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Crostini are the crisp, golden little toasts that turn any baguette into the perfect base for dips, spreads, and toppings, and they take just four ingredients. I make a big tray whenever friends come over, and the kids love dunking them in olive oil before dinner is even ready. They are the secret behind our whipped feta bruschetta.
The trick to perfect crostini is brushing both sides of every slice with olive oil so they toast up evenly crisp and golden.
Crostini Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 187kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crisp, golden, and lightly savory with olive oil and a hint of salt
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, simpler than our pesto toast
Quick Answer
To make crostini, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and slice a French baguette into half-inch pieces. Arrange the slices on a parchment-lined sheet tray and brush both sides generously with olive oil. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp, then immediately sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serve warm with your favorite dips or toppings.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Just four simple ingredients. A baguette, olive oil, salt, and pepper are all you need for crisp, golden toasts.
- Oil on both sides. Brushing each slice on both sides ensures the crostini toast evenly into a crunchy, golden base.
- A hot oven crisps fast. Baking at 425 degrees gives you crisp edges and a sturdy center in under ten minutes.
- Season while hot. Sprinkling salt and pepper right out of the oven helps the seasoning stick to the warm, oiled bread.
- The perfect topping base. Sturdy and crisp, crostini hold up to dips, spreads, and toppings without going soggy.
- Make a big batch fast. One baguette makes a whole tray, so they are perfect for parties and last-minute appetizers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They take just four ingredients and about 15 minutes to make.
- They are the perfect crisp base for any dip, spread, or topping you love.
- They make any appetizer board feel special, like our whipped feta bruschetta.
Key Ingredients
Here is all you need to make perfect crostini. See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- French baguette: A fresh, crusty baguette slices into the ideal sturdy little toasts.
- Olive oil: Brushed on both sides, it helps the bread crisp up golden and adds rich flavor.
- Kosher salt: A sprinkle right out of the oven seasons the warm, oiled toasts.
- Fresh cracked pepper: Adds a little warmth and finishes the crostini with savory flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make these crostini your own.
- Add garlic: Rub the warm toasts with a raw garlic clove for a bruschetta-style kick.
- Use butter: Swap the olive oil for melted butter for a richer, garlic-bread flavor.
- Make them cheesy: Sprinkle grated parmesan on top before baking.
- Grill them: Toast the slices on a grill pan for smoky char, like our grilled crostini.
- Add fresh herbs or a drizzle of balsamic, then top with our Mediterranean dip.
How to Make Crostini
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, slice the baguette about half an inch thick, and arrange the slices on a parchment-lined sheet tray.
- Brush both sides of each slice generously with olive oil, bake for 7 to 10 minutes until toasted and golden, then sprinkle with salt and pepper while warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a slightly stale baguette if you have one, since it slices cleaner and crisps up beautifully.
- Slice on a slight angle for larger, prettier toasts that hold more toppings.
- Use all the olive oil; it may seem like a lot, but it is what makes them golden and crisp.
- Keep the slices even in thickness so they all toast at the same rate.
- Watch them closely near the end, since they go from golden to too dark quickly.
- Season right out of the oven so the salt and pepper stick to the warm, oiled bread.
- Let them cool completely before storing so they stay crisp instead of turning soft.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Crostini are endlessly versatile and the star of any appetizer board. Serve them warm with a bowl of good olive oil for dipping, or pile them next to your favorite spreads and let everyone build their own.
Top them with classic bruschetta, whipped ricotta, or our roasted garlic cream cheese dip. They are also wonderful alongside our smoked salmon dip for a fancy starter.
Serve a basket of crostini next to soups and salads, or use them as the base for pesto toast piled with fresh tomatoes. They round out any grazing table beautifully.
Crostini FAQs
Crostini are small, thin slices of baguette brushed with olive oil and toasted until crisp and golden. The name means little toasts in Italian, and they are used as a sturdy base for appetizers, dips, and toppings.
Crostini are smaller, thinner slices of baguette that are oven-toasted, while bruschetta is typically a larger slice of rustic bread that is grilled and rubbed with garlic. Crostini are the base, and a tomato topping is what often makes them bruschetta.
A French baguette is the classic choice because it slices into the perfect small, sturdy rounds. A day-old baguette works especially well since it is firmer and slices cleanly without squishing.
Yes. Toast the crostini up to two days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. If they soften, crisp them up in a warm oven for a few minutes before serving.
Crostini are wonderful with almost anything, from classic tomato bruschetta and whipped feta to cream cheese spreads, smoked salmon, pesto, fig jam, or a simple drizzle of olive oil. They are a blank canvas for both savory and sweet toppings, which makes them perfect for building a custom appetizer board everyone can dig into.
Store cooled crostini in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Avoid the refrigerator, which traps moisture and can make them soft and chewy. If they lose their crunch, simply re-crisp them in a 350 degree oven for three to four minutes and let them cool before serving.
Ready to top them? Try our whipped feta bruschetta on crostini next.
Top these crostini with roasted garlic and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
How to Make Crostini (Easy Recipe!)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, set aside.
- Slice the baguette into slices between ¼ inch to ½ inch. Lay the slices on the sheet tray, you may need more than one sheet tray.1 French baguette
- Brush the bread slices on both sides with the olive oil, it may seem like a lot but use it all.¼ cup olive oil
- Place the sheet tray into the oven for 7-10 minutes or until your desired toastiness is reached. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to your taste.Kosher salt, Fresh cracked pepper
Notes
- We like to use slices of Baguette for this recipe but other breads can be used, see above for more.
- There are a variety of uses for Crostini, see above for some of my favorite uses.
- Double this recipe to serve more people.
- This recipe is great on its own baked just as is per the recipe.
Nutrition
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