This easy prosciutto crostini recipe is great for breakfast, as a snack, or for your next get-together! The recipe combines lightly toasted bread with creamy goat cheese, garnished with prosciutto and pears!
Sometimes magical things happen to your taste buds when salty meets sweet (hello, peanut butter and jelly!), like in this pear and prosciutto crostini. Crisp and sweet thinly sliced pear meets soft and salty prosciutto to make the perfect little bite.
This prosciutto crostini recipe is a super simple appetizer but feels fancy. AND it comes together in less than 30 minutes. You just need a few simple ingredients.
For the bread, we use a french baguette. It’s great for a small bite option. If you want more of a main-dish-sized version use slices from a rustic french loaf or sourdough loaf and make this into a bruschetta.
Once you toast the slices of baguette, top them with a generous smear of goat cheese. You can use plain goat cheese, or go for a flavored variety.
Next comes the thinly sliced pears and a piece of prosciutto. Prosciutto is a dry-cured ham with a deliciously salty flavor. Use is as is for a softer bite, or crisp it up for some added texture.
To crisp the prosciutto, bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and crumble into pieces and use in place of prosciutto. We liked the texture and taste of the crispy prosciutto but found it was best when served on softer crostini. If your crostini is extra crunchy we recommend the regular prosciutto.
How to serve these prosciutto crostini
It is totally fine to serve this crostini at room temperature. If you want to soften the goat cheese a bit before serving you can:
- Warm the crostini before putting on the goat cheese. Place them on a sheet pan in a single layer and heat at 350 degrees for 2-4 minutes. Assemble as directed below.
- Soften the goat cheese before spreading it on the crostini. You can do this by heating on a medium-low setting in the microwave for 5-15 seconds (we recommend 5-second intervals) until the cheese is slightly softened.
- Spread the goat cheese on the room temperature crostini and place in a 300-degree oven for 2-3 minutes.
Riffs and substitutions
- Bread. We used a baguette for these prosciutto crostini, and it was great for a small bite option. If you want more of a main-dish-sized version, use slices from a rustic french loaf or sourdough loaf and make this into a bruschetta.
- Prosciutto. You can use crispy prosciutto for an extra crunch! Bake in a 375-degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and crumble into pieces and use in place of regular prosciutto. We liked the texture and taste of the crispy prosciutto, but found it was best when served on softer crostini. If your crostini is extra crunchy, it's best to use the regular prosciutto.
- Dress up this easy appetizer with a drizzle of balsamic glaze or honey.
- Swap out the goat cheese for creamy burrata cheese instead.
- Add a few peppery arugula leaves to add some greenery.
- Spread on a dab of fig jam for another layer of flavor.
Crostini vs. Bruschetta
Crostini and bruschetta are really just a fancy way to say lightly toasted bread brushed with a little olive oil (or butter!) but we have come to use these terms interchangeably.
They are ‘technically’ different. Crostini are usually made from a smaller diameter loaf of bread that has a less rustic feel - think more even texture - like a baguette. See it in Blackberry Goat Cheese Crostini or Wine Roasted Mushroom Crostini.
Bruschetta are made from a larger, thicker slice of bread that has a more rustic texture - think lots of nice air holes or sourdough! Check out Easy Warm Bruschetta or Peach Bruschetta with Whipped Goat Cheese.
Both are toasted or grilled. You can use bruschetta for crostini recipes and crostini for bruschetta recipes. To use the correct term, focus on the size of the bread when served.
Whatever you want to call them, these bite sized pieces of bliss make the perfect easy holiday appetizer! If you need some more appetizer inspiration, we have everything from How To Make A Cheese Plate to Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders.
A few prosciutto crostini FAQs
You can definitely make the crostini in advance. Once cooled, store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days. We do not recommend freezing crostini. You can keep the bread (not toasted) frozen until a day or two before you need your crostini. Thaw your bread, make your crostini, and store in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days.
People have come to use these terms interchangeably, but they are 'technically' different. Crostini are usually made from a smaller diameter loaf of bread that has a less rustic feel - think more even texture - like a baguette. Bruschetta are made from a larger, thicker slice of bread that has a more rustic texture - think lots of nice air holes or sourdough! Both are toasted or grilled. You can use bruschetta for crostini recipes and crostini for bruschetta recipes.
More Crostini Recipes:
📖 Recipe
Pear & Prosciutto Crostini with Goat Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: Serves 4-8 as an appetizer 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Description
A simple and delicious goat cheese crostini appetizer with fresh pears and prosciutto.
Ingredients
- 1 baguette or french bread loaf, sliced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup goat cheese
- 1 large pear, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces thin prosciutto
Instructions
- On a large baking sheet, lay sliced bread out in a single layer and brush the tops with olive oil.
- Bake at 375 for 5-10 minutes, until bread is toasted and golden brown
- Spread a spoonful of goat cheese over each crostini piece, then top with a piece of prosciutto and 2 or 3 slices of pear. Serve immediately.
Notes
Bread - I used a crusty french bread loaf for the crostini in the photos, and it was great for a main-dish-sized version of this dish. If you're entertaining, though, a baguette will give you more crostini and bite-sized appetizers are always a great choice for guests.
Prosciutto - for an extra crunch you can serve crispy prosciutto, to do this you can bake the prosciutto at 375-degree oven for 10-15 minutes. If your crostini is extra crunchy, it’s best to use the regular prosciutto.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Serves 6 as an appetizer
- Calories: 233
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 1141.9 mg
- Fat: 16.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.5 g
- Protein: 14.7 g
- Cholesterol: 35.2 mg
Kaylin @ Enticing Healthy Eating
These sound delicious! Especially for a little get-together or party as small bites. I am a big fan of goat cheese myself.
fleur
my partner and i do a breakfast variety, hot toasted crusty bread smeared with goats cheese and topped with fresh sliced strawberries, great topped with a little basil or mint too.
it is a little bit sexy and so easy and great for those lazy Sunday sleep ins.
but also great with balsamic and champagne with the girls.