Make these popular Blue Cheese, Pear and Honey Crostini for your next party! Top thin slices of toasted baguette with whipped blue cheese, slices of crisp pear and a sprinkle of lemon zest. Drizzle with honey for the finishing touch to an amazing appetizer!
These Blue Cheese and Pear Crostini appetizers will be a hit with your blue cheese fans at your next party! They're crisp and creamy, sweet and salty, all in one little bite.
When I'm having an appetizer or tapas party, I like to serve lots of choices. Ever since traveling in Spain and bar-hopping from one tapas bar to the next, serving small bites and finger foods has been my favourite way to entertain. My friends can pick and choose what they like and eat a little, or eat a lot!
This blue cheese and pear crostini appetizer has always been a favourite. Here's what you'll need:
🛒 Ingredients
- a baguette: see my notes below for how to toast the baguette slices
- one or two pears: I used a red pear and a firm green D'Anjou pear, just for the contrast in colour (and the red and green is especially great for holiday entertaining!)
- blue cheese: your favourite brand
- cream cheese: regular or low-fat
- lemon zest: and a little squeeze of lemon juice
- honey: holds everything together and gives that sweet and salty combination of flavours!
🔪 Instructions
- Prepare the baguette slices. Cut thin slices of baguette (wheat or gluten-free) brush with olive oil and bake for 7 - 8 minutes, turning once halfway through. The crostini should be golden brown, crispy on the edges, but still soft and tender in the middle.
- Blend the cheese. Combine equal amounts of blue cheese and cream cheese. A mini food processor works well for this job.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add a teaspoon of lemon zest, a squeeze (a teaspoon or so) of lemon juice, and a tablespoon of honey, and pulse, just until smooth. Don't over-blend, or your cheese mixture will turn blue!
- Spread and assemble. Spread a tablespoon of the cheese mixture on a slice of toasted baguette, then add two thin slices of crisp winter pears or Asian pears. Sprinkle these with a little freshly grated lemon zest, then drizzle with honey.
- Serve! Arrange the crostini on a serving tray and wait for rave reviews!
🔁 Possible variations
Add finely chopped toasted nuts, like hazelnuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts.
⏰ Make ahead of time
You can toast the crostini a day or two in advance. Store them in an airtight container. You can also make the cheese spread mixture ahead of time. Then all you'll have to do is slice the pears and assemble the crostini just before serving.
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📖 Recipe
Blue Cheese Crostini with Crisp Honeyed Pear
Ingredients
Whipped Blue Cheese Spread
- ½ cup blue cheese
- ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Crostini
- 1 medium baguette, gluten-free (or wheat)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for brushing baguette slices
- 1 medium green pear like Anjou or Bosc
- 1 medium red pear
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest finely grated, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon honey for drizzling on top
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Slice baguette into ½ inch thick slices, brush both sides lightly with olive oil, place on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 - 8 minutes, turning once half way through until golden brown but still tender in the middle.
- Top each slice with 1 tablespoon of Whipped Blue Cheese Spread, two thin slices of pear, a sprinkle of lemon zest and a drizzle of honey. Serve.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in 2016. It has been updated with new photos and instructions.
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