Parsley Parmesan Crostini is a quick and easy appetizer or side dish that’s both elegant and delicious. Thin bread slices are slathered in a mixture of creamy butter, tangy Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley, then baked to perfection, resulting in a crispy, mouth-watering treat that’s sure to impress your guests. Give Parsley Parmesan Crostini a try and elevate your next gathering with a touch of culinary elegance!

Table of Contents
  1. Why You’ll Love this Parsley Parmesan Crostini
  2. What is Crostini?
  3. Parsley Parmesan Crostini Bread Ingredients
  4. Toasted Crostini Variations
  5. How to make Crostini with Parsley and Parmesan
  6. How to serve Crostini
  7. Favorite Homemade Crostini Toppings
  8. Are crostini served hot or cold?
  9. Toasted Crostini Storage
  10. Crostini Bread FAQs
  11. Similar Appetizer Recipes to Try
  12. Parsley Parmesan Crostini

Why You’ll Love this Parsley Parmesan Crostini

There are many reasons why you’ll love this Parsley Parmesan Crostini recipe as much as I do:

  1. Quick and easy to prepare. With just a few ingredients and 10 minutes in the oven, you can have a batch of tasty crostini ready to serve in less than 20 minutes.
  2. Pretty on the plate. These crostini are aesthetically pleasing due to their beautiful and contrasting colors and textures. Bright green parsley adds a pop of color, while Parmesan cheese adds a subtle hint of white that complements the green parsley beautifully. Additionally, the golden brown edges of the crostini add a bit of crunch and frame the other ingredients.
  3. Balanced flavors. Not only do these crostini look enticing, but they also offer a balanced blend of flavors that complement the other dishes on your menu without overpowering them.
  4. Versatile. You can customize these crostini to your taste or to better match the dish you’re serving them with. For example, if you’re serving them with a very cheesy dip, you can omit the Parmesan cheese and add a bit of garlic powder for extra flavor.
  5. Variety of uses. These crostini pair perfectly with your favorite dip, spread or cheese platter, and are also delicious alongside a bowl of soup. Alternatively, you can add a variety of toppings to the crostini. Try adding chopped fresh tomatoes, olives, or roasted mushrooms for an extra burst of flavor. The possibilities for variation are endless, and you can experiment with different toppings or sides to find your favorite combination.

What is Crostini?

By definition, crostini are small slices of toasted bread, usually served with a topping. Crostini are usually made from a baguette or other long, thin loaf of bread.

Crostini vs Bruschetta

Both crostini and bruschetta are toasted bread slices. Crostini are smaller and often made with more dense bread. Traditionally, bruschetta are bread slices rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt, and grilled.

small basket lined with a blue napkin and filled with slices of Parsley Parmesan Crostini Bread

Parsley Parmesan Crostini Bread Ingredients

This recipe was adapted from the famous Nordstrom’s Parmesan Garlic Crostini (there are many, many online posts with the original recipe – too many to link to here). I’ve omitted the garlic and modified the ingredient proportions a bit. For my version, you only need 4 ingredients to make these mouth-watering crostini (details, including quantities, are provided in the recipe card below):

  • Demi-baguette (around 11 to 12 inches in length), preferably Ciabatta bread (also called a Boulart)
  • Butter
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Toasted Crostini Variations

The possibilities for variation are numerous, and you can experiment with different ingredients to find your perfect combination. Here are a few ideas:

  • Add back in the garlic – granules or powder, for a pop of extra flavor.
  • To pair with Italian cheeses, substitute basil for the chopped parsley and add garlic powder.
  • To pair with a Mexican dip, use cilantro instead of parsley and Monterey Jack cheese instead of Parmesan.

Quick Tip

To quickly soften butter and bring to room temperature (without melting), microwave on 30% power for 15 to 20 seconds. If not quite soft, microwave for an additional 10 seconds on 30% power.

How to make Crostini with Parsley and Parmesan

Here’s all you have to do to create these little bites of heaven:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
     
  2. Mix topping ingredients.
    In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mash together the butter, cheese, and parsley until well combined. Set aside.
     
  3. Slice bread.
    Carefully cut the demi-baguette into thin (1/4-inch) slices. You should get around 30 to 35 slices.
     
  4. Assemble crostini; bake.
    Spread a thin layer of the butter mixture on one side of each bread slice. Arrange slices, buttered side up, in a half-sheet pan and bake until bubbly and the edges are golden brown, around 10 minutes.
     
  5. Remove from oven; cool.
    Remove from oven. If you want them to be crispy (more like a cracker), place the crostini on a double layer of paper towel to cool.
Collage of two slides showing how to make crostini

How to serve Crostini

These crostini pair perfectly with your favorite dip, spread or cheese platter, and are also delicious alongside a bowl of soup. Here are some serving suggestions:

  1. To serve with a dip or spread, arrange crostini on a large platter, surrounding a bowl of the dip or spread. Here are some suggested pairings with these crostini:
    Mushroom Pâté
    4-Ingredient Hot Crab Dip
    Feta Mousse (omitting the Parmesan cheese in the crostini)
    Artichoke, Jalapeno and Cheese Dip
    Cannellini Bean Dip
    Zesty Pimiento Cheese Spread (omitting the Parmesan cheese in the crostini)
  2. To serve with a cheese platter or alongside soup, place crostini in a small basket lined with a napkin (like my photos).
  3. Alternatively, you can add toppings to the crostini (see next section). Place crostini on a large platter and spoon toppings onto each slice; or, place the toppings in bowls on a large platter and surround them with the crostini.

Favorite Homemade Crostini Toppings

Crostini are incredibly versatile and are the perfect vehicle for an endless number of toppings. Here are a few you can easily throw together and serve with this crostini recipe:

  • Chopped fresh tomato, garlic and basil – toss with good quality olive oil, salt and pepper
  • Chopped fresh cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, garlic, green onions and thyme – sauté in olive oil, season with salt and cayenne pepper
  • Marinated artichoke hearts (roasted if you can find them), chopped shallots and sliced brie – drain artichoke hearts, place in small food processor with shallots and process into small chunks; spoon onto crostini and top with sliced brie
  • Honey truffle goat cheese – spread on crostini, top with tomato or mushroom mixture described above

Are crostini served hot or cold?

The ideal temperature for serving crostini will depend on the flavor profile of any toppings and/or what the crostini are being served with. For these Parsley Parmesan Crostini, I recommend serving them cold. The butter and cheese mixture will firm up as it cools, making the crostini easier to handle and less messy to eat.

small basket lined with a blue napkin and filled with slices of Parsley Parmesan Crostini Bread

Toasted Crostini Storage

Store these crostini in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. I recommend eating within 2 days, but they will last up to 5 days.

Crostini Bread FAQs

What bread is crostini made from?

The bread typically used for crostini is a longer, narrower loaf such as a baguette. The bread is usually denser in texture, but I prefer to use Ciabatta baguettes as they are more flavorful.

Is crostini French or Italian?

Crostini is definitely Italian! The term “crostini” comes from the Italian word “crostino,” which means “little crust” or “little toast.”

Is crostini supposed to be hard?

Crostini should be crispy, but not hard.

Why are my crostini so hard?

Crostini can become hard if overcooked. For this recipe, make sure to take them out of the oven just when the edges begin to turn golden brown.

Can you soften crostini?

If you prefer softer crostini, then slice the bread thicker, around 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices. And, don’t place on paper towel when cooling.

Similar Appetizer Recipes to Try

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small basket lined with a blue napkin and filled with slices of Parsley Parmesan Crostini Bread

Parsley Parmesan Crostini

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Parsley Parmesan Crostini is a quick and easy appetizer or side dish that’s both elegant and delicious. This recipe features thin bread slices slathered in a mixture of creamy butter, tangy Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. The crostini are then baked to perfection, resulting in a crispy, mouth-watering treat that’s sure to impress your guests.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 30 to 35, from a mini-baguette 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened – see Note
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 heaping teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
  • 1 demi-baguette (around 11 to 12 inches in length), preferably Ciabatta bread (also called a Boulart)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mash together the butter, cheese, and parsley until well combined. Set aside.
  3. Carefully cut the demi-baguette into thin (1/4-inch) slices. You should get around 30 to 35 slices.
  4. Spread a thin layer of the butter mixture on one side of each bread slice. Arrange slices, buttered side up, in a half-sheet pan and bake until bubbly and the edges are golden brown, around 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven. If you want them to be crispy (more like a cracker), place the crostini on a double layer of paper towel to cool.

Notes

Make ahead: crostini can be prepared and baked earlier in the day, covered and stored at room temperature.

Note on butter: if using unsalted butter, add a few pinches of kosher salt.

  • Author: Lee Clayton Roper
  • Category: quick and easy, side dishes, appetizers
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 crostini
  • Calories: 35
  • Sugar: 0.2 g
  • Sodium: 64.4 mg
  • Fat: 1.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.5 g
  • Fiber: 0.2 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 4.6 mg
small basket lined with a blue napkin and filled with slices of Parsley Parmesan Crostini Bread

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About the author

Hi, I'm Lee.

I am inspired by my mother, Sally’s, love of cooking and entertaining to gather friends and family together over great meals and conversation. In fact, I held my first dinner party at the age of 16. Throughout the years, I’ve provided recipes, menu advice and cooking tips to friends seeking uncomplicated and delicious ideas for home entertaining.


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