Fig and Brie Crostini with Balsamic and Hot Honey
The hubby and I have a whole ritual around these fig and brie crostini (or any crostinis). We add them to a meat and cheese board, pour a couple glasses of wine, and call it date night. No reservations, no driving anywhere, just really good food at our own table.
Crostinis like this one are so simple and easy to make, and yet so elegant. This one started life as one of three flavors I make regularly for a party board or as starters for when we have guests. The 3 flavors include this one, a homemade olive tapenade, and a roasted red pepper and sardine (recipe here) combination. The fig and brie flavor combo one is the one that surprises everyone. No one has had it. So it earned its spot here on the blog.
It’s fig jam, creamy brie, a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar and hot honey, with a crack of black pepper (or pink peppercorns) and a spinkle of fresh herb, on toasted baguette slices. No baking, toasting, or grilling the cheese. No fuzzy assembly. Just delicious flavors layered on a piece of ‘toast’.
Why This Fig and Brie Crostini Works
Sooooo, a lot of people will slap a piece of cheese on a slice of bread and call it a crostini. And don’t get me wrong… simplicity is fine. But I’m a girl who likes a bite of ‘fancy’ food when I’m planning a date night or having guests over. This is still extremely easy. It’s just pairing flavors that work really well together and you’ve made something people will remember.
Fig jam and brie is actually a classic combination. But everyone I’ve served it to is still surprised. I suspect it’s the addition of the balsamic that adds acidity, the hot honey adds sweet heat, and the spicy black pepper brings it all together. I always top with a bit of fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or rosemary. Soooo, freaking YUMMY.
Also, most fig and brie crostini recipes call for baking everyone together in the oven, so the cheese melts on the bread. It’s tasty, don’t get me wrong. But it’s also something that needs eaten immediately. Or it ends up a mass of congealed cold cheese or soggy. That’s why I changed it up… toasting the bread under the broiler until it’s toasted (watch it closely). Doing it this way keeps your crostinis from being soggy and they hold as perfectly crispy toast, creamy cheese, and jammy sweetness… instead of one soft, melted bite.
The Broiling Trick for Perfect Crostini Bread
These days toasted is the only way I serve crostinis. No one likes soggy bread.
To toast, I slice up a whole baguette (across the baguette into ’rounds’) and then I lay the slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. No oil or butter. And pop it under the broiler. The toaster is a pain in the butt, doing a few at a time. This way, you can get the whole baguette done at once.
Just don’t walk away.
Watch very very closely. Cause the browning happens fast. You’re looking for golden brown, not dark (or burned). Flip the slices halfway through so both sides get good color. A few seconds too long and you’ve got burnt bread instead of toasted crostini bases.
I ALWAYS buy an extra baguette when the hubby is helping me. Because he always manages to end up on toasting duty and reliably burns the first tray. I mean literally every freaking time.
Btw, don’t over toast these either. If you go too much, they end up hard and brittle. The crostini shatters into several piece with just one bite, ending up all over soemone’s shirt instead of in their mouth. You’re aiming for a light golden color with just enough crunch to hold the toppings.
Ingredients & Easy Swaps Suggestions
This recipe is genuinely flexible, which is part of why it works so well for a party board where people have different tastes.
Cheese: Brie is a good default that a lot of people like. But I regularly swap in goat cheese because both work beautifully with the fig jam. I also sometimes use aged white cheddar or blue cheese. If you’re doing Spanish tapas, swap the brie for Manchego and pair with any of the Spanish Tapas recipes found here in this lineup.
Add cured meat: Fig jam and brie crostini also pairs with a slice of proscuitto or presento tucked under the cheese. YUMM-Y. The same pairing I use when making a Presunto, Fig, and Brie Sandwich, just in crostini form.
Jams: Another of our favorites for this is to swap tomato jam for the fig one. But seriously, this one is pretty forgiving. Raspberry or black fruits jams are all really good in this combo.
Fresh herbs: Yes, please. Use your favorites. For the fig jam and brie, I prefer rosemary, thyme, or basil. But you can also use sage, parsley, or tarragon.
Nuts: I’ve thought about adding chopped walnuts on top for crunch, but haven’t actually tried it yet. If you do, let me know how it turns out for you in the comments.
Fall Appetizer Ideas: Where This Crostini Fits
I don’t know about you but fig jam is one of those flavors that just says fall to me. That makes this a natural pick when you’re sorting through fall appetizer ideas for holiday parties and get togethers. Because it’s toasted, you can easily make it ahead and don’t have to worry about it getting soggy. Depending on how much food is being served, I plan for 2 to 3 per person.
It’s totally fool proof, uncomplicated, and still fancy enough that people think you put loads of work in it. Crostini are beautiful on party trays, charcuterie boards, and for tapas night. Put this one with a couple of other flavors. Open a bottle of good wine or sparkling water and you’ve got a holiday spread that took you 15-minutes to pull together. I love to know if you try this combo or mixed it up with some different flavors. Let me know in the comments.
Recommended Ingredients & Tools for Fig and Brie Crostini
A few things that make this recipe easier and better every time I make it.
Ingredients
- Fig Jam — So this is a must have in our fridge. We use it on cheese boards, sandwiches, and pb & j sandwiches. If you’ve got an open jar, grab a block of brie and a baguette.
- Brie Cheese— Look for good creamy brands. Brie softens are it comes to room temp, so it’s almost like it’s ‘melting’ without the heat. A soft goat cheese is also a perfect substitute, not just a backup.
- Aged Balsamic Vinegar — Good aged balsamic vingear is an investment, but one well worth it. I’m not talking about reduced balsamic syrup with coloring or anything like that. Real balsamic made in Modena Italy. Having visited Modena and purchased oil from there, I can tell you they range from $30 to well in the hundreds depending on age. It’s got a syrupy texture and deeper flavor and you only need a little bit.
- Hot Honey — You can buy a good hot honey (or make your own – I dropped my recipe for making it over on the fig and brie sandwich). A little of this sweet heat goes a long way, drizzle on to match yours and your guests’ tastes.
Tools
- Parchment Paper — For easy clean up and no sticking, line your baking sheet with parchment paper before adding the baguette slices.
- Rimmed Baking Sheets — I use full sized baking sheet to hold the slices from a whole loaf. Having a rim is recommended or the slices tend to slide off. You don’t want all your hard work wasted.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Fig and Brie Crostini
- Can I make these crostini ahead of time? You can broil the bread ahead of time. Cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temp for a day or two. Then all you have to do is slice the cheese and layer on your ingredients to make this lovely crostini right before serving.
- Do I have to use hot honey? Nope. If you’re not a fan of spicy, use regular honey. Or skip it. Honey and figs are a natural pairing though, so it doesn’t make it oversweet. Just without the kick. The heat ties it all together though… even if it’s just a little.
- Why broil the bread instead of baking the whole thing together? Broiling the bread makes it’s into crisp toast that doesn’t get soggy. A lot of crostini’s are done of regular bread and are soft, so they don’t hold. And when you heat cheese it melts and then as it cools, it starts congealing and isn’t as appetizing unless you’re eating it immediately.
- How do I keep the bread from burning under the broiler? Seriously, don’t walk away on this one. Baugettes brown really fast. A few seconds too long and you’ll be like the hubby, tossing a whole pan into the trash, cause it’s burnt. It doesn’t take long but it’s worth the effort.
Fig and Brie Crostini with Balsamic and Hot Honey
Ingredients
- 1 baguette sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 4 oz brie or goat cheese, sliced or crumbled (optional Manchego swap for a Spanish variation)
- ¼ cup fig jam
- 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp hot honey
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
To finish:
- Freshly cracked black pepper (or pink peppercorns) optional thin prosciutto or presunto slices
- Fresh thyme, rosemary, or basil, chopped optional
- Thin prosciutto or presunto slices optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven’s broiler.
- Slice the baguette into ½-inch rounds and lay them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Broil, watching closely the entire time — this happens fast. Flip halfway through so both sides get golden color. Pull them before they turn dark or hard.
- Let the toast cool completely.
Assemble:
- Top each slice with a spoonful of fig jam and a slice or crumble of brie.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and hot honey.
- Finish with a crack of black pepper and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Serve right away.