This Apple Brie Crostini is a delicious appetizer, perfect for fall and winter, and especially the holiday season! These little brie bites are crispy, cheesy, savory, and a little sweet. They're easy to make, simple but fancy, and perfect for a crowd.
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Why You'll Love This Apple Brie Crostini
Delicious flavor combination - Crisp apples, fresh sage fried in butter, and melty brie cheese on a crispy garlicky baguette. These crostinis are crunchy, savory, cheese, and a little sweet. They're drizzled with a little balsamic glaze which ties all the flavors together really well! If you like this recipe, I highly recommend giving this Apple Brie Grilled Cheese also a try!
Perfect for the holidays - Crostini is one of the best appetizers you can make for the holidays and any party. It's an easy finger food to serve because everyone can help themselves, you can eat it with your hands, and it's not too messy. These look and taste super fancy but you'll be surprised at how easy they are to make! Impress your guests by adding these to your holiday table!
Easy to make - These crostini take less than 30 minutes to make and they have only a few very simple ingredients. It's definitely something you can whip up quickly and last minute right before your guests arrive!
Ingredients
- Baguette - I like using sourdough baguette of any kind and slicing it into ¼-1/2 inch thick slices. This way the baguette crisps up but it's still soft enough so you can bite into it and not overly hard and crunchy.
- Brie cheese - Brie melts amazingly and has a very specific flavor. I like using sheep or goat milk brie but any brie cheese works.
- Apple - I like using red apples (they make for a prettier presentation) like honey crisp or honeydew apple but any apple you have works. I like ones that have a bite to them but are still on the sweeter side.
- Fresh herbs - I like sprinkling fresh thyme on top of the crostini for serving and frying sage in butter to add on top as well. Fried sage is crispy, buttery, and so delicious! It's optional but highly recommended.
- Butter - You'll need butter to fry the sage if you're adding it on top as garnish. You can also fry it in oil but it doesn't have the same flavor.
- Garlic - You'll need one clove of garlic to brush the baguette after it comes out of the oven. It adds a very light garlic flavor to the crostini, it's so good!
- Balsamic glaze - This is optional but I drizzle a little balsamic glaze on the crostini for added flavor. You only need a little bit but it adds sweet tart balsamic flavor that goes amazing with the apple and brie.
Variations and Substitutions
- Pear - If you don't have apples, this crostini would be just as delicious with sliced pear instead.
- Olive oil - You can drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the crostini for an added layer of flavor.
- A different type of bread - You can easily turn these crostini into lunch by putting all toppings on large slices of toasted sourdough instead of small baguette slices.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F (190C).
- To fry the sage, add 2 tablespoon butter to a large hot pan over medium heat.
- Once it’s almost melted, add the sage making sure the leaves aren’t overlapping too much.
- Fry the sage for 2-5 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping the sage leaves if possible. Be careful not to burn the butter.
- Take the sage leaves out and lay them out in a single layer on a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. You can save the brown sage butter for pasta or other dishes.
- Lay your sliced baguette on a large baking sheet and spray with cooking oil.
- Toast it in the oven for 5 minutes.
- While the baguette is in the oven, thinly slice your apple and add it to a bowl with water and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. This will prevent the apple from browning.
- Take the baguette out of the oven, rub it with the clove of garlic and lay the brie slices on each slice.
- Return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, just until the brie is melted.
- Drain the apples and add 2 slices to each crostini.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and fried sage leaves, and drizzle with balsamic glaze and a little bit of olive oil if desired.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Thicker slices: The thickness of your baguette slices will determine how crispy or soft the baguette will be once toasted in the oven. I often don't make them too thin because I don't want the baguette to get too hard as it sits and cools down. I recommend slicing it into ½-inch thick slices. It's crunchy on top but still soft on the bottom.
- Type of baguette: The kind of bread you get also determines the texture. I like sourdough baguettes. They're more dense and more crunchy. I usually go with a regular classic white baguette or whole wheat baguette with seeds.
Serving and Storing
These crostinis will taste the best when they're fresh so they're best served right away while the cheese is still melted and the bread crispy.
They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days as well if needed but they will lose their crispiness and the cheese will harden. You can warm them back up in the oven at 300F if desired.
I do not recommend freezing any part of this appetizer.
FAQs
Crostini is often made with smaller and thinner slices of a baguette than bruschetta which means it's usually crispier than a bruschetta. You can toast it both in the oven or on the grill but bruschetta is more often made on the grill.
I highly recommend trying brie if you can but soft mozzarella, gruyere, or finely grated cheddar also work.
Yes, the rind on brie is safe to eat. Don't cut it off, it has a lot of flavor!
Other Crostini and Bruschetta Recipes
If you like this apple brie crostini, you should try any of the five crostini and bruschetta recipes below (or all of them)! The cajun shrimp crostini is my personal favorite but they're all amazing! If you want to see all the latest ones, head over to Appetizers.
📖 Recipe
Apple Brie Crostini
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Apple Brie Crostini is a delicious appetizer, perfect for fall and winter, and especially the holiday season! These little brie bites are crispy, cheesy, savory, and a little sweet. They're easy to make, simple but fancy, and perfect for a crowd.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- Handful of fresh sage, stems removed*
- 1 baguette, cut into ¼-½ inch slices
- Avocado oil in a spray bottle (or 1-2 tablespoon cooking oil)
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 180-200g brie cheese (1 round, 7 oz), cut into small slices (to fit the baguette, approx. 2 inch)
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stems removed
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F (190C).
- To fry the sage, add 2 tablespoon butter to a large hot pan over medium heat.
- Once it’s almost melted, add the sage making sure the leaves aren’t overlapping too much.
- Fry the sage for 2-5 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping the sage leaves if possible. Be careful not to burn the butter.
- Take the sage leaves out and lay them out in a single layer on a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. You can save the brown sage butter for pasta or other dishes.
- Lay your sliced baguette on a large baking sheet and spray with cooking oil.
- Toast in the oven for 5 minutes.
- While the baguette is in the oven, thinly slice your apple and add it to a bowl with water and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. This will prevent the apple from browning.
- Take the baguette out of the oven, rub it with the clove of garlic and lay the brie slices on each slice.
- Return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes just until the brie is melted.
- Drain the apples and add 2 slices to each crostini.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and fried sage leaves, and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Fried sage: Make sure your sage is thoroughly dried. If the leaves are a little wet, they won’t crisp up as well.
Storing: The finished crostini can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days but it’s best enjoyed right away. The baguette will lose its crispiness in the fridge but it can be re-toasted in the oven if desired (without the apple). Do not freeze.
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