Berry Goat Cheese Crostinis

Crostini appetizers make party menus simple while still being big on flavor! This Berry Goat Cheese Crostini recipe is an easy goat cheese appetizer that provides the perfect combination of creamy goat cheese, sweet three berry jam and a crunchy homemade crostini. 

A Deliciously Sweet Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer with Homemade Berry Jam!

I am usually all about savory appetizers like my Swedish Meatballs or rich carb-tastic appetizers  like my Spinach Dip Bread Bowls. However, as I started thinking ahead to our New Year’s Eve celebrations, I felt like something a little sweeter and prettier was needed on the menu like these Berry Goat Cheese Crostinis.

When I was making my Berry Champagne cocktail, I began experimenting with a homemade berry jam. With blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, it is bursting with berry flavor and has a gorgeous pink color.

The berry jam recipe for the drink is a little different then the Berry Syrup I made for the cocktail recipe though. I wanted the jam to be a thicker, mashed berry jam to put on top of the crostini appetizer. The result is so pretty and delicious!

Plus, you can never go wrong with goat cheese appetizers in my opinion! A goat cheese crostini with this sweet and tangy berry jam is a perfect combo! YUM!

TIPS FOR MAKING CROSTINIS

Great Bread: You don’t have to use a baguette, but you do want to use quality bakery bread!

Right Size: You want to cut your bread around 1/4″. If thinner, it won’t hold up to your toppings. If thicker, your guests won’t be able to eat it!

Brush them with Olive Oil: Do not drizzle your crostinis with olive oil. You want them to be equally covered with olive oil so a little prep bowl with olive oil and a pastry brush works best!

Season: Depending on your toppings, consider seasoning the bread before baking. I decided to let the berry jam speak for itself, but have seasoned crostinis with salt and pepper, garlic and lemon juice in the past.

CAN YOU PREPARE CROSTINI BITES AHEAD OF TIME?

Crostinis can be prepared ahead of time which can make your holiday or party prep even easier! You can store in an airtight container at room temperature between 3-5 days.

Or you can prep the crostinis by just cutting and applying oil. Then freeze them in a ziploc bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, put the frozen slices on a baking sheet and cook in the oven with the recipe baking instructions.

HOW TO MAKE THREE BERRY JAM

This pretty in pink three berry jam is made by cooking down raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. You can easily switch out the berries to meet any personal preferences, but I don’t think you can taste any of the individual berries once they are all cooked down together.

The end result of your jam will depend on the quality of the fruit you use, so you will want to keep things in mind like flavor, sweetness, or texture. For example, a bitter batch of blackberries will result in a more bitter jam and might need more sugar.

The fruit does NOT have to be really ripe. Fruit that is almost at it’s peak ripeness has more natural occurring pectin which helps thicken the jam. If you want to make homemade jam with more consistent thickness, you will need to add additional pectin. I prefer letting the fruit jam be as natural as possible, especially because I’m not picky about a looser or thicker jam.

HELPFUL TOOLS FOR MAKING THIS CROSTINI APPETIZER:

• A non reactive pan to acid is best for making jam so I recommend a Stainless Steel Jam Pan or the BEST (but pricey) Copper Jam Pan
• I prefer using sturdy wooden spoons to make jam because it doesn’t cool the cooking jam at all while stirring.
• A hand masher – I like this one because it’s easy to clean!
• Non-Stick Baking Sheets
• Reliable Bread Knife, Prep Bowls and Pastry Brush
• I love having a reliable spreader knife for prep work and it’s less than $5.

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY THESE OTHER PARTY APPETIZER RECIPES:

• Lemon Herb Goat Cheese Log
• Mini Caprese Bites
• Peach Prosciutto Goat Cheese Crostinis
• Baked Goat Cheese Marinara Dip
• Pear and Gorgonzola Mini Tartlets
• Bacon Jam Scallops 
• Mushroom Tartlets

You’ll Want to Save All these Sweet and Tangy Berry Goat Cheese Crostinis for Yourself!

Berry Goat Cheese Crostinis

Yield: 20 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This Berry Goat Cheese Crostini recipe is an easy goat cheese appetizer that provides the perfect combination of creamy goat cheese, sweet three berry jam and a crunchy homemade crostini. 

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Ingredients

Berry Jam Ingredients

• 1 cups Blackberries
• 1/2 cup Blueberries
• 1/2 cup Raspberries
• 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 2-3 teaspoons Cornstarch

Crostini Ingredients

• 1 Baguette
• 3-5 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 8 ounces Goat Cheese

Instructions

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BERRY JAM

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the berries, vanilla, sugar, and water. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. 
2. Gently mash fruit with a small hand masher or fork. If you want thicker, chunkier berry jam, mash less. If you want thinner, smoother berry jam, mash longer. 
3. Mix in cornstarch until well incorporated. Add extra cornstarch if you want jam to be thicker. 
4. Let simmer until you are ready to use or place in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CROSTINIS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 
2. Slice bread diagonally into 1/4” thick slices
3. Lightly brush both sides of bread with olive oil and then place on baking sheet. 
4. Bake 8-12 minutes (or until desired golden brown crispiness), flipping crostinis half way through. You will want to keep a close eye on them as every oven bakes differently. 

PREPARE YOUR BERRY GOAT CHEESE CROSTINIS

1. Cover each crostini with a thick layer of goat cheese and then top with a spoonful of your berry jam!