Tired of sandwiches? Try this Vegetarian Apricot Crostini recipe for a light, healthy snack that's oh-so-satisfying! (And it makes a perfect appetizer for summer dinner parties.) It's topped with ricotta and honey, although brie would work too.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 demi-baguette, cut into ½-inch slices
- ½ cup ricotta cheese, I used low-fat
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 small apricots, pitted and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon honey
- a handful of arugula, optional—it adds a nice peppery contrast to the sweetness of the apricots and honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place bread slices on baking sheet and top each with ricotta, salt and pepper, and apricot slices.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes or until crostini is nicely toasted.
- Drizzle with honey and top with arugula (if using).
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Serving: 2crostiniCalories: 71kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 161IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
This post was originally published on 7 August 2012.
Natalie @ Once Upon a Cutting Board says
I love how thorough you are with your recipes! I have a notebook that looks just like that .. sometimes I have a hard time figuring out what I did when I go to write down a recipe because there are so many scribbles on it! I find it's really helpful to have someone else read your recipes too .. my sister and I always point out things in each other's recipes that seem obvious to one but not to the other... Like she might think 'press tofu' is clear because she does it all the time, but for someone like me who never cooks tofu, I don't know what that means!
Kiersten says
I almost didn't post that picture with the notebook because I was so embarrassed by the sloppiness and scribbles. But hey, you have to write things down quickly when you're in the midst of cooking something!
Samantha says
Our process is almost the same! I love that we draw inspiration from similar sources. You test your recipes way more than I do before posting, I should get into that habit but I sometimes can't wait to share...
The flavor bible...I'm intrigued. Might have to pick it up. I've definitely left out steps in recipes, I need a proof reader!
Kiersten says
I used to never re-test my recipes, but then anytime someone would tell me they were making one of them, I'd get anxiety about how it would turn out for them. Now I pretty much know if something doesn't turn out, it's not my fault. 😉
B @ Crags and Veggies says
Looks yummy, I'll definitely have to try the flavor bible! Sorry for not getting back to you earlier on the eggplants, I got super busy (moving to a new house!). If you still have them, I'm up for receiving, just let me know how to get you my address. 😀
Kiersten says
Good luck with the move! I know how chaotic that can be. I think we can manage the eggplant--I'm going to try making a big batch of tomato sauce with roasted eggplant in it to freeze!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
You are my inspiration!
This apricot crostini looks delish. Love that cheese honey.
Kiersten says
Yes, when I saw that honey, I just had to buy it! 🙂
Parsley Sage says
You're so organized! I'm usually a hot mess in the kitchen. That's proly why I don't 'develop' so many recipes myself. No pressure 🙂 This crostini sounds heavenly!
Kiersten says
Oh, believe me, things get disorganized! Usually by the time I'm finished cooking, there's not an inch of space left on the countertop.
Jackie @ The Beeroness says
I have such a similar process. There are recipes I've been working on for months and haven't gotten "blog worthy" results yet. I love this appetizer, so fresh and beautiful.
Kiersten says
Me too. And I'm always hesitant to scrap them altogether because it seems like so much work for nothing, so I keep plugging away at them...
Emily says
I have several years of culinary experience, the way that you develop your recipes is exactly how I learned to develop recipes! I love how detailed your recipes are, each one makes me wish that I had a "scratch & sniff" screen!
Kiersten says
That's good to hear--I'm definitely not professionally trained and sometimes I worry I'm doing everything wrong. 😉
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
Love the idea of The Flavor Bible. I'm going to have to get that!
Kiersten says
It is awesome! I love browsing through it for ideas.
Tania says
I love your blog! The recipes are such an inspiration ..I have my firt batch of overnight oatmeal ready to go!
Thank you so much
Kiersten says
Thank you! I hope you like the overnight oatmeal! 😀
Richa says
wow, great focus and effort for each recipe. I usually go by instincts.. what i saw that say somewhere, whats in my csa basket, refrigerator, what taste pops in my head when i think of food. 🙂
I love how you work in some form of steps.
That crostini is gorgeous.
Kiersten says
I love hearing how other bloggers develop their recipes! I really need to find a CSA to sign up for. I use the farmers market instead, but I think a CSA box might force me to try new things. 🙂
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
This sounds delicious! I need to start making mental notes about new dishes when I'm out.
Kiersten says
I put them on my phone! I had a huge list of ideas after vacation--everywhere we went, I'd be typing in ideas on my iPhone. 🙂
HilLesha says
I love crostinis. Great recipe!
Rachel says
I saw the picture and swore you used an oak tree leaf on your crostini. Glad I read more and saw it was arugula.
I need a flavor bible. I try and get creative and it usually ends up a mess.
Kiersten says
I thought the same thing when I was editing the photos--ha! And I was hoping no one else would notice. 😉
Jenn @therebelchick says
My recipe development process: look at box instructions and substitute with whatever is in my pantry. LOL! 🙂
Kiersten says
Ha! Well, that works too. 😀
BusyWorkingMama says
YUM! That looks like a delicious recipe...and that looks like a great book!
Kiersten says
Since you create your own recipes a lot, I think you'd really love The Flavor Bible!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Loved reading about your process! It's very similar to mine. Isn't it funny how changed around recipes get after you test them a couple times? Sometimes they're completely different! Your crostini look delicious! They are just the kind of thing I want to eat when it's so hot 🙂
Kiersten says
I did one this weekend that went from veggie packets on the grill to soup! 🙂 I think that's my favorite part of creating recipes--I love seeing how they change from where I start to where I finish.
Brenda Williams says
Oh my...this sounds so good. I love your Apricot Crostini recipe...you have the most delicious ideas running around in your head. Thank you for sharing.
Kiersten says
Thank you! 🙂
April Decheine says
Looks like an amazing recipe, love this post, I am trying to get more creative on the development side of my recipes, I always just feel like I am rushing myself.
Kiersten says
Rushing is no good! I used to try to do 5-6 recipes on a Sunday because I didn't have time during the week, and they would all end up being disasters...
Genevieve says
This was a fun post to read! I've had fig crostini on my mind lately, but its more of a mental image of fresh figs with some kind of cheese and honey....so it's interesting to read how your idea for a similar recipe transformed into something a bit different! Apricots are a fruit I never seem to pick up in the summer, but this looks amazing!
Kiersten says
I don't buy apricots that often either--not so much because I don't like them, but I just forget about them! But I found a beautiful little box of them at the store and I knew I had to use them for something. They were perfect! You'll have to make that fig crostini--now I have a mental image of it too! 😀
Stephanie @ henry happened says
As someone who can barely follow a recipe it's fascinating to learn about the development process. And I love your notebook - so glad I'm not the only one with lists out the wazoo!
Kiersten says
I am so OCD about lists, it's a scary thing. I make to-do lists of my to-do lists. (I really do.)
Candace says
Your food is sooo beautiful!
Shirley says
You are thorough! I like how you test each recipe several times. I read somewhere that bloggers are less reliable when it comes to recipe testing, as opposed to the usual professional authors of cookbooks. Apricot and ricotta sounds so good! So, when do you get to sleep! 😉
Kiersten says
Well, aside from my natural OCD-ness, I'm starting to develop recipes for other companies, so I want to make sure they're going to work out!
Dennis Yannakos says
Thank you so much for the healthy snack recipe!