These Ricotta Crostini are the perfect summer appetizer. Creamy ricotta with a hint of lemon and vanilla spread liberally over small pieces of toast then topped with delicious roasted cherries. Heaven on toast!
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Gloriously juicy, melt in your mouth cherries, roasted with lemon, honey and a hint of thyme are one of my favourite things about summer. Creamy, lemon-scented ricotta with a hint of vanilla makes this a match made in heaven.
Small pieces of bread are baked in the oven until golden, then left to cool and harden very slightly. Spread the ricotta over the crostini, pour a generous spoonful of plump cherries over the ricotta then add a crumble of walnuts, finish with some torn mint and welcome to delicious!
Why This Recipe Works
- Roasted cherries - these really are the best, perfectly sweet and juicy. So good with creamy ricotta.
- Ricotta - a hint of lemon and vanilla elevates the ricotta to another level.
- Crostini - the perfect appetizers for summer get-togethers.
What You Will Need
- Cherries - Sweet cherries are best for this recipe if you buy them from a supermarket looks for cherries with shiny skin and stems still attached. If you're buying them in a market ask if you can try one first to make sure they are not sour. They should be firm and free of any brown spots.
- Bread - A French baguette is best, it can be a day old if you want as it's going to be toasted.
- Ricotta - Creamy, light and slightly grainy ricotta is the perfect cheese for these crostini, you should find it in all large supermarkets.
- Herbs - Fresh is best, I use thyme for roasting the cherries and mint for serving.
- Lemon - The juice of the lemon is used for roasting the cherries and the zest is stirred into the ricotta.
- Vanilla - Vanilla extract is best here, I don't recommend using essence.
- Walnuts - Chopped finely these are really good sprinkled over the finished crostini, but they are optional.
- Honey - Just a couple of tablespoons goes a long way here.
How To Make Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Cherries
This is just a quick visual guide the full detailed recipe is below in the recipe card
- Roast the cherries - mix the cherries with the thyme, honey and lemon juice then roast for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Toast the bread - cut the bread into slices, brush one side with olive oil then bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the ricotta - add the vanilla and lemon zest to the ricotta and stir well.
- Make the crostini - liberally spread some ricotta on toast, add a generous spoon of cherries then top with a sprinkle of walnuts and finish with mint.
Tips For Making The Best Ricotta Crostini
- Bread - I used a French baguette to make the crostini, it was quite thin and not the longest baguette. The amount of crostini you get will depend on low long your baguette is and how thickly or thinly you cut it. Day-old bread is best.
- Cherries - Sweet cherries are best here unless you prefer sour, they will also work. Make sure and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper this will allow the cherries to roast evenly. If you do happen to have any roasted cherries leftover then save them, they are amazing in porridge or natural yoghurt.
- Ricotta - Keep the flavoured ricotta in the fridge until you are ready to use it, it's at its best when cold. If you have any of the ricotta leftover then save that too, it's very good spread on some sourdough toast with a drizzle of honey and some almonds slivers.
- Top Tip - cherry juice stains so you may want to use gloves to pit your cherries. Or even better use a cherry pitter.
How To Serve Ricotta Crostini
Crostini are usually a savoury appetiser and I would serve these as such, but these feel so decadent and sweet they could very nearly be dessert. So don't rule that out. But do serve them as an appetiser and your guests will be salivating for more, trust me.
More Appetizer Inspiration
If you are not keen on cherries then this Cherry Tomato Bruschetta also makes a great appetizer or light lunch. Don't like tomatoes? Then my Garlic Mushroom Bruschetta might just be for you.
Have you made this Ricotta Crostini Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Cherries
Ingredients
- 400 g cherries (2 US cups) pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoon honey
- The juice and zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 French baguette sliced into 2.5 - 3 cm slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil more if needed
- 200 g ricotta cheese (just under 1 US cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A couple of sprigs of mint leaves only, torn
- 20 g walnuts (¼ US cup) chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/ 392FLine a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl add the cherries, lemon juice, honey and thyme and mix well.Transfer the cherries onto the tray and make sure they are spread out evenly.Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 15 - 20 minutes. Give the tray a little shake halfway through cooking. They should be soft and the skin a little wrinkled. Carefully transfer the cherries and juice to a serving bowl and discard the thyme sprigs.
- Place the slices of baguette on another baking tray then brush a little oil over each slice. Place on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes, turning each slice halfway through cooking. They should be a light golden colour. Once cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Add the ricotta to a serving bowl, stir in the lemon zest and vanilla, leave in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- To serve, spread some lemon ricotta on the toasted bread, top with a heaped teaspoon of roasted cherries, sprinkle some chopped walnuts over the cherries then add a little mint.
- Liberally spread some ricotta on each slice of bread, top with cherries and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.Finish with some chopped mint.
Notes
- Cherries - sweet fresh cherries are best for this recipe.
- Bread - I used a French baguette to make these, the amount or crostini this recipe will yield will depend on the length of your banquette. The shorter the baguette the less crostini you will have.
- Storing - These crostini are best made and served fresh and do not keep well once assembled. You can store the
- Leftovers - If you have any leftover cherries they can be stored in the fridge but should be eaten by the next day. They are great in porridge or with yoghurt. Any leftover ricotta can also be stored in the fridge for a day or two. This is great spread on toast with a drizzle of honey.
- Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on one crostini.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, these are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published on Jun 28, 2017. It has now been updated with new photos, nutritional information and a step by step guide.
Michelle
Perfect recipe for all of the beautiful ripe cherries this time of year!
Jenn
This is the recipe I make whenever I want to impress someone! It's easy, flavorful, and always a hit!
Liz
wow, this looks and sounds fabulous!! perfect for summertime!
Kelli
I'm crazy and don't like how crunchy crostini are, so I adapted it to put over some homemade sourdough. And oh my word! The flavors in this are amazing! Definitely going to be a staple in our house!
Patrick at Mexican Please
Yum! This crostini looks great. Luv the pics - super appetizing 🙂
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Patrick 🙂
Natalia
I have some cherries in my kitchen but it never came to my mind to roast them and combine them with mint. What a brilliant idea!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Natalia, I hope you enjoy it x
Edyta at Innocent Delight
This sounds amazing. I have guest coming this weekend and I will use this recipe. Awesom!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Edyta, I hope you and your guests enjoy them x
Sara
This looks perfect for summer entertaining!
Julia @ Happy Foods Tube
These crostinis look delicious and I absolutely agree with you - it's a great summer appetizer!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Julia x
Annie @ Annie's Noms
I've never tried cherry and mint together either! Buy oh boy, this looks fabulous, I know I would eat way too many of these crostini!! I absolutely love your photos too, they're are stunning!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Annie that's very kind of you x Yep, I definitely ate way too many of these 😉