Cranberry Whipped Ricotta Crostini

These Cranberry Whipped Ricotta Crostini are tiny toasts spread with smooth creamy cheese and topped with sweetened fresh cranberries. Perfect for holiday entertaining.

These Cranberry Whipped Ricotta Crostini holiday appetizers should make an appearance at your next gathering! Colourful red and green finger food is always a star on a party food platter. These little bites will likely be snapped up!

These tiny toasts have a light creamy ricotta spread and they're topped with slightly sweetened fresh cranberry-orange mixture. They're a little bit sweet and delicately salty at the same time. Oh so good!

Crostini is the Italian word for "little crusts." Thin slices of toasted baguette lend themselves to a variety of tasty topping combinations. While a quality baguette is the usual choice to make crostini, totally acceptable gluten-free baguettes are now readily available in bakeries for your gluten-free friends and family to enjoy.

And if you're following a keto diet, make these Super Easy Low-Carb Keto Mini Buns and slice them thinly before toasting.

While making crostini appetizers is easy, there are a few tips that will raise your crostini from good to great! Check this post on 5 Tips for Making Crostini that outlines how to avoid pitfalls and guarantee perfect success every time.

What is Whipped Ricotta and why should I make it?

Whipping luscious whole-milk ricotta in a food processor removes its gritty texture and makes it incredibly smooth, light and almost fluffy. Adding a small amount of citrus zest like orange or lemon enhances its flavour and make a delicious spread.

Can I make these Cranberry Whipped Ricotta Crostini ahead of time?

Yes! You can prepare all the parts in advance. However, these crostini appetizers are best if you assemble them just before you plan to serve them. Toast the baguette slices, cool completely, and store in an airtight container. If you haven't overbaked them, they'll stay perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You can always reheat them in the oven for a few minutes, if you think they need it.

Whip the ricotta mixture and store covered in the refrigerator a day or two in advance. Prepare the cranberry mix by combining it with the sweetener of your choice. Keep it chilled in the fridge.

Then assemble the crostini by spreading a generous layer of whipped ricotta and topping it with a tablespoon or so of the cranberry mix. Finally, garnish it with a few fresh thyme leaves. Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt just before serving.

Watch your guests devour these tiny holiday appetizers!

Cranberry Whipped Ricotta Crostini

Tiny toasted baguette slices spread with creamy whipped ricotta cheese and topped with colourful lightly sweetened cranberries make a popular holiday appetizer.

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Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: American, Canadian, Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12 crostini

Calories: 74kcal

Author: Elaine

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Ingredients

Baguette Slices

• ▢ 12 slices baguette, ½ inch thick, cut on the diagonal
• ▢ olive oil extra virgin, for brushing the baguette slices
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt

Whipped Ricotta

• ▢ 1 cup ricotta cheese whole milk
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon orange zest finely grated
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Cranberry Orange Topping

• ▢ ¾ cup fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoon orange juice or orange liqueur like Triple Sec
• ▢ 2 tablespoon sweetener * see recipe notes below
• ▢ fresh thyme leaves
• ▢ flaky sea salt

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the baguette into ½ inch thick slices. Cut slightly on the diagonal.

  Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Space on a baking sheet and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for 7 - 8 minutes or until golden brown, flipping once halfway through. Crostini should be lightly browned, lightly toasted but still "springy" in the middle. Remove from oven.

Whipped Ricotta

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine ricotta cheese with olive oil and salt. Process until very smooth, about 1 - 2 minutes.

Cranberry-Orange Topping

• Coarsely chop fresh (or frozen) raw cranberries and combine with orange juice and sweetener of your choice:  honey, maple syrup or powdered zero-calorie sweetener like erythritol. 
• To assemble crostini, spread each with a generous layer of whipped ricotta and top with a tablespoon of the cranberry mixture. Garnish with a few thyme leaves and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and serve immediately.

Notes

A note about sweeteners

If you're not on a special diet, you can sweeten the cranberries with sugar. You can also use a tablespoon or so of an orange liqueur, like Gran Marnier or Triple Sec.

If you're following a vegan diet, you could use maple syrup.

And if you're on a low-carb or keto diet, use a zero-calorie natural sweetener like Monkfruit with Erythritol or Swerve.

In all cases, add a small amount of sweetener, taste, and then add more as needed. The amount you use will depend on how tart your cranberries are.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 32mg | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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Check the recipe index for other crostini appetizer recipes and ideas for holiday appetizers.

This recipe has been slightly adapted from Saveur's Cranberry and Ricotta Crostini.
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