Holiday Crostini Recipes: Cranberry Brie Crostini and Roasted Tomato + Pesto Crostini

If you are looking for easy appetizer ideas for the holidays then I’ve got you covered! These crostini recipes only take a couple of minutes to put together and they taste AMAZING. The only difficult part is not eating them all before the guests arrive.

Now, I know that holiday gatherings might be smaller and more laid back this year but that doesn’t mean you can’t put out some festive foods. Even if you are spending the holiday’s by yourself I highly recommend making these and eating them all with a glass of wine. That’s exactly what I did after I made them for these photos!

Cranberry Brie Crostini and Roasted Tomato + Pesto Crostini

I chose to do a Cranberry Brie Crostini and Roasted Tomato + Pesto Crostini because of the festive red and green color scheme. Plus, the cranberry jam is especially perfect for Thanksgiving.

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How to Make Cranberry Brie Crostini

All you need for the Cranberry Brie Crostini is a baguette, a wedge of brie cheese, a jar of whole berry cranberry sauce, and a sprig of rosemary. (Just make sure you get the Whole Berry cranberry sauce can because you want the texture of the whole berries for this recipe). Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch pieces and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 5 mins on both sides (or until bread gets toasted). Slice brie cheese and place on bread. Add a dollup of the cranberry sauce, sprinkle sea salt on top, and add a sprig of rosemary. Done!

If you are feeling like an over-achiever then you can make your own cranberry sauce but I just used Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce in a can. I will say that it needs a little extra something so at the very least, sprinkle some sea salt on top. You can jazz up the jarred cranberry sauce by adding the zest and juice of one orange and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. And the rosemary garnish is a MUST as well. It really adds a nice flavor that takes this crostini to the next level.

(Brie Crostini Recipe adapted from this recipe)

How to Make Roasted Tomato + Pesto Crostini

The Roasted Tomato crostini take a little more work but it’s still really easy. Bake the baguette slices the same way as the Brie Crostini recipe. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes are roasted. Spread some goat cheese on the baguette slices, add a dollup of pesto, top with roasted tomatoes, and sprinkle chopped basil on top.

Again, if you want to be an over-achiever you can make fresh pesto following this recipe. But I just bought a jar of pesto and used that. A drizzle of balsamic glaze on top of this crostini would also be really good!