This Goat Cheese & Fig Jam Crostini is one of my FAVORITE crostini recipes ever. The fact that it's just 4 INGREDIENTS blows my mind. The tangy and creamy goat cheese pairs incredibly well with the sweet fig jam and onions. It's the perfect crunchy, creamy, sweet, savory flavor-packed bite! They make a tasty appetizer for your next get-together or cocktail party.
If you love goat cheese, try my Mini Cranberry Goat Cheese Balls or my Goat Cheese Puff Pastries. Or you can check out any of these 60+ finger food appetizers!
Athough this crostini appetizer is best served around the holidays, I truly enjoy eating it ANY time of year especially because the fig jam is so easy to find.
This recipes was inspired by my Mini Canapé Toasts which also has goat cheese and fig. The recipe was actually one that I took home with me from a local Italian cooking class we took years ago. It was one of the first times I had goat cheese and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved it AND at how easy this recipe was.
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Ingredients
- Goat cheese- Goat cheese, aka chevre, is a tangy, tart, creamy cheese made from goats milk. It's relatively mild in flavor and becoming more and more popular these days. Look for a good quality soft goat cheese.
- Fig jam- You can make your own fig jam or you can purchase the Dalmatia fig spread I use here. You can usually find it near the cheese/antipasti section in your local food store.
- Onions- I use yellow onions because they are sweeter in flavor. When you caramelize them, the sugars are released creating a super sweet result.
- Baguette- I use a long and thin CRUSTY French baguette whenever I make crostini. See how to make crostini below.
📃 NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Instructions
Step 1: Slice the baguette into slices that are about ½" wide. Brush each slice with olive oil.
Step 2: Grill or bake your crostini until golden brown and crispy.
Step 3: When cool, spread a shmear of goat cheese onto each slice topped with the caramelized onions and fig jam.
Hint: I like to garnish my crotini with a pop of green like a thyme sprig.
Choosing Your Bread
When making crostini, it's important to choose the right bread. It's more about the texture than anything else.
If you can find a good crusty artisan-style loaf that is not too wide, that's your best bet. Remeber that crostini are traditionally small, thin slices of toasted bread. That's what differentiate crostini from bruschetta.
Substitutions
Although this recipe is simple, you can substitute some ingredients to your liking.
- Fig Jam- you can use any preserved jam or marmalade you like however I recommend a similar fruit like prune or date preserves if you can find.
- Goat Cheese- Cream cheese or feta cheese are both great substitutes.
- Caramelized Onions- This is not something you can substitute but you can omit it if you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
Crostini is the type of appetizer that should be served within a few hours or it will turn soft and soggy. My recommendation is to wait to top the crostini until your company arrives. Better yet, have guests help out when they as, "what can I do?"!
Serve these with my white cranberry cosmo if it's winter time!
Expert Tips
✅ Don't bake your crostini too long. You don't want it to crumble into 1000 pieces when bitten into.
✅ For another layer of flavor, season your crostini with salt, pepper and garlic if you prefer.
✅ Serve goat cheese and fig jam on the side with extra crostini so guests can assemble some themselves! I feel like guests enjoy themselves more when they can assemble their own fun bite-sized appetizer.
FAQ's
You most likely did not toast it enough.
Yes! You can make them 3-4 days in advance and store them dry in a sealed tupperware container.
Other Appetizers You Might Like:
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Goat Cheese & Fig Crostini w/ Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 1 crusty long French baguette (*fresh is best)
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 3 ounces fig jam
- 1 medium yellow onion
- olive oil ((or butter))
- thyme leaves for garnish (*optional)
Instructions
- Peel and slice onion as thinly as you can. Use a mandolin slicer if you have.
- Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan set over medium-low heat and toss in your sliced onion. Toss to coat. If the pan looks dry, add another tablespoon of oil. Stir your onions every 10 minutes or so for 20-30 minutes.The longest part of this recipe revolves around our onions. We need to slowly simmer them in order to caramelize them properly. This will help to release the sugars in the onion making them much sweeter! Don't rush this by turning up the heat or your onion will burn.
- While your onions are caramelizing, we can prepare our crostini. Slice the baguette into ¼" slices. Brush olive oil lightly over each slice and bake in the oven at 450°F for about 8 minutes or unti golden brown and crispy.
- Once your onions are cooled and crostini is ready, it's time to assemble!
- Spread goat cheese evenly over each crostini followed by some of the caramelized onions and finally, a dollop of fig jam. Garnish with thyme leaves if desired. *Serve within 2 hours to optimal crunchiness.
Recipe Notes
- The yield will vary depending upon the size of your crostini.
- The crostini will stay crispy for about an hour or so.
- You can find fig jam in any grocery store.
Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts below!