These Pesto Caprese Crostini combine your favorite Caprese salad with a toasted baguette and pesto to create a delicious and easy appetizer! It has just 6 simple ingredients, and it's something you can make last-minute while still being restaurant-worthy! Perfect for the summer but easy to make all year round.
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Why You'll Love This Caprese Crostini
Caprese salad on bread - It has all the same ingredients. Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, balsamic, and fresh basil (just in the form of pesto). It's perfect for the summer but easy to make any time of the year!
Packed with flavors and texture - This crostini has it all! It's crispy, flavorful, and filling, yet still light and refreshing, just like your favorite Caprese salad! Soft fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and toasted baguette are the perfect trio! I also added homemade pesto, which adds so much more flavor than plain fresh basil ever could! And we can't forget the tangy-sweet balsamic glaze drizzle at the end!
Simple and easy - There are no complicated steps here. It's really just a matter of toasting the bread and layering all the toppings! Just 6 ingredients and less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Baguette - A whole-wheat sourdough baguette with seeds is my go-to for these. I find it crisps up much better in the oven than a regular white flour one.
- Pesto - You can make your own basil pesto or use a store-bought one. I like making mine with pecorino instead of parmesan for a stronger, more salty flavor.
- Fresh mozzarella - I used four bocconcini balls (I used the bigger size; they're a little smaller than a golf ball). I found ones marinated in pesto at Eataly for this, but I'd normally just use plain fresh mozzarella. Bocconcini are the perfect size because each crostini fits about 1 slice.
- Grape tomatoes - I used grape tomatoes because they're longer and can be sliced and layered nicely with the mozzarella. Regular cherry tomatoes cut in half or quarters will also work, but I find slicing them makes the crostini easier to eat without everything falling off when you bite into it.
- Fresh basil - This one is optional since the basil flavor is already in the pesto, but you can garnish the crostini with fresh basil as well. The same way a caprese salad would have leaves in between slices of mozzarella and tomatoes.
- Balsamic glaze - Right before serving, I recommend drizzling the crostini with balsamic glaze (NOT vinegar) to really tie all the flavors together. I usually buy mine. There are tons of brands, but I really like Nonna Pia's brand. You can also make it at home by cooking down balsamic vinegar, but I find it time-consuming and unnecessary.
Variations and Substitutions
- On bread - You can turn this into a snack or lunch by putting all the toppings on a slice of sourdough bread instead of the small bites.
- Melt the cheese - You can toast the baguette with the mozzarella for a couple of minutes to melt it, as I did with my Bruschetta with Mozzarella. You'll have to add less of it because it melts quite a lot.
- Burrata - You can swap the mozzarella for creamy burrata if you want to change it up.
- Add some peaches - My Peach Caprese Salad would be so good as a crostini! You can just add a small slice of a peach to each bite.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and prepare a large baking sheet.
- Slice your baguette and lay it out on the baking sheet.
- Spray it lightly with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes until slightly golden.
- Take the baguette slices out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes.
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- Spread a little bit of pesto on each slice.
- Slice your mozzarella into small pieces to fit each crostini.
- Top each slice with mozzarella and cherry tomato slices. You can also add fresh basil to each crostini.
- Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt, a little black pepper if desired, and drizzle with balsamic glaze right before serving. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Use a whole grain baguette if you want the crostini to be extra crispy. I find it crisps up more and stays crunchy for longer than a white-bread baguette.
- Use grape tomatoes and slice them up instead of cutting them into quarters. The crostini is much easier to eat that way without all the toppings falling off.
Serving and Storing
The crostini is best served right away. Once you add the pesto and all the toppings to the toasted baguette, it could lose its crispiness if it sits for too long.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The baguette loses its crispiness once refrigerated, but it's still good to eat for a couple of days.
FAQs
You can, but the pesto adds a ton of flavor. You can use a nut-free pesto or one that's vegan without any cheese. Adding Chimichurri Sauce is by no means a part of a caprese salad, but it might be a delicious alternative as well!
They're both very similar and interchangeable. Bruschetta is usually made of thicker sourdough baguette slices, while crostini is smaller and much thinner, so it's crispier. It's also often made with a simple white flour baguette, but I like my sourdough bread, so that's what I use for both.
Other Summer Crostini Recipes
If you want to try more easy crostini or bruschetta recipes, check out 5 of my favorites below! To see all the latest ones and other fun appetizers, head over to Appetizers.
- Strawberry Bruschetta
- Tomato Peach Bruschetta (My all-time summer favorite!)
- Cajun Shrimp Crostini
- Smoked Salmon Crostini
- Bruschetta with Mozzarella
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Have you tried this Caprese Crostini? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Pesto Caprese Crostini
These Pesto Caprese Crostini combine your favorite Caprese salad with a toasted baguette and pesto to create a delicious and easy appetizer! It has just 6 simple ingredients, and it's something you can make last-minute while still being restaurant-worthy! Perfect for the summer but easy to make all year round.
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield4 1x
- DietVegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 baguette, sliced into ¼-½-inch slices
- Cooking spray (optional, I used avocado oil)
- ¼-⅓ cup homemade pesto (or store-bought)
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella (I used 4 large bocconcini balls, sliced
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced or quartered (or cherry tomatoes)
- A handful of fresh basil leaves (optional)
- Flaky sea salt to taste
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze or to taste (NOT vinegar)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and prepare a large baking sheet.
- Slice your baguette and lay it out on the baking sheet.
- Spray it lightly with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes until slightly golden.
- Take the baguette slices out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes.
- Spread a little bit of pesto on each slice.
- Slice your mozzarella into small pieces to fit each crostini.
- Top each slice with mozzarella and cherry tomato slices. You can also add fresh basil to each crostini if desired.
- Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and drizzle with balsamic glaze right before serving, and enjoy!
Notes
Mozzarella: I like using bocconcini because they fit the size of baguette slices perfectly. I like the larger ones that are a little smaller than a golf ball. If you use the little ones, you’ll need 16-20 of them cut in half. If you slice or dice a regular fresh mozzarella ball, you’ll need about 1 ¼ cup or 5-6 oz.
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Once refrigerated, the baguette will lose its crunch.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
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