Apple Butter Crostini with Whipped Goat Cheese
This easy apple butter appetizer layers crisp crostini with tangy whipped goat cheese, toasted pecans, and bright pomegranate arils. It has that sweet-savory balance I love and looks right at home at a fall gathering or holiday party.
A Fall Appetizer Built on Contrast
Every fall, I make a trip to a local cidery for all the good stuff: pumpkins, fresh apple cider, and a stop at their little bakery. They make their own apple butter, and you better believe a jar comes home with me every year. To me, it’s fall in a jar—cozy, comforting, and something I look forward to all year.
These crostini give that apple butter a savory spin. Tangy goat cheese and fresh thyme balance its warmly spiced sweetness, while toasted pecans and pomegranate arils add crunch, color, and a little tartness. It’s all about contrast: crisp and creamy, sweet and savory, rustic yet polished.
For a summer variation, try my goat cheese crostini with Rainier cherries topped zesty lemon, fresh mint, and a drizzle of honey.
Why This Recipe Works
A Savory Way to Use Apple Butter
Apple butter usually shows up at breakfast or in baked goods, but its concentrated apple flavor and warm spices work just as well in savory recipes. Here, tangy goat cheese, thyme, and flaky salt temper the sweetness and make it feel right at home on an appetizer board.
Homemade apple butter is lovely, but a good store-bought jar works perfectly. You can also serve the leftovers alongside cheese using my guide to the best jams and spreads for a charcuterie board.
Key Ingredients
Apple butter: Choose one with a thick, smooth texture and warm spice flavor. You’ll thin it with a little water so it’s easy to drizzle.
Goat cheese: Use a soft goat cheese log rather than pre-crumbled cheese. Let it soften at room temperature so it whips up smoothly.
Baguette: Cut it on the bias into ½-inch slices for more room to hold the toppings. Set aside any slices with very large air pockets.
Pecans: Finely chop them so they stay put on the crostini. Toasting adds flavor, but it’s completely optional when time is short.
Pomegranate arils: Their tartness balances the apple butter and their ruby color makes the crostini feel especially festive.
Fresh thyme: A little goes into the goat cheese, with a few extra leaves scattered over the top. Its earthy flavor keeps the sweeter ingredients in check.
*Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
How to Make Apple Butter Crostini
1
Make CrostinI
Brush the tops with olive oil and bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes. Let cool.
2
Whip the Goat Cheese
Process the goat cheese, olive oil, and thyme until creamy. Add more oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable.
3
Assemble
Thin the apple butter with a little water. Spread the goat cheese onto each crostini, then drizzle the apple butter in a loose squiggle.
4
Add the Toppings
Finish with chopped pecans, pomegranate arils, thyme leaves, and flaky salt. Serve shortly after assembling.
The Little Details
- Let the crostini cool first. Warm bread can soften the goat cheese and make it harder to spread neatly.
- Adjust the apple butter as needed. Thinning is only necessary if the apple butter is too thick for your squeeze bottle. When applying it with a spoon, you can usually use it straight from the jar.
- Keep the squiggle loose. A squeeze bottle gives you a pretty, controlled drizzle, but a small dollop swirled with a spoon looks just as inviting.
- Finish with a light hand. A few thyme leaves and a small pinch of flaky salt are enough to balance the sweetness without covering the other flavors.
Make-Ahead Tips
Toast the baguette slices up to one day ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The whipped goat cheese can be refrigerated for up to two days; let it soften slightly and give it a good stir before spreading.
You can also chop the pecans and thin the apple butter ahead of time. Wait to assemble the crostini until shortly before serving so the bread stays crisp.
Complete the Appetizer Spread
For a fall or holiday gathering, serve these crostini alongside deviled eggs with black truffle oil and prosciutto-wrapped dates. For a larger group, add a holiday charcuterie board so guests have plenty to graze on throughout the evening.
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Apple Butter Crostini with Whipped Goat Cheese
Ingredients
Crostini
- 20 baguette slices, cut ½ inch thick on the bias
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Whipped goat cheese
- 8 ounces goat cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
Toppings
- ½ cup apple butter
- 1 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Prepare the bread. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush the top of each baguette slice with olive oil.
- Toast the crostini. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the bread is crisp and lightly golden around the edges. Let the crostini cool before adding the toppings.
- Make the whipped goat cheese. Add the softened goat cheese, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and chopped thyme to a food processor. Process until creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Thin the apple butter, if needed. If using a squeeze bottle, stir the apple butter with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth enough to flow through the nozzle. If applying it with a spoon, skip the water unless the apple butter is especially thick.
- Add the goat cheese. Divide the whipped goat cheese among the crostini, using about 1 tablespoon per slice. Spread it over the bread with a spoon.
- Add the apple butter. Squeeze the apple butter over each crostini in a loose squiggle. Alternatively, add a small dollop and gently swirl it into the goat cheese with the back of a spoon.
- Add the toppings. Sprinkle each crostini with chopped pecans, about 5 pomegranate arils, some thyme leaves, and a light pinch of flaky salt. Serve shortly after assembling.
Recipe Notes
- Cutting the baguette: Cutting the bread on the bias creates longer slices with more room for the toppings.
- Choosing slices: Select pieces with a fairly even crumb. Large air pockets can make the crostini difficult to top and eat.
- Optional pecan toasting: Toasted pecans have a deeper flavor, but you can skip this step when short on time.
- Suggested serving: 2 crostini per person when part of an appetizer spread.
- Make ahead: Toast the bread up to one day in advance and store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerate the whipped goat cheese for up to two days, then let it soften and stir before using.
- Serving: Assemble close to serving time so the crostini remain crisp.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Maplevine Kitchen makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
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