The Best Caprese Crostini

These garlic Caprese crostini melts are a crowd-pleasing appetizer with the classic Caprese flavors of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. These bad boys are finished off with a tangy balsamic drizzle!

These Caprese crostini turned out even better than I expected.

Every single piece was polished off shortly after these photos were taken!

So… what do we have here?

• Baguette slices brushed with olive oil and garlic and baked to crispy perfection
• Fresh mozzarella melted onto each baguette slice
• Sweet tomatoes and fresh basil
• A delicious balsamic reduction drizzled over top

Damn.

These would make a great appetizer or finger food for a party, or you know, a party for one. I’m not judging. I wouldn’t blame you one bit for keeping these to yourself.

I couldn’t make up my mind on what color of tomatoes I wanted, so I got all three (red, yellow, orange). I’m glad I did since the photos turned out so pretty. And yes, we’ll be eating the rest of the tomatoes all week long. 😛

These are very easy to make, too. Brush each slice of bread with olive oil and garlic, bake ’em, make the balsamic drizzle while they’re baking and your kitchen is filling with the wonderful garlicky aroma, top them with the mozza, broil it for a few minutes to achieve melty perfection, then top them with the tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction.  Ok, that’s a long sentence.

I hope you really love these! I think they’ll fit perfectly into your summer entertaining plans. 😉

Questions? Feel free to ask!

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Garlic Caprese Crostini Melts

Fresh and garlicky crostini melts with the classic Caprese flavors of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. 

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword caprese crostini

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 12 crostini

Author Salt & Lavender

Ingredients

• 1 demi baguette or 1/2 standard-sized baguette
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• fresh mozzarella sliced into 12 equal pieces (approx. 12 ounces)
• 8 ounces (or to taste) assorted tomatoes sliced
• Handful fresh basil chopped finely
• Salt & pepper to taste

Balsamic drizzle:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon liquid honey

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add olive oil and garlic to a small bowl. 
2. Slice the baguette into 12 approx. 1/2" slices. Arrange them on a baking sheet. Brush the olive oil and garlic mixture onto both sides of each slice. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the balsamic vinegar and honey to a small pan. Cook it on medium-high (reduce to medium if it's furiously bubbling) for about 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture easily coats the back of a spoon. It tends to thicken up more as it cools, so make sure you don't overdo it or you'll be left with a stuck-on mess. Set aside. 
4. While your balsamic reduction is cooking, you can slice the tomatoes and chop the basil. 
5. Set your oven's broiler to high and move the rack to the top third of the oven. Add a mozzarella slice to each piece of bread. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts (watch it closely), taking care not to burn the bread. 
6. Top the crostini with the tomatoes, basil, a drizzle of the balsamic reduction, and some salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Recipe Notes

• This recipe is for 12 slices of bread. You can easily double the recipe or adjust if you have more ingredients. 

If you love the Caprese flavor combo, you may also like my balsamic caprese pasta salad or my caprese grilled cheese sandwich.