• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About me
  • Shop
  • Subscribe

Throughthefibrofog

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About me
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About me
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Γ—

    Home Β» Recipes Β» Appetizer

    Published: Dec 9, 2019 Β· Modified: Jun 29, 2022 by Claire Β· This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases Β· 9 Comments

    Cranberry cream cheese crostini

    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!

    four cranberry cream cheese toasts surrounded by herbs.
    Jump to:
    • A fun Thanksgiving and holidays appetizer
    • Ingredients
    • Variations on the recipe
    • Step by step instructions
    • Toast options and gluten-free alternatives
    • More appetizers to enjoy:
    • Recipe

    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.

    close up of cranberry cream cheese toasts surrounded by herbs.

    More appetizers to enjoy:

    Spicy baba ganoush

    Herb cream cheese stuffed mini peppers

    Roasted beetroot hummus (without chickpeas)

    Cauliflower hummus

    Herbed ricotta balls

    Whipped ricotta dip with herbs and honey

    Quinoa seed crackers

    I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating if you tried the recipe!

    Recipe

    cranberry cream cheese toasts surrounded by herbs.

    Cranberry cream cheese crostini

    Claire
    These cranberry cream cheese crostini are a super cute holiday recipe for your appetizer or as part of a buffet dinner. Pairing cream cheese with sweet and sightly tart fresh cranberries, drizzled with honey and thyme, they are full of flavour. So simple to make too! Recipe makes 6 mini toasts.
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Appetizer, Dinner, Party food, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine American, British
    Servings 6 toasts

    Ingredients
      

    For the cranberry compote

    • Β½ cup fresh cranberries
    • 1-2 teaspoon brown sugar adjust to preferred sweetness
    • ΒΌ teaspoon cinnamon optional
    • Β½ cup water

    For the toasts

    • ΒΌ 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.
    Β 

    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.
    Β 
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Tweet
    Share
    Pin
    Share
    « Low histamine green juice
    10 most popular low histamine recipes in 2019 »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      July 01, 2021 at 11:25 am

      This looks so yummy, Which cream cheese do you use?

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        July 01, 2021 at 3:29 pm

        I just use the Tesco own brand. I suggest looking for one with as few additives as possible.

        Reply
        • Sarah Mehmet says

          July 02, 2021 at 1:55 pm

          5 stars
          OK great thanks 😊

          Reply
    2. Sheryl Chan says

      September 04, 2020 at 7:19 am

      I love this! Looks so delicious - I love cranberries. And your photos are lovely - not sure why you'd say otherwise πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        September 05, 2020 at 6:35 pm

        Thanks Sheryl! So hope you like it πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Katie Clark says

      September 02, 2020 at 12:45 am

      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).

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        September 03, 2020 at 9:35 am

        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!

        Reply
    4. Shruti Chopra says

      September 01, 2020 at 1:48 pm

      This seems like a really nice combination of flavours and beautiful looking too! Creamy - crunchy - tangy - sweet - it's all there!!

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        September 03, 2020 at 9:34 am

        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 πŸ™‚

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I’m Claire. After a diagnosis of MCAS I began to follow a low histamine diet, which has helped me manage my symptoms. Here I hope to show that a restrictive diet can still be full of flavourful meals, and help you enjoy being creative in the kitchen.

    More about me β†’

    Popular recipes

    • Ginger beer (yeast free)
    • Spiced poached pears (without wine)
    • Rosemary chicken fillets (pan fried)
    • Apple and pear smoothie

    Recent Recipes

    • Low histamine teas (and coffee alternatives)
    • Whipped ricotta crostini
    • Low histamine nuts and seeds (with recipes)
    • Easy flaxseed pudding

    As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Please see my disclaimer. I am not a doctor or healthcare professional. All posts are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice in any way.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Disclaimer
    • Cookie Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Work With Me

    Copyright Β© 2022 Through The Fibro Fog

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT