Roasted Grape and Whipped Goat Cheese Crostini

This roasted grape crostini appetizer features slices of grilled bread topped with a creamy lemon-rosemary whipped goat cheese, sweet roasted grapes, and a drizzle of hot honey.

I’d like to introduce you to my latest obsession: this roasted grape and whipped goat cheese crostini. Have you ever roasted grapes before? If not, this recipe is exactly where you should start. Like my melted mozzarella caprese crostini and my caramelized onion and mushroom crostini, this recipe is great year-round since red, seedless grapes are always available at any grocery store, no matter the season.

What makes roasted grapes taste so special is a short stint in a really hot oven to coax out all of their sweet juices. The result is jammy grapes with significantly more flavor and complexity. Spooned over crisp, grilled bread and the creamiest whipped goat cheese flavored with lemon and rosemary, these crostini are full of amazing flavors and textures. A final drizzle of hot honey (or regular if you prefer) adds the final touch to take them over the top.

What’s In This Roasted Grape Crostini

There are a few basic ingredients to making this roasted grape crostini. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Red seedless grapes—you could use black seedless if you prefer
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh rosemary—I’ve also tried this with thyme, or you can do a mix of the two
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Goat cheese
• Cream cheese
• Lemon zest and juice
• French baguette
• Flaky sea salt
• Hot honey—if you don’t have hot honey, you can just use regular honey and add some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat

How to Make Roasted Grape Crostini

Roast your grapes. Toss the grapes in olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary then roast at high heat (450°F) just until they start to burst to become perfectly sweet and jammy. Discard the juice or boil it in a saucepan to reduce and drizzle over the crostini.

Make the creamy whipped goat cheese spread. Blitz the goat cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper, and more rosemary in a food processor or whip with an electric hand blender until nice and creamy.

Grill your bread. You can do this on a stovetop grill pan or outdoor grill. The golden-brown, toasty bread with a slight char is such a delicious contrast to the sweet grapes and creamy goat cheese spread.

Put it all together. Finish the crostini with a drizzle of hot honey, flaky sea salt, and more sprigs of fresh rosemary.

What Does a Roasted Grape Taste Like

Roasting grapes brings out their sugary juices, which caramelize in the oven, resulting in grapes with a sweet, deep, jammy flavor.

Roasted Grape and Whipped Goat Cheese Crostini

This roasted grape crostini appetizer features slices of grilled bread topped with a creamy lemon-rosemary whipped goat cheese, sweet roasted grapes, and a drizzle of hot honey.

CourseAppetizer

CuisineAmerican

Keywordcrostini

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Servings16 to 20

Calories154kcal

Ingredients

For the Roasted Grapes:

• 16ounces red seedless grapes , washed, dried, and removed from the stem
• 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoonfresh rosemary leaves
• 1/8 teaspoonkosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Whipped Goat Cheese Spread:

• 10ounces goat cheese , at room temperature
• 5ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
• 2tablespoons fresh rosemary , chopped
• 1tablespoon lemon zest
• 1tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoonkosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper

For assembling:

• 1French baguette , sliced into rounds
• extra-virgin olive oil, for grilling the bread
• flaky sea salt, for serving
• hot honey (or use regular honey, and sprinkle with chili flakes), for serving
• 2 teaspoonsfresh rosemary, chopped , for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the grapes on a large sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary leaves then toss to coat, spreading them out in an even layer. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
2. While the grapes are roasting, make the whipped goat cheese spread. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides a couple of times. Or, use an electric hand blender to whisk in a bowl.
3. Heat your grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush grates or pan with olive oil. Liberally brush both sides of the baguette rounds with olive oil. Once the grill or pan is hot, add the baguette rounds and grill each side until light grill marks appear (you may need to do this in batches).
4. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the whipped goat cheese on top of each baguette round. Spoon a few grapes and some of their juices on top, followed by a pinch of flaky sea salt, a few sprigs of rosemary leaves, and a drizzle of hot honey. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 331IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg