This Roasted Pear Crostini is the perfect fall and winter appetizer. The spicy and sweet roasted pears go amazing with the creamy goat cheese and crispy baguette slices. Serve this crostini as finger food at any holiday party or as a starter to your dinner. They're especially great for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a really simple but unique appetizer that's always everyone's favorite!
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Why You'll Love This Pear Crostini
Sweet and spicy - The pears are roasted with honey, chili flakes, and other spices which gives them the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. They get a little caramelized in the oven and pair perfectly with the crunchy toasted baguette and almonds. I used soft goat cheese for a slightly different flavor but regular cream cheese would also be delicious.
Perfect for the holidays - This crostini would make a great holiday appetizer for both Thanksgiving dinner and any Christmas party. Pears are my favorite in fall and winter and they definitely deserve to be featured in more savory recipes just like apples! If you like the sweet and salty combo, try my Apple Brie Crostini as well!
Easy and simple - This recipe takes only about 10 minutes to prep time and the oven does most of the work. You'll first toast the almonds, then the crostini, and finally roast the pears. It comes together quickly and there are only a few simple ingredients you can find at practically any grocery store. I've made many crostini and bruschetta variations over the years and they're one of my favorite appetizers to make because they're so easy and straight-forward to make every time.
Ingredients
- Baguette - A wholewheat sourdough baguette is always my go-to but you can use any baguette you prefer.
- Garlic - I brush each crostini with a clove of garlic as soon as it comes out of the oven and the baguette is still hot. The heat cooks the garlic slightly and it gives the bread an amazing garlicky flavor.
- Goat cheese - You can use regular cream cheese or soft goat cheese. I always have soft goat cheese on hand because I prefer goat milk to cow milk but both work great.
- Pears - Firmer pears are better so they don't get too mushy in the oven. I use Bartlett pears which are on the softer and juicier side but they're still perfect for this when they're not overly ripe.
- Avocado oil - I like using cooking oil in a spray to make crostini because it ensures all slices are sprayed evenly and none have too much oil. I use pure 100% avocado oil but any cooking oil you have is great.
- Honey - The flavor of pure honey goes great with pear and all the other flavors here. If you don't have honey, you can use maple syrup instead.
- Spices and herbs - You'll need dried oregano, dried thyme, sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. The chili flakes are optional but they add just the right amount of heat to balance the sweetness of the pears.
- Toasted almonds - You can toast almonds either on their own or you can add a light drizzle of avocado oil and spices like salt, pepper, garlic, onion, herbs, or smoked paprika.
Variations and Substitutions
- Hot honey - If you don't have chili flakes or regular honey, you can use hot honey instead. If you use hot honey I recommend skipping the chili flakes so that the crostini isn't overly spicy.
- Make it vegan - If you don't want to use honey, you can use maple syrup instead. To keep this dish completely vegan-friendly, use dairy-free cream cheese instead of goat cheese.
- Apples - If you don't have pears, you can use apples instead or a mix of the two. Cheese and apples or pears are the perfect match!
- Prosciutto - If you want to make the crostini fancier, add a small slice of prosciutto to each crostini as well. It would go really well with all the other flavors.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and prepare a large baking sheet.
- Spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet and roast them in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes.
- Keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.
- Remove the almonds from the oven and transfer them to a small bowl to cool and set aside.
- Lay out the baguette slices on the same baking sheet and spray them lightly with cooking oil on the side facing up.
- Toast them in the oven for 10 minutes.
- As soon as the crostini comes out of the oven, brush each slice with a clove of garlic on one side.
- Transfer the crostini to a plate and set aside.
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- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper (optional) and add diced pear.
- Drizzle the pear with olive oil and honey and season with dried thyme, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and sea salt.
- Toss it all together gently until everything is evenly coated and mixed.
- Roast the pears in the oven for 15-18 minutes.
- While the pears are roasting, spread goat cheese on the toasted baguette slices.
- Take the pear out of the oven and add a few pieces to each crostini.
- Sprinkle the crostini with toasted sliced almonds and fresh herbs.
- Lightly drizzle with more honey if desired and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Crunchy baguette - The thickness of your baguette slices will determine how crunchy the crostini will be. I cut the baguette into ¼-1/2 inch thick slices because I don't like it to be overly crunchy. Thinner slices will also give you more servings and if you cut them really thin, you'll need more cream cheese.
- Change up the flavors based on what you have - This appetizer is very versatile and you can switch things up to your liking. It would be great with walnuts instead of almonds, with added prosciutto, hot honey, balsamic glaze, fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, or even fried sage. Use apple if you don't have crostini and cream cheese if you don't like goat cheese.
Serving Suggestions
You want to serve the crostini right away. If you let it sit with all the toppings for too long, the baguette will lose its crispiness.
This crostini makes delicious finger food served with other appetizers and dips or a great starter for a fall meal. This recipe is tried and true and whether you're serving it for a family dinner or a big party, it's guaranteed to impress!
You can also turn this appetizer into lunch by slicing the baguette horizontally into big slices or put everything on sliced sourdough bread instead. You could serve with a side salad like this Kale Crunch Salad which also has toasted sliced almonds or this Kale Sweet Potato Salad.
Storing and Make Ahead Options
Toasted almonds - You can totally make these ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
Toasted baguette - I like making this right before serving the crostini because I find the baguette turns tough if I leave it out to sit for too long. That being said if you need to store the assembled crostini with all the toppings, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The baguette turns a little soft and chewy with the creamy cheese on top but it's still delicious.
Roasted pear - This one also tastes best right after it comes out of the oven. It doesn't have to be hot while you serve it but it's not as good cold from the fridge. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can reheat the roasted pear in the oven at 300F but it may get mushy once reheated.
FAQs
Bruschetta is often made with bigger and thicker slices of a baguette than crostini which tend to be much thinner. That being said, the two are often used interchangeably. Crostini means toasted bread.
You can use regular cream cheese or brie. Even whipped feta would be delicious but I'd add less salt to the pear because feta is much saltier than the soft goat cheese.
Yes, just use gluten-free baguette or bread and use maple syrup and dairy-free cream cheese instead of honey and goat cheese.
More Crostini Recipes
If you're looking for similar crostini recipes give any of the recipes below a try! They're all just as easy to make as this pear crostini and are perfect for fall and winter. They make delicious starters or great finger food for parties. To see all the latest ones, head over to Appetizer Recipes!
📖 Recipe
Roasted Pear Crostini
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Roasted Pear Crostini is the perfect fall and winter appetizer. Serve this crostini as finger food at any holiday party or as a starter to your dinner.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw sliced almonds (see notes)
- 1 baguette, sliced into ¼-½-inch slices
- Avocado oil in a spray bottle (or 1-2 tablespoon cooking oil)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 pears, diced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (plus more for serving if desired)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 150g soft goat cheese
- Fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and prepare a large baking sheet.
- Spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.
- Remove the almonds from the oven and transfer them to a small bowl to cool and set aside.
- Lay the baguette slices on the same baking sheet and spray them lightly with cooking oil on the side facing up.
- Toast them in the oven for 10 minutes.
- As soon as the crostini comes out of the oven, brush each slice with a clove of garlic on one side.
- Transfer the crostini to a plate and set aside.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper (optional) and add diced pears.
- Drizzle the pears with olive oil and honey and season with dried thyme, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and sea salt.
- Toss it all together gently until everything is evenly coated and mixed.
- Roast the pears in the oven for 15-18 minutes.
- While that’s roasting, spread goat cheese on the toasted baguette slices.
- Take the pear out of the oven and add a few pieces to each slice.
- Sprinkle the crostini with toasted sliced almonds and fresh herbs.
- Lightly drizzle with more honey if desired and enjoy!
Notes
Toasted sliced almonds: You can toast them plain or add oil and spices. I like adding 1-2 teaspoon avocado oil and a sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, pepper, paprika, chili flakes, or dried herbs.
Storing: The crostini is best served right away for the best flavors and texture. If necessary, store any leftover crostini in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The baguette will just lose its crunch with all the toppings. The roasted pear can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated though it may get mushy as it sits.
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Veronika Sykorova says
The combination of sweet and spicy pears is so good with the creamy goat cheese, this is a staple in my house during the winter now! Let me know how you liked the recipe here in the comments too! :)
Konrad says
Interesting recipe. Thank you for sharing.