Strawberry Crostini are a simple, contemporary summer time appetizer made with creamy ricotta, candy strawberries, and contemporary mint on toasted bread. Excellent for brunch or entertaining.
Strawberry Ricotta Crostini
Simple, contemporary, and full of seasonal taste, these Strawberry and Mint Crostini have been a giant sure from the Skinnytaste Group, and now they’re right here! Toasted bread is topped with creamy ricotta (or goat cheese), candy strawberries, contemporary mint, and a lightweight drizzle of honey. This appetizer has all of it: easy elements, lovely presentation, and it’s the excellent chew for warm-weather gatherings.
Why You’ll Love This Simple Summer time Appetizer
I requested my Skinnytasters to assist me determine which appetizer I ought to create for my weblog and this straightforward strawberry mint crostini was a preferred choice. I hope you get pleasure from it!
- In Season: An ideal use of summer time produce
- Nice for a Crowd: You possibly can simply scale up the recipe to make extra to feed a bigger occasion.
- Simple to Serve: The right bite-sized appetizer.
- Dietary Restrictions: Weight Watchers-friendly, vegetarian; gluten-free (if utilizing GF bread), vegan and dairy-free (if utilizing plant-based cheese)
For extra crostini recipes, attempt my White Bean Crostini and Spinach-Artichoke Crostini.
Components And Variations
Listed here are the strawberry crostini elements. See the recipe card beneath for the precise measurements.
- Strawberries: Utilizing in-season strawberries once they’re at their sweetest will ship one of the best outcomes, however you may make this app any time of yr.
- Sugar and Lemon Zest: The strawberries macerate in granulated sugar and lemon zest, drawing out the berries’ liquid and changing into sweeter and juicier as they sit.
- Baguette: Purchase a good-quality baguette because it’s the bottom of the appetizer.
- Ricotta Cheese I used low-fat with fewer energy than full-fat ricotta, however be happy to make use of whichever. Cottage cheese may also be used right here.
- Honey flippantly sweetens the ricotta.
- Chopped Mint pairs superbly with the strawberries, complementing the berries’ sweetness and offering a reasonably pop of inexperienced.
The best way to Make Strawberry Crostini
These easy strawberry crostini are low-effort, high-reward and are certain to impress your friends. See the recipe card on the backside for printable instructions.
- Macerate the Berries: Mix the strawberries, sugar, and lemon zest and let sit whilst you prep the opposite elements. Macerating is a elaborate time period for letting fruit sit in a liquid or sugar to melt it and draw out its juices.
- Toast the Bread: Place the sliced baguette on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Sweeten the Ricotta: Stir the ricotta cheese and honey collectively.
- The best way to Assemble Crostini: First, combine the mint into the strawberries. Then, unfold ricotta over every crostini and prime with strawberries.
Variations
- Change the Base: Swap the crostini for sourdough toast or whole-grain baguette slices.
- Gluten-Free: In the event you’re gluten-free, substitute a gluten-free baguette and even endive leaves, that are additionally an ideal low-carb choice.
- Swap the Cheese: Attempt goat cheese, whipped feta, cottage cheese, or mascarpone as a substitute of ricotta.
- Substitute honey with agave syrup.
- Use a Totally different Herb: Contemporary basil is a pleasant various to mint.
- Go Dairy-Free: Use a plant-based unfold, corresponding to almond ricotta or vegan cream cheese.
- Drizzle with Balsamic: For a tangy-sweet end, add a drizzle of balsamic glaze excessive to enhance the strawberries with out overpowering them.
- Add Crunch: A sprinkle of chopped pistachios or almonds provides nice texture.
Yield: 8 servings
Serving Dimension: 2 crostini
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Preheat the oven to 400 levels F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and put aside.
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Add the chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon zest to a bowl. Stir to mix, cowl and put aside at room temperature whilst you make the crostini. You are able to do this step forward and let sit coated at room temp or within the fridge for as much as 3 hours.
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Within the meantime, place the baguette slices on the ready baking sheet. Evenly spray each side of every slice with the olive oil spray. Switch the pan to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, till flippantly golden and toasty. Take away from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
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Add the ricotta and honey to a small bowl and blend till evenly included. Earlier than assembling, add the chopped mint to the strawberries and stir to mix.
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To assemble, unfold a layer of the ricotta combination over every crostini. Evenly divide the strawberry combination on prime of the ricotta. Serve instantly.
Final Step:
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- Strawberry combination made about 1 cup
- Ricotta combination made ½ cup
Serving: 2 crostini, Energy: 101 kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.5 g, Protein: 4.5 g, Fats: 2 g, Saturated Fats: 1 g, Ldl cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 156.5 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g
Storage
It’s greatest to serve the crostini proper after including the toppings, so the bread doesn’t get soggy. Listed here are some suggestions for storing them:
- Solely make as many crostini as you propose on consuming on the time.
- Retailer the berries, ricotta, and toasted baguette in separate hermetic containers.
- Refrigerate the strawberries for as much as 2 days and the ricotta for as much as 4 days. Retailer the bread at room temperature.
- When it’s time to eat the leftovers, assemble your crostini as instructed.
Are you able to make crostini a day prematurely?
You possibly can slice and toast the crostini a day prematurely and maintain them in an hermetic container. For one of the best texture, I like to recommend making the strawberry combination solely 3 hours earlier than serving. They’ll begin to break down if left too lengthy.
FAQ
The largest distinction between the 2 is that bruschetta makes use of thicker sourdough bread, usually rubbed with garlic and grilled. Crostini’s signature bread is thinly sliced and toasted baguette. I lower my bread only a quarter-inch thick. Crostini means “little toasts,” and bruschetta, from the phrase buscare, means “to
roast over coals” in Italian.
The ricotta cheese acts as a barrier, stopping the strawberry juice from soaking the bread. Nevertheless, crostini can nonetheless get soggy, which is why it’s greatest to arrange them proper earlier than serving.
Extra Summer time Recipes with Strawberries You’ll Love
For extra recipe concepts utilizing strawberries, take a look at these 5 scrumptious summer time strawberry recipes to encourage your subsequent meal!
In the event you make this wholesome Strawberry Mint Crostini recipe, I’d like to see it. Tag me in your images or movies on Instagram, TikTok, or Fb. And you should definitely be part of the Skinnytaste Group to see what everybody’s cooking!
