This strawberry bruschetta recipe combines fresh berries on crispy bread for a sweet and tangy appetizer. Perfect for any occasion!
An easy strawberry appetizer for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, brunch or a game night.
What is bruschetta?
Bruschetta is a popular Italian appetizer. It literally is a slice of grilled/toasted bread usually rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. This can be served as is or with toppings like tomatoes, basil, cheese or cured meats.
Note that bruschetta is the crispy toasted bread, not the "topping"!
It is similar to Spanish pan con tomate, a simple breakfast toast with tomato topping that Spaniards like to enjoy with their coffee in the morning.
What is the difference between bruschetta and crostini?
The main difference between these two is their size and the type of bread used to make them.
In Italy, crostini is made with French baguette type of bread while bruschetta is usually made with rustic or sourdough bread, so the slices are larger in size.
In America, however, many recipes use French baguette for both toasts.
How to make strawberry bruschetta
Ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Olive oil – preferably extra virgin
- Balsamic vinegar
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh basil – don’t substitute with dried basil
- French baguette
- Cream cheese
- Honey
Tools:
- Chopping board & knife
- Medium mixing bowl & spoon
- Baking sheet
The process is simple. Toasted bread is topped with cream cheese and a mixture of strawberries, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a little salt and pepper (See a full recipe card at the bottom of this post).
A drizzle of honey over each slice finishes off this appetizer nicely and adds a touch of sweetness that complements the rest of the ingredients well.
Can I use another type of cheese?
Yes, you can! Cream cheese, ricotta, brie, camembert, whipped feta, goat cheese even burrata are all tasty options. Pick your favorite kind or experiment with new flavors!
Can I make bruschetta ahead of time?
You can toast the bread and prepare the filling in advance.
But, to assemble the appetizers you will need to do this shortly before serving to avoid them turning soggy.
Expert tips
- To toast the bread you can simply use your toaster!
- Make sure to use fresh basil for this recipe.
- Don’t substitute olive oil with any other kind of oil.
- French baguette is a good choice of bread but you can use a large slice of any sourdough or rustic bread instead. Simply serve as 1 piece (like an open sandwich) or cut into manageable pieces.
- Instead of honey, agave syrup can be used.
Looking for more Valentine’s Day recipes?
You might like to try a simple heart shaped appetizer with tomatoes and mozzarella or fruit kabobs with a sweet fruit dip as a dessert.
Strawberry Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries (finely diced, 140 grams, see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- fresh basil (1 tablespoon finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- salt (q pinch, optional)
- black pepper (a pinch)
- French baguette (cut into ½-inch/1.5-centimeter slices, see note 2)
- ½ cup cream cheese (softened, 120 grams, see note 3)
- honey (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit/200 Celsius.
- In a small-medium bowl, combine together finely chopped strawberries, olive oil, chopped basil, Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir well and set aside.
- Place the baguette slices onto a baking sheet and toast until nice golden brown, about 10 minutes (see note 3).
- When ready, take out and let it cool down. Spread some cream cheese over each slice and top with the strawberry mixture. Repeat until you have used all the bread.
- Transfer onto a serving plate and drizzle with honey.
- Serve right away!
Notes
- Use fresh strawberries for this recipe! 1 cup finely diced strawberries is about 5 ounces.
- You can also use slices of large sourdough or rustic bread and serve it as is or you can cut each slice into more manageable pieces.
- Instead of cream cheese, you can use brie, camembert, ricotta, goat cheese, whipped feta. You could also experiment with burrata.
- Toasting ½-inch (1.5-centimeter) thick bread should not take long. 10 minutes or less, when using a broiler then perhaps 3-4 minutes tops. You can also use a toaster! A day or two old bread will work great!
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