Is there anything better than summer tomatoes? In my opinion, they're pretty hard to beat. One of the best ways to showcase a beautiful tomato in all its glory is a caprese salad. It's so simple and the delicate flavor of the mozzarella really lets the sweetness of the tomato shine. The basil complements it perfectly and adds that lovely grassy flavor that makes the whole dish taste like a fresh garden.
However, a caprese salad is hardly something that's easy to serve at a gathering. That's why I love these baked caprese crostini. Could you assemble them the same without baking them? Sure. But I promise, it's better this way.
The recipe notes say this too, but it's hard to give exact quantities for this recipe because it really depends on the size of your ingredients and how many crostini you want.
What I love about this is that if you just have a craving for it, you can make 4-5 of them just for you. Or your can make a big platter for a crowd. My husband and I often eat this as a light lunch in the summer and I love it so much.
Give these a try with your beautiful summer tomatoes and let me know what you think. And guess what, if you have kind of underwhelming off-season tomatoes, it's still pretty good!
Baked Caprese Crostini
Makes 20 crostini (or as many as you want)
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10-15 minutes**This recipe may include affiliate links for which I may be paid a commission for purchases made through the link.**
Click the file below to download and print the recipe
I recommend reading the recipe all the way through, including the recipe notes at the bottom, before you start cooking.
Ingredients:
1 baguette*
2-3 tomatoes, depending on size of tomato and quantity of crostini**
6 oz. package of fresh mozzarella (pre-sliced preferred)
Basil leaves***
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Balsamic glaze (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°
Cut the baguette into ¼’ – ½” slices. Cut as many as you need. If your baguette is wider than a slice being more than 2 bites worth, cut the pieces in half so they are more “poppable,” two-bite snack size.
Place the baguette slices onto a baking sheet. Drizzle each piece with a little olive oil and top with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake at 425° for about 5 minutes or until the bread is golden but not completely toasted through. Remove from oven. These are your crostini.
Meanwhile, slice the tomato into ¼” pieces. Cut as many as you need. If it’s a large tomato, cut the pieces so they will fit onto the baguette pieces. A little overhang is ok.
Top each of the toasted crostini with a tomato slice, seasoning each with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then place a piece of mozzarella on top of the tomatoes.
Put back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so until the cheese has started to melt and ooze down the side. Do not let the cheese brown.
Remove from the oven, drizzle each piece with a little more olive oil and another pinch of salt and pepper. Top each crostini with a basil leaf.
Serve on a platter with a drizzle of balsamic glaze (optional).
*Recipe notes + Variations*
*I like to get the baguettes that are a little skinnier so each slice equals 1 crostini. If your baguette is wider, that’s ok, just cut each slice in half so it’s more a bite-size (or two-bite size) piece. The same goes for the tomatoes.
**Depending on what kind of tomatoes you are using, you may need more or less depending on the quantity of crostini you’re making. A roma tomato you can assume 1 slice will be enough for 1 crostini. Larger vine-ripened tomatoes and definitely beefsteak, heirloom, or Cherokee tomatoes will need to have slices cut in half to fit on the crostini.
***Ideally you will have 1 basil leaf per crostini, but you can also chiffonade (thinly slice) your basil and sprinkle it on top to make fewer leaves go farther.
These do not need to be piping hot to serve. They actually hold up great at room temperature for a while.
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