Cranberry pesto crostini with chevre

Why We Love This Recipe For Cranberry Pesto Crostini with Chevre

One of the things I daydream about the most are appetizer recipes. They’re fun and simple to make. Ilove that you can get really creative with them and have them turn out amazing almost every time.

This cranberry pesto crostini from our friend, Lisa Danforth, is no different. The pesto is made with walnuts, cranberries, fresh basil and olive oil. For an appetizer I spread over a crostini with creamy and tangy chèvre. The combination is so incredible I couldn’t stop eating them!

I mean, I love classic basil pesto for pesto pasta, pizza and more. But this amped-up cranberry pesto is really next level and is the starring ingredient in these appetizer canapes.

I suggest whipping up a batch of this cranberry pesto and bring it to a party. Place the crostini next to a charcuterie board and you’ll be the talk of the evening. I promise!

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Chevre

Cheve is a type of goat cheese that’s exceptionally creamy, soft and tangy. You can swap it out for a milder soft cheese if you’d like, but I highly recommend sticking to chèvre.

Cream cheese

You can either use cream cheese or for a lower calorie option try 1/3 less fat cream cheese or Neufchatel.

Dried cranberries

You want sweetened dried cranberries for this. Commercially produced varieties with sugar or those sweetened with fruit juice are both fine in this recipe. The slight sweetness really is a key component in this pesto.

Fresh basil leaves

The best fresh basil leaves should be bright green and have few imperfections/brown spots.

Walnuts

If you don’t have walnuts you could use pecans or even pine nuts or almonds instead. If you’re dealing with a nut allergy use sunflower seeds instead.

Italian flat leaf parsley

To cut the basil, some parsley is needed. Otherwise, the basil steals the show. The mellow grassiness of the parsley helps to extend the pesto without overpowering the cranberries.

Baguette

This recipe calls for a classic baguette, however feel free to buy a whole-wheat baguette if you’d like.

Additional Ingredients

• ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated
• ¼ cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

How to Make Cranberry Pesto

Step 1: Mix chèvre & cream cheese

Mix the chèvre and cream cheese together in a small bowl. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt.

Step 2: Make cranberry pesto

Pulse the garlic in food processor until finely chopped. Add cranberries and pulse until roughly chopped. Add basil, walnuts, and red pepper flakes, process until blended but still chunky. Place the mixture in a bowl, then stir in the Parmesan cheese, parsley, oil, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until blended.

Step 3: Assemble crostini

Spread 1 teaspoon chèvre mixture on each baguette slice and top with 1 tablespoon of the cranberry pesto.

Additional Recipes to Try

• Make these Cranberry Clementine Coconut Bars and this Cranberry Compote with Apple and Orange next time the sweet-tooth strikes.
• I love this Pecan Cranberry Stuffing with Sausage. My family asks me to make it every year!
• These Roasted Grape Crostini Goat Cheese Walnuts just scream holiday!
• If you want a recipe for bruschetta you have to try my White Bean Bruschetta Garlicky Greens and my Beet and Caramelized Onion Bruschetta with Goat Cheese Crumbles.