Easy Pear & Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer with Honey

Make these pear appetizers with goat cheese anytime you need a quick and elegant appetizer!

These pear crostini are just made simply with fresh pears, baguette slices and goat cheese plus a drizzle of honey.

Guests will be impressed with every single bite of this pear appetizer.

My goat cheese appetizers, like this Goat Cheese Appetizer with Fig Jam or other pear appetizers, like this Pear & Walnut Baked Brie, are always a crowd favourite.

Thinly sliced pears pair beautifully with the creamy cheese. You get savory notes from the pinch of salt and pepper on the soft cheese and fresh thyme and it goes beautifully with the sweetness from the honey. Altogether this is a fancy appetizer which is simple to make!

Why you’ll love these pear appetizers

• It’s a quick and easy recipe to make!
• You can present the delicious appetizer as fully-made crostini OR as a ‘make your own’ crostini (see my notes in the ‘expert tips’ for options).
• It’s a great recipe for the holiday season since it takes just 15-20 minutes to make.
• There are easy substitutions to make for a variety of dietary needs.

This is a savory appetizer you need to make for your next gathering.

Ingredients Needed

Pears: ripe, sweet pears like Anjou or a Bartlett pear are my favourite to use for this easy pear appetizer.

Baguette: bread slices from a french baguette makes the best type of crostini by toasting it with a bit of olive oil.

Goat cheese: a soft goat cheese is a lovely pairing with fruits, especially with the ripe pears. If goat cheese isn’t for you but you still like the sound of this recipe, see below for delicious cheese substitute ideas.

Seasonings: a pinch of salt and pepper adds to the savory flavor of this appetizer.

Fresh herbs: fresh thyme makes a perfect garnish for these pear appetizers but you could also use fresh rosemary.

Nuts: to add a bit of crunch, toasted sliced almonds or walnuts are lovely or try chopped almonds!

Honey: a touch of sweetness from the honey brings the whole appetizer together.

Step by step process to make these savory pear appetizers

Step 1: Make the crostini: Preheat the oven to 400°Fahrenheit. Use a bread knife to slice a baguette into 1-inch thick slices, about 20-24 slices. Brush the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes until toasted. Set aside.

Step 2: Spread about 1/2-1 tbsp of goat cheese per crostini and add a pinch of pepper. Add the thin slices of pear (about 2-3 slices per crostini) on top of the goat cheese followed by a pinch of almonds or walnuts and a drizzle of honey. Finish with a garnish of fresh thyme or rosemary for a final touch!

Step 3: Alternatively, you could serve this as a deconstructed appetizer with the softened goat cheese, pear slices, crostini and honey as a part of a cheeseboard with the sliced almonds or walnuts and thyme as garnishes. Each guest could make their own to suit their tastes!

Expert tips to make this crostini recipe

• To make this appetizer even more quickly, make the crostini ahead of time and fully cool. Then, store in an airtight container until ready to use. I recommend making them only 1 day ahead of time.
• I like to use green pears for this recipe. However, to make this a very festive appetizer you could use red and green pears.
• If you want to take this appetizer to the next level, try adding a slice of prosciutto between the goat cheese and pears.
• These crostini are beautiful as a part of a cheeseboard or cheese plate. In that case, I would serve them deconstructed with the softened goat cheese, pear slices, crostini and honey as a part of the cheeseboard.
• If you’re serving this appetizer as the only appetizer of your evening, estimate about 4-5 crostini per person. If this is an appetizer amongst other options, you can count on about 2-3 pieces per person.

FAQ

What if I don’t like goat cheese?
Substitutes for goat cheese include ricotta cheese, cream cheese, a slice of brie cheese or even a sharp cheddar cheese would be delicious. If you need to use a dairy-free or vegan cheese, something akin to goat cheese like a cream cheese or ‘goat’ cheese that’s spreadable works too.

Can I make this with a different fruit?
While I would recommend this recipe be made with ripe pears, you could try to use apple slices instead. Apples would go well with the other flavours of goat cheese, honey and almonds too.

How can I make this gluten free?
Make these gluten free by using a gluten-free baguette or other gluten-free bread of your choice.

More easy appetizer recipes to love from the blog:

Easy Garlic & Herb Cheese Holiday Appetizer

Easy Garlic Bread Bites

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Appetizer with Crostini

Sun Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Pesto Appetizer