Burrata Bruschetta: Easy And Delicious Summer Appetizer
This easy Burrata Bruschetta is the perfect summer appetizer!
Spoon fresh tomato bruschetta over creamy burrata cheese on a crispy crostini.
With simple ingredients, you can create an elevated Summer appetizer everyone will love.
It truly is one of my favourite summer bites! If you love tomato season as much as I do, you’ll love my Easy Boursin Bruschetta Dip too.
Why you’ll love this Burrata Bruschetta
- Quick: Prep the bruschetta and bake the crostini all in under 20 minutes.
- Seasonal: This delicious appetizer makes the best use of in-season and fresh tomatoes!
- Unique: We put a spin on a traditional bruschetta by adding a layer of creamy burrata cheese.
What is burrata cheese?
Burrata cheese is an Italian cheese. It’s a mild cheese generally made from Italian cows or buffalo milk. While it has an exterior similar to mozzarella, the best part is when you cut into it to find a creamy center. The creamy center of a ball of burrata is called stracciatella, a combination of shreds of mozzarella and cream It’s buttery, rich and has a slight milky taste and subtle sweetness.
What is a burrata bruschetta?
A burrata bruschetta is a spin on a classic bruschetta appetizer. We’re adding creamy burrata cheese as the first layer on the crispy toasts AND THEN topping it with fresh tomato bruschetta. The creamy burrata acts as a nice barrier between the tomato juices and crispy slices of bread – so you get the right texture from each element.
Ingredients needed for this recipe
For the crostini
- French baguette
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Garlic clove
For the bruschetta and burrata
- Roma tomatoes or Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil leaves
- Garlic cloves
- Red onion
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt, pinchchili flakes or red pepper flakes
- Ball of fresh burrata
What kind of bread goes with burrata?
A baguette is always my preference for bread to go with a burrata appetizer. You can slice baguette into smaller pieces which is great for an appetizer bite. Toasted baguette with a drizzle of olive oil is also known as ‘crostini’ and is used in many of my burrata appetizer recipes. The crostini are sturdy enough to hold the weight of burrata and great for dipping.
How to make crostini (or small toasts) to go with this recipe
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use a bread knife to slice a baguette into 1-inch thick slices, about 20-24 slices. Place the baguette slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush (or drizzle) the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes until toasted. When they come out of the oven, rub one side of each of the crostini with a cut half of garlic. Set aside.
Tips & tricks
- Make the tomato mixture ahead of time: You can make the tomato bruschetta mixture ahead of time and store in a glass airtight container for up to 8 hours in the fridge. Any longer and the tomatoes could get too mushy.
- Types of tomatoes: In this recipe I use cherry tomatoes but you can use any variety you have on hand. Roma tomatoes are my next favorite. Just a friendly reminder if you use larger tomatoes with lots of seeds like beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, make sure to scoop out the seeds first as they can cause the tomato mixture to become too watery.
- Ripe tomatoes: Ripe tomatoes will make this the most flavorful appetizer!
Substitutions & variations
- Garlic: If you don’t like raw garlic, you can omit it from the bruschetta and use a substitute. A pinch or two of garlic powder will work. Or, you could try sautéing the raw garlic in a drizzle of olive oil first, let it cool and then add to the bruschetta mixture. Sautéing the garlic will help to mellow out the flavor.
- Tomatoes: In this recipe I use cherry tomatoes but roma tomatoes would be my go-to substitution.
- Bread: A baguette works best for creating crispy crostini for the bruschetta and burrata. In a pinch try another rustic bread like sourdough or even ciabatta – you might need to cut the pieces of bread in half if the loaf is on the larger side.
- Balsamic vinegar: If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, you can omit it from the bruschetta mixture and use a drizzle of balsamic glaze all over the final bruschetta toasts.
- Peaches: Level up this bruschetta by replacing half of the tomatoes with diced peaches! You’ll need about 2 ripe peaches to replace 1 cup of chopped tomatoes.
- Ricotta cheese: If you cannot find burrata cheese, make some whipped ricotta and use that instead! I will still be delicious!
Storing leftovers
- If all of the crostini are already made, I recommend enjoying them all when they’re made. They’re best on the day they’re made.
- If you have some of the tomato topping leftover, that can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day in an airtight container.
FAQs
The ‘skin’ that encases the burrata is entirely edible! While this recipe focuses on using the creamy center (also known as stracchiatella), of the burrata, the skin on burrata is totally fine to enjoy too.
If you forget or skip this step, don’t worry! The recipe will still be great.
If you don’t like raw garlic, you can omit it from the bruschetta and use a substitute. A pinch or two of garlic powder will work. Or, you could try sautéing the raw garlic in a drizzle of olive oil first, let it cool and then add to the bruschetta mixture. Sautéing the garlic will help to mellow out the flavor.
Yes! Use a gluten-free baguette (or other gluten free bread that toasts well) to make the crostini.
More tomato recipes to love from the blog
- Easy Burrata Bread Appetizer with Roasted Tomatoes
- Quick and Easy Boursin Bruschetta Dip Appetizer
- Summer Peach and Tomato Crostini with Goat Cheese
Burrata Bruschetta: Easy And Delicious Summer Appetizer
Ingredients
For the bruschetta
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes (Roma tomatoes or Cherry tomatoes)
- 3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- pinch chili flakes or red pepper flakes
- 1-2 ball (8 oz or 227 grams) of fresh burrata
For the crostini
- 1 baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half
Garnishes
- fresh basil leaves
- flaky salt and ground pepper
Instructions
For the bruschetta
- To a medium-sized bowl add the chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced fresh basil, minced garlic, finely chopped red onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and a pinch of chili flakes. Use a spoon to mix well and set aside (leave for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together).
For the crostini
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use a bread knife to slice a baguette into 1/2-inch thick slices (I usually do about 12-16 slices). Place the baguette slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush (or drizzle) the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes until toasted. When they come out of the oven, rub the top side of each of the crostini with a cut half of garlic. Set aside to cool.
Assemble the burrata bruschetta
- After the bruschetta has sat for 10 minutes and the crostini have cooled, assemble the burrata bruschetta by pulling the ball of burrata apart gently with your hands and placing in a bowl.Use a small spoon to scoop out a spoonful of the creamy burrata center and spread on each crostini.
- Then, use a fork or slotted spoon to divide the bruschetta, topping each crostini. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and/or flaky salt and ground pepper if desired
Notes
- Make the tomato mixture ahead of time: You can make the tomato bruschetta mixture ahead of time and store in a glass airtight container for up to 8 hours in the fridge. Any longer and the tomatoes could get too mushy.
- Types of tomatoes: In this recipe I use cherry tomatoes but you can use any variety you have on hand. Roma tomatoes are my next favorite. Just a friendly reminder if you use larger tomatoes with lots of seeds like beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, make sure to scoop out the seeds first as they can cause the tomato mixture to become too watery.
- Ripe tomatoes: Ripe tomatoes will make this the most flavorful appetizer!
- Garlic: If you don’t like raw garlic, you can omit it from the bruschetta and use a substitute. A pinch or two of garlic powder will work. Or, you could try sautéing the raw garlic in a drizzle of olive oil first, let it cool and then add to the bruschetta mixture. Sautéing the garlic will help to mellow out the flavor.
