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This Burrata Caprese Crostini is so fresh and delicious. Creamy burrata cheese and sweet, blackened cherry tomatoes topped with fresh basil and a balsamic glaze, all served with toasted baguette slices. It is a deconstructed caprese bruschetta that is perfect for anything from happy hour on the deck, to brunch, to a light lunch with friends.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Classic flavors- Few flavors are more classic than tomato, basil and mozzarella. Blistering the tomatoes and using Burrata cheese just take this to the next level.
- Quick and easy appetizer- This tomato basil crostini looks so beautiful and elegant but is really so easy to make in less than 30 minutes.
- Easy to prep in advance- Each component can be made in advance so assembly is quick and it can be on the table in minutes.
What is Burrata?
Burrata is the dreamiest mozzarella cheese you've ever met. Think fresh, gooey mozzarella cream wrapped in a cloud. Ok, that may be a little dramatic, but it's not far off!
Burrata is a fresh and soft Italian cheese made from cows milk. It consists of a creamy, soft center made with cheese curds and cream which is wrapped up in fresh mozzarella cheese. Cut into the outer fresh mozzarella cheese and inside you'll find a soft, smearable cheese that is perfect for these crostini.
Ingredients
- Burrata- The absolute star! You can find this in the "nice" cheese section of your grocery store, or at your local Cheesemonger. It is packaged with the Burrata floating in water to keep it soft and fresh. Just remove the cheese from the water and it is ready to serve!
- Cherry tomatoes- The freshest, organic cherry tomatoes- (from your garden!?) are the best for this recipe. As is the case with all vegetables, freshness makes a big difference!
- Fresh Basil leaves- Again, if you have them growing in your garden, lucky you! Use those! Otherwise you can find packaged basil leaves, or live, hydroponic basil in your grocery store. If you would like, you can also serve it with a dollop of this Basil Pesto.
- Garlic-Just throw a couple of cloves (with the skin on!) in with the tomatoes as they blacken, for some delicious garlic flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar or Balsamic Glaze- Either of these is fine. If you don't have a glaze, you can easily make a reduction by heating a cup of balsamic vinegar until it reduces by half. It will thicken and naturally sweeten. That's really all there is to it! If you like it sweeter, you can add a bit of brown sugar.
- Sliced Baguette- Thinly slice and toast a fresh french baguette so guests can create their own caprese crostini.
- Flaky Sea Salt- I love using Maldon Sea Salt Flakes. They add a beautiful touch and enhance the flavors of just about every dish.
How to Make Burrata Caprese Crostini
This really is one of the simpler appetizers that I make that our guests always devour. I am all about, "bang-for-your-buck" cooking, and this recipe truly is a huge bang for very little effort.
Blister the Tomatoes
To blacken the tomatoes, you will just heat your cast iron, or heavy bottomed skillet on medium-high heat. Don't use a non-stick pan for this, as the high heat is not good for most non-stick coating. A cast iron skillet is my favorite choice for this.
Once the skillet is nice and hot, add a little olive oil and the tomatoes to the pan. Add a few cloves of garlic, still in their skin, to the skillet. We want to get the flavor of the garlic, but not burn the garlic, so having the skins on will accomplish this.
Let the tomatoes sit for about 5 minutes without touching them, so they blacken and the tomatoes soften, but stay intact. After 5 minutes, gently move them around a bit to blacken the other side. Then, again, let them sit without touching them for another 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and immediately sprinkle the tomatoes with half of the fresh basil. Let them sit while you prepare the rest.
Prepare the Crostini
Slice the french baguette into ยผ" slices and drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and into a 400ยฐ oven for about 15 minutes, until they start to brown slightly. Don't let them brown too much or they will be very crispy. Or, if you want extra crispy, let them keep browning to desired crispness. You do you!
How to Serve
To serve, place the burrata on a platter and drizzle it with a little olive oil, and the remaining basil.
Place the tomatoes next to the burrata and drizzle the tomatoes and cheese with the balsamic glaze.
Arrange the baguette slices around the edge.
Sprinkle everything with a little bit of flaky sea salt and serve with a little spreader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Follow the directions to make the crostini and then once they are cooled, place them in a sealed container or zip lock bag for up to a couple of days, or freeze them for a couple of months! Also, you can blister the tomatoes in advance and then store them in the fridge in a snap lock container for up a couple of days. When you are ready to serve, warm the tomatoes in a 300ยฐF oven for 15 minutes until warm. Then assemble everything according to the recipe. Enjoy!
Fresh mozzarella works well if you can't find Burrata!
If this Burrata Caprese gets you in the mood for more tomato basil recipes, here are a few of my favorites. For a warm, comfort food meal, check out this Roasted Tomato Soup with Parmesan homemade croutons. Finally, one of my favorite cherry tomato recipes is these sweet little Caprese Ladybugs.
More Delicious Appetizers
- Ladybug Caprese- a sweet little twist on caprese!
- Blistered Shishito Peppers- So easy and so delicious!
- Elote Dip- A delicious make ahead app! Assemble it ahead of time and then finish it on the grill or oven when you are ready to eat!
- Poke Nachos- One of my all time favorite appetizers! If you like sushi, you will love these!
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Gochujang Glaze and Yuzu Aioli- A new favorite way to eat brussel sprouts! Easy to make and even easier to devour!
I hope you enjoy this Caprese Burrata Crostini! I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie In Montana~*! โฅ๏ธ
๐ Recipe
Burrata Caprese Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 French Baguette sliced in ยผ" slices
- 10 ounces Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 Garlic cloves in their skin
- 8 Ounce Ball of Burrata
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, julienned. This is about 1 ounce
- ยฝ Cup Balsamic Glaze
- 1 teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Heat Cast Iron or heavy bottomed skillet on medium high heat.
- When pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cherry tomatoes.
- Let tomatoes sit for about 5 minutes until they are blackened and slightly soft, but still intact. After 5 minutes, gently toss to blacken other side and let cook for 5 more minutes without touching them.
- Remove pan from the heat and sprinkle tomatoes with half of the fresh basil.
- Place Burrata on platter and drizzle it with olive oil.
- Place the tomatoes next to the cheese and arrange the baguette slices around the perimeter.
- Drizzle the cheese and tomatoes with balsamic glaze.
- Sprinkle everything with flaky sea salt and remaining basil.
- Serve and Devour! โฅ๏ธ
Toasted Baguette Slices
- Preheat Oven to 400โ
- Slice baguette into ยผ inch slices
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place in oven and toast for 10-15 minutes. Pull them when they are just starting to brown.
- Set aside until you are ready to plate the Burrata and tomatoes.
Notes
Notes and Options:
- If you don't have balsamic glaze, you can easily make some by placing 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan and reducing it on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Once it has reduced by half, it is done! If you would like it a little sweeter, you can add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.ย
- Julienne-ing basil just means stacking several leaves together, rolling them up and then slicing the roll in thin slices so you have long, thin slices of basil.ย
- Don't use a non-stick pan to blacken your tomatoes as most non-stick pans are not made to be used with high heat. A good old cast iron skillet works best!
- Taste your cherry tomatoes. If they are super sweet, you can use less of the balsamic glaze. If they could use a little sweeting up, use a little more of the glaze.ย
- Enjoy! โฅ๏ธ
Abby Salsman says
Tomatoes and basil are such a delicious combo!!
mollieinmontana says
They sure are! ๐