If you are looking for a cute Thanksgiving appetizer, then look no further than these cranberry cream cheese crostini. Cream cheese is topped with a super simple cranberry compote and drizzled with honey for a tasty mini crostini recipe for all your holiday celebrations. Super simple to make, these will impress your guests this year!
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A fun Thanksgiving and holidays appetizer
While cranberry sauce is a classic side dish for a Thanksgiving or holiday dinner, have you ever made a slightly thicker cranberry compote? Sweet and a little tart, a cranberry compote makes a great topping for mini toasts. Spoon it onto cream cheese for a cute appetizer or canape for the holidays.
Looking for a summer idea, my whipped ricotta crostini are light and fresh, and so pretty too!
Ingredients
These cranberry cream cheese toasts are very simple to make, and with very few ingredients (and most are pantry staples during the holidays I think!). You will need:
- Cranberries: the main ingredient of the compote. I tend to use fresh, but have tried it with frozen as well (it turned out great).
- Brown sugar: to add some sweetness to offset the slightly tart flavour of cranberries.
- Cinnamon: optional for those on a low histamine diet (if tolerated), but adds a nice flavour if you are good with it.
- Bread (or rice cakes): use a good quality fresh bread or rice cakes if gluten free. The Kallo rice cake thins are good.
- Cream cheese: I suggest using one with as few additives as possible.
- Honey: for the best touch of sweetness.
- Thyme: adds a really nice herby flavour (and looks so pretty too!).
Variations on the recipe
If you are gluten-free or don't tolerate bread, then rice cakes are a good swap.
A touch of maple syrup can be used instead of maple syrup.
Make sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and their quantities!
Step by step instructions
Making cranberry compote is so simple! It's a one-pot situation that takes very little time.
STEP 1
Add your cranberries, sugar and cinnamon (if using) to a pan with water, bring to the boil and listen to those cranberries start popping! Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes and your compote will come together ready to make your cranberry cream cheese toasts.
STEP 2
Toast your bread, then spread over the cream cheese, top with the cranberry compote and then drizzle on honey and sprinkle over the thyme.
Toast options and gluten-free alternatives
As well as toasting your bread, this recipe is equally delicious with a good quality fresh bread. In fact, these photos were taken with un-toasted bread as that's just what I fancied on the day!
If you prefer not to eat bread, have a gluten intolerance or are coeliac, then you can always swap out the bread for an alternative. Why not try rice cakes? I love the Kallo organic rice cakes, and it's my go-to brand. Or you can use oat cakes such as the organic rice cakes by Nairns which are always in my kitchen cupboards.
More appetizers to enjoy:
Herb cream cheese stuffed mini peppers
Roasted beetroot hummus (without chickpeas)
Whipped ricotta dip with herbs and honey
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Recipe
Cranberry cream cheese crostini
Ingredients
For the cranberry compote
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- 1-2 teaspoon brown sugar adjust to preferred sweetness
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- ½ cup water
For the toasts
- ¼ French baguette sliced
- 4 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon honey
- fresh thyme
- pink himalayan salt optional, to taste
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, sugar, cinnamon (if using) and water to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until the mixture turns largely syrupy in texture. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Toast your baguette slices under the grill for about eight minutes. Spread with cream cheese and then top with the cranberry compote. Drizzle with the honey, sprinkle over the fresh thyme and add a pinch of salt if using.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the amount of sugar using to your preferred level of sweetness. Cranberries are naturally tart and need sweetening up, so taste test the compote while cooking (be careful not to eat it when it's too hot!) and add more sugar to your preference.
- For those on a low histamine diet, try and use a cream cheese that has as few additives as possible.
- If you prefer not to use bread, then rice cakes or oat cakes are a good gluten-free alternative.
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) food compatibility for histamine
All ingredients in this cranberry cream cheese toasts recipe score 0 on SIGHI with the exception of:- bread, which scores 1 on SIGHI and a ? as a liberator. Be attentive to any additional ingredients that may be problematic.
- cinnamon scores 0 on the SIGHI list, but higher on other lists.
Sarah says
This looks so yummy, Which cream cheese do you use?
throughthefibrofog says
I just use the Tesco own brand. I suggest looking for one with as few additives as possible.
Sarah Mehmet says
OK great thanks 😊
Sheryl Chan says
I love this! Looks so delicious - I love cranberries. And your photos are lovely - not sure why you'd say otherwise 🙂
throughthefibrofog says
Thanks Sheryl! So hope you like it 🙂
Katie Clark says
I love cream cheese, so being DF has been sad. But, they are really creating better DF products. I found a DF cream cheese last week that has that tart bite to it that the others I've had in the past didn't. I also love cranberries. This looks like a yummy dessert or breakfast (or appetizer).
throughthefibrofog says
There are some great df cheese options now aren't there, and more and more are coming to market it seems. Glad you like the ingredients combo!
Shruti Chopra says
This seems like a really nice combination of flavours and beautiful looking too! Creamy - crunchy - tangy - sweet - it's all there!!
throughthefibrofog says
I love how you describe my recipes Shruti! I need you to do my recipe notes!!! Hope you like this one, perfect for the holidays I think when we all have cranberries in the house 🙂