Cream Cheese Herb Crostini (Printer View)

Crispy baguette rounds layered with creamy cheese spread and vibrant herbs for a flavorful appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crostini

01 - 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds, approximately 24 slices
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 garlic clove, halved

→ Cream Cheese Spread

04 - 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
05 - 2 tablespoons sour cream
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Herb Toppings

12 - Fresh chives, finely chopped
13 - Fresh dill sprigs
14 - Fresh parsley leaves
15 - Fresh basil leaves, torn
16 - Fresh thyme leaves
17 - Microgreens
18 - Edible flowers, optional
19 - Flaky sea salt, to finish
20 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Method Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F
02 - Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides lightly with olive oil
03 - Toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and rub each slice lightly with the cut side of garlic. Cool to room temperature
04 - In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, chives, dill, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth and well blended
05 - Spread a generous layer of the herbed cream cheese mixture over each cooled crostini
06 - Top each crostini with assorted fresh herbs, microgreens, and edible flowers as desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and additional black pepper
07 - Arrange on a large board or platter and serve immediately

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough for a dinner party but takes about half an hour, even if you're moving slowly.
  • The herbed cream cheese tastes like something from a fancy restaurant, but it's just softened cheese mixed with things you probably have growing somewhere.
  • You can prep everything ahead and assemble right before guests arrive, which means you're not stressed in the kitchen while people are already there.
02 -
  • If you make these more than an hour ahead, the crostini will start to soften from the moisture in the cream cheese, so assemble them just before serving or your guests will think you didn't toast them properly.
  • The cream cheese spread can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge, which actually lets the flavors meld together better, so that's your real time-saver.
03 -
  • Don't skip the step of letting the cream cheese soften at room temperature—cold cream cheese tears the crostini and makes spreading miserable.
  • If you're bringing these somewhere, assemble them just before you leave or pack the components separately and put them together when you arrive, because nothing deflates a crostini moment like soggy bread.
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