26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (2024)

With only three basic ingredients — bread, oil, and garlic — bruschetta and crostini are ridiculously easy to make. The crispy bite-sized toasts can then be completed with endless topping options and served as appetizers or hors d'oeuvres at cookouts and co*cktail parties alike. From classic tomato bruschetta and shrimp toasts to inventive spins like grilled sweet onion and blue cheese crostini, this collection of bruschetta and crostini recipes will help you plan the menu for your next gathering.

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Shrimp Toasts with Scallion-Chile Sauce

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (1)

The secret to this semi-traditional dim sum favorite is a butter-studded shrimp mousse that comes together quickly in a food processor with just five ingredients.

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Tomato Bruschetta

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (2)

Just about any summer co*cktail party can use a platter of bruschetta. This appetizer comes together in just minutes, making it easy on the host. It’s a great way to show off tomatoes when they're ripe and in season, whether they came from your garden, the farmers market, or the grocery store.

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Chhundo and Goat Cheese Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (3)

Chhundo, a pickled marmalade-like condiment that’s tangy and sticky-sweet, with light heat and fragrance from Kashmiri chile powder, tops these goat cheese crostini from blogger and cookbook author Hetal Vasavada.

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Cheesy Sausage co*cktail Toasts

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (4)

For these tasty toasts, cookbook author Andrea Slonecker borrows from the nostalgic flavors of her childhood and swaps creamy mascarpone and robust Taleggio for the Velveeta in her grandmother's original version. "The topping can be made a few days ahead, and it's as straightforward as browning some Italian sausage and melting in the cheeses," she writes.

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Crostini with Grilled Sweet Onions and Blue Cheese

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (5)

Chef Andrae Bopp wraps whole sweet Walla Walla onions in foil and tosses them into the coals of a campfire on a river to roast and caramelize. Here we’ve adapted his recipe for your home grill. Don’t skip the zippy honey-vinegar drizzle — it coaxes out even more flavor from the sweet onions and balances the blue cheese.

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Ricotta Crostini with Pickled Ramps and Crisp Pancetta

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (6)

Chef Ryan Hardy got the idea for his sensational crostini from a jar of pickled ramps he recovered from the back of his refrigerator.

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Baby Romaine with Garlic-Parmesan Vinaigrette and Leek and Anchovy Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (7)

The leeks are perfumed with lemons and thyme and cooked until they are browned and jammy. The aïoli is rich, garlicky, and bright; along with the briny, marinated anchovies, it cuts through the richness of the leeks and soft-cooked eggs.

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’Nduja Toasts with Quick-Pickled Celery

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (8)

Store-bought ’nduja, the spicy, spreadable sausage, is transformed into a special canapé when served on toasted baguette and topped with a quick-pickled celery.

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Wild Mushroom Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (9)

Southern cooking is often very meat-focused, but chef Ford Fry likes to emphasize vegetables. For these crostini, he tops creamy ricotta with a mix of garlicky mushrooms and a handful of herbs.

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Lima Bean and Ricotta Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (10)

Food & Wine culinary director at large Justin Chapple thinks that lima beans deserve a place on every table, especially when they're made into a bright, herby salad and piled onto crunchy, creamy ricotta toasts.

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Herbed Chickpea Bruschetta

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (11)

The key to these delicious bruschetta from chef Nancy Silverton is lots of olive oil. After she bakes the chickpeas with a variety of flavorings — including onions, pancetta, and carrots — she purees them with a good amount of oil, spreads the puree on toasts, and drizzles with a little more oil.

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Crostini with Roasted Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Preserved Lemon

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (12)

A preserved lemon relish adds a bright, salty note to these elegant crostini, balancing the flavors of creamy ricotta and sweet squash.

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Bay Scallop-Marsala Cream Toasts

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (13)

These bay scallops are set in a luscious Marsala cream sauce, served over hot crispy bread and garnished with fresh chives. It's a simple dish to prepare, yet so special and decadent. It's best to enjoy these toasts with a knife and fork.

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Ricotta and Roasted Grape Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (14)

Designer and blogger Athena Calderone’s signature aesthetic comes through in this striking appetizer. Roasting the grapes concentrates and deepens their sweetness.

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Crab and Avocado Toasts

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (15)

Chef Gerard Craft grew up in Washington, D.C., eating lots of Maryland blue crab. Here, he creates a very simple and delicious starter by tossing sweet crabmeat with fresh mint and lime juice, then spooning it over mashed avocado on toast. You can make the toasts or buy store-bought ones to save time.

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Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Pancetta

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (16)

Peak-season tomatoes make all the difference in this simple bruschetta from author Susan Spungen. They’re the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup or a large salad; or, to turn them into two-bite hors d’oeuvres, simply cut the bruschetta crosswise into strips.

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Tomatillo Toasts with Prosciutto and Manchego

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (17)

Inspired by classic pan con tomate, a Spanish dish of bread rubbed with fresh tomato, Justin Chapple tops crunchy toasted bread with tangy grated tomatillos. To round the toast out, he also adds thin slices of prosciutto and shaved Manchego cheese.

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Deviled Egg Toast

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (18)

This rendition of deviled eggs is chef Missy Robbins’ favorite way to get the salty, spicy, tangy filling all in one crunchy bite.

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Mushroom and Fontina Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (19)

Chef Maria Helm Sinskey likes to use Italian Fontina cheese for these crostini, which melts beautifully, but young Gouda would be equally delicious.

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Honey-Tomato Bruschetta with Ricotta

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (20)

In this amazing appetizer, two types of honey serve two distinct purposes: Mellow, slightly spicy clover honey intensifies the sweetness of the tangy tomatoes as they slowly roast. After the bruschetta is assembled, a drizzle of robust buckwheat honey balances the creamy ricotta cheese.

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Pimiento Cheese and Bacon Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (21)

A thick layer of cheddar cheese, chopped pimientos, and bacon crumble make for an irresistibly cheesy crostini.

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Grilled Marrow Bones with Rosemary-Lemon Bruschetta

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (22)

Chef Chris Cosentino uses the phrase "God's butter" to describe rich, decadent bone marrow. Here he serves it alongside grilled toasts rubbed with rosemary and lemon. For a more potent herbal flavor, singe the rosemary sprigs on the grill for a few moments before rubbing the toasts.

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Corn and Chanterelle Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (23)

For this fast, flavorful appetizer, chef Paul Virant combines two of his favorite childhood memories about food. "During the summer, especially around the Fourth of July, we would pick chanterelles that grew around our property," he says. "And my grandmother made this amazing creamed corn. It turns out corn and chanterelles go very well together."

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Warm White Bean and Calamari Salad with Garlic Bruschetta

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (24)

The salad for this recipe can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. Simply toast some garlic-rubbed bread and top with the salad when ready to serve.

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Chicken Liver Crostini

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (25)

Chef Peter Hoffman's beautifully silky puree is accented with sweet sautéed apples, smoky bacon, and a splash of brandy, then served on crunchy toasts.

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Crostini with Creamy Ricotta and Chorizo

26 Timeless Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes (26)

"Chorizo is so underused," says chef Shea Gallante. Here, he uses the spicy Spanish sausage in a savory crostini topping.

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