in Italian. They are popular in Italy and usually served as antipasto alongside yummy cheese, cold meats and olives. Whilst living in Italy, I commonly had crostini served as an aperitivo when we order drinks before a meal such as a glass of prosecco or of course with an aperol or limoncello spritz...yummmm take me back!
Depending on what I'm serving the crostini with, I like to change the flavor and add toppings. Here I've shared my 3 favorite flavors - classic, parmesan and garlic and herb for you to try. They're great to serve on a cheese board, with dips such as hummus and also for making bruschetta. I even love making crostini to serve with soups for crunch.
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Quick & Easy: Takes little time to prepare with simple steps
- Crowd Favorite: Perfect for parties, snacks, or last minute guests
- Customizable: Experiment with sweet, savory or cheesy toppings
- Budget Friendly: Use up stale leftover bread that would normally go to waste
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bread of course is the star and main ingredient. For best results, use crusty bread or a baguette for the prefect shape. I've used a rustic baguette in this recipe but sourdough, ciabatta, or gluten-free types will also work. You can also use leftover stale bread and revive it to make these crostini
- Extra virgin olive oil is brushed on the slices to help them get beautifully crisp in the oven, the better the oil, the better they will taste. If you're a butter fan, feel free to use melted butter instead
- Salt enhances the flavor and taste, sprinkle over as soon as they come out of the oven
Crostini Toppings
- Parmesan cheese - freshly grate parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano) on each piece before baking for a salty cheesy flavor
- Garlic cloves - slice a clove in half and rub over the bread once baked
- Dried herbs - such as oregano, basil or Italian herbs bring a lovely flavor and aroma
How to make Crostini
This crostini recipe comes together with just a few simple ingredients and steps for the perfect last minute appetizer or snack that will impress. Follow my simple steps below (note quantities are listed in the recipe card below)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the bread on a slight diagonal into ½ inch / 1 cm slices
Step 2: Arrange the bread slices on baking sheet in a single layer and brush each slice lightly with olive oil. Add optional flavors if using (refer recipe card below for ideas)
Step 3: Bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden and crispy. Keep an eye on them as ovens vary
Step 4: Sprinkle with sea salt whilst hot. Its ready to serve or add your favorite toppings
Tips and Tricks
- Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the bread nicely so it doesn't get squashed or torn
- Slice bread on a slight angle to create more surface area for toppings
- Stale bread works great too and perfect to save on food wastage
- Lay the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for even toasting and easy clean up
- Keep an eye as cooking time will depend on oven strength, you can also use the broiler
Storage Instructions
- Store leftover crostini toasts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week if making the classic flavor. If you've added cheese or fresh garlic, best to keep in the fridge
- Refrigerate up to 1-2 weeks or freeze up to 2 months
- Reheat in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes to restore crispness
Serving Suggestions
Crostini are perfect to serve in so many ways! Here are some of my personal favorites:
- Cheese board with goat cheese, burrata, sharp cheddar or brie with peaches
- Dips such as spinach artichoke dip, my whipped feta dip or red pepper hummus
- Appetizer with bread dipping oil and antipasto skewers
- Base for bruschetta or bruschetta with mozzarella
- Spreads such as olive tapenade
- Enjoy for lunch with chickpea tuna or classic tuna salad
- Egg dishes such as this spicy eggs in purgatory or Turkish cilbir
- Soups like this hearty carrot soup or lentil soup
FAQs
Sturdy breads are best, I love using rustic baguettes however sourdough or ciabatta as a second choice
Crostini are smaller slices of toasted bread, usually made from a baguette and served with a variety of flavors like cheeses or spreads. Bruschetta uses larger pieces of rustic bread, rubbed with garlic and traditionally topped with a fresh tomato mixture
Yes of course, you can prepare in advance and then add toppings right before serving. The bread will be at room temperature but still nice and crunchy
More Crostini Recipes
Looking for other crostini like recipes? Try these:
More Popular Appetizers
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Crostini (3 Flavor Ideas)
Ingredients
- 1 baguette - I've used rustic bread (use sourdough, seeded or your favorite bread)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Other Flavors (Optional)
- Finely grated parmesan cheese
- Dried herbs such as oregano, basil or Italian herbs
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350℉/180℃. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the baguette on a diagonal into even slices approximately ½ inch / 1 cm in thickness
- Place the bread slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper - ensure they're on a single layer and not over lapping
- Brush the breads with olive oil, you can also use olive oil spray instead
- Add optional flavors:Parmesan - sprinkle each piece with freshly grated parmesan cheese ORGarlic and Herb - sprinkle each piece with dried herbs of choice
- Bake the crostini for 8- 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy (keep an eye as cooking time will depend on oven strength)
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle each piece with salt while they're still hot (if making the garlic and herb, rub each piece lightly with the garlic clove)Allow them to slightly cool then serve the Crostini with your favorite dip, soup or appetizer and enjoy!
Notes
- Slicing Bread - use a sharp serrated knife to slice the bread so it doesn’t get squashed or torn. Slice the bread on a slight angle to create more surface area for toppings
- Stale Bread - if you have it on hand, it works great and helps reduce food waste
- Baking sheet - arrange slices in a single layer on parchment for even toasting and easy cleanup
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