Name: Cranberry Crostini with Cream Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1-8 ounce baguette; 3 tablespoons olive oil; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup homemade whole berry cranberry sauce; 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; oranges for zesting

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These little cranberry crostini with cream cheese look like dazzling gems on a holiday table. They’re festive, gorgeous, and delicious! Crostini are super easy to make and a great way to use homemade cranberry sauce! Impress your Thanksgiving and Christmas guests with tasty little beauties.

Crostini topped with cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and orange zest.

What are crostini?

These little crusts or little toasts are an Italian appetizer or antipasto. Crostini are made from thinly sliced, toasted bread and served with various toppings. Sometimes they’re used as a dipper instead. They can be served with one topping or as crostini misti with mixed toppings.

In this recipe, they are spread with cream cheese and homemade cranberry sauce for a gorgeous holiday treat.

Ingredients

Plain toasted slices of baguette, homemade cranberry sauce, and cream cheese laid out for making cranberry crostini.

Use a baguette or a loaf of French bread to make the crostini. I always use what is available in the grocery store bakery.
Olive oil for brushing the bread before baking.
Salt sprinkled on the crostini brings out the flavors.
Homemade, whole-berry cranberry sauce is the star of the show. Make sure to use a great recipe. My cranberry sauce with oranges and walnuts is the best for these!
Softened cream cheese serves as the base for the crostini. It’s smooth, creamy, and just a little tangy. It pairs nicely with the cranberry flavors.
Orange zest makes a beautiful garnish to finish the crostini. It also adds a citrusy scent and flavor to each bite.

Variations

Make vegan and dairy-free cranberry crostini: Use a vegan cream cream cheese substitute instead of the softened cream cheese.

How to Make them

Thin slices of baguette on a wooden cutting board.

Brushing olive oil onto a slice of baguette.

First, prepare the little toasts. Slice, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake.

Cream cheese spread on a toasted little slice of baguette.

Time to add toppings. First, a nice smear of cream cheese.

Adding cranberry sauce to a little toast with cream cheese spread.

Garnish of orange zest ribbons on a cranberry toast.

Then add the cranberry sauce and garnish with orange zest.

Pro-tip: Use a citrus zester with a channel knife to make little curls of citrus zest. They take this festive appetizer to the next level!

Arrange them on a platter and be ready for your delighted guests.

Storage

You can bake the crostini without toppings up to 3 days ahead. Store the plain crostini in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to top and serve.

Serving

They make a perfect festive holiday appetizer. Serve them before Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Make a batch for your New Year’s Eve party using leftover cranberry sauce from Christmas. Freeze the leftover sauce after Christmas, and you’ll be all set!
Make crostini the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas. They’re a great way to use leftover bread and cranberry sauce.

A bite taken from a cream cheese and cranberry crostini.

Looking for more crostini ideas?

I’ve got you covered! Check out my guide to crostini misti or mixed crostini. It’s full of ideas and recipes for more types of crostini.

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Cranberry Crostini with Cream Cheese

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Crostini with cranberry sauce and cream cheese are a delicious and elegant holiday appetizer. Make them for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Author: Mandi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
Yield: about 30 crostini 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: Bake
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the crostini (toasts)

1–8 ounce baguette
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the toppings

1 cup homemade whole berry cranberry sauce
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Optional garnish

oranges for zesting

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉

Use a serrated bread knife to slice the bread into ¼ inch slices.
Lightly brush the front and back of each slice with olive oil. Arrange them on sheet pans. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
Bake at 400℉ for about 8 minutes, until golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before topping.
Add the toppings: Spread softened cream cheese on each little piece of toast. Next, a layer of cranberry sauce.
Garnish the crostini: Use a citrus zester with a channel knife to make little curls of orange zest. Add a few pieces of zest to each piece.

Notes

Storing Crostini: You can bake the crostini without toppings up to 3 days ahead. Store the plain crostini in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to top and serve.

Use homemade whole-berry cranberry sauce: https://mandiofthemountains.com/cranberry-sauce-oranges-walnut/

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 crostini
Calories: 72
Sugar: 3.2 g
Sodium: 74.2 mg
Fat: 4.1 g
Carbohydrates: 7.9 g
Fiber: 0.4 g
Protein: 0.9 g
Cholesterol: 7.6 mg

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you stick around a’while and check out my story.

Mandi

Cranberry Crostini with Cream Cheese

What are crostini?