Pear, Brie and Prosciutto Crostini with Honey (Easy Holiday Appetizer)
You know that moment when someone texts “we’re on our way!” and you realize the only thing in your fridge that looks remotely like hosting is a wedge of brie you bought for no reason? That was me last Saturday. Twenty minutes later I had a board full of these pear, brie and prosciutto crostini, and everyone acted like I had planned it for days. I had not. I had planned nothing. But the crostini don’t have to know that.
Pears are at their absolute best right now, and this is my favorite way to show them off from October all the way through Christmas. Crunchy toast, melty brie, a ribbon of salty prosciutto, a slice of sweet pear and a drizzle of honey on top. It looks fancy, it tastes like the holidays, and it takes less time than finding a matching pair of socks for my kids.
Heads up, some of these are affiliate links, which just means if you grab something I get a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Only things I actually use made the cut.
Why you’ll love these
First, they are fast. Like, start to finish in about 20 minutes fast, and most of that is the oven doing the work.
Second, they hit every note. Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy. It is the kind of bite that makes people go quiet for a second and then reach for another one.
Third, they look like you tried really hard. You did not. That is our little secret. I bring these to book club, Thanksgiving appetizer hour, Christmas parties and every “just a few friends coming over” night from now until New Year’s.
Ingredients
Makes about 24 crostini. The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post.
- 1 French baguette, sliced on a slight angle about 1/2 inch thick
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (I keep a squeeze bottle of Graza Sizzle olive oil by the stove for exactly this)
- 1 (8 ounce) wheel of brie, chilled
- 2 ripe but firm pears (Bartlett or Bosc), cored and thinly sliced
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into strips
- 3 tablespoons honey (hot honey if you like a little kick)
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
- Flaky sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- Squeeze of lemon juice (keeps the pears from browning)
How to make them
1. Toast the bread. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the baguette slices on a half sheet pan, brush both sides lightly with olive oil (a silicone pastry brush makes this go fast and washes up in the dishwasher), and bake 6 to 8 minutes until golden and crisp at the edges. Let them cool for a minute so they don’t go soft.
2. Prep the pears. While the bread toasts, slice the pears thin and toss them with a little squeeze of lemon. This is the step I used to skip, and then I’d have sad brown pears by the time guests arrived. Learn from me.
3. Slice the brie. Cut the chilled brie into thin pieces that fit the toasts. Cold brie slices so much cleaner, so keep it in the fridge until right before this step. A little cheese knife set is worth it here, the soft cheese knife glides right through. Rind on is totally fine and honestly delicious.
4. Build and warm. Top each toast with a piece of brie and pop the pan back in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the cheese starts to slump and get melty. Don’t walk away, brie goes from perfect to puddle fast.
5. Layer it up. Add a few arugula leaves, a folded strip of prosciutto, and a slice or two of pear to each one.
6. Finish. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle the chopped nuts, and finish with a pinch of flaky salt and a crack of black pepper. Serve right away while the brie is still warm.
Tips, swaps and make ahead
Make ahead: Toast the baguette slices up to two days early and keep them in an airtight container on the counter. On party day you just warm, build and drizzle. Easiest hosting win ever, especially on Thanksgiving when the oven is fighting for its life.
Swap the fruit: Figs, crisp apples, or even halved grapes all work. Apple and brie with a little cinnamon on the honey is a cozy fall move. If you love the pear and cheese combo, my pear and gorgonzola crostini is the bolder cousin of this one.
Skip the meat: For a vegetarian version, leave off the prosciutto and add extra nuts for crunch. Nobody will miss it.
Level up the honey: A hot honey drizzle is my favorite upgrade. A little sweet heat against the salty prosciutto is chef’s kiss.
Tools that help: A good serrated bread knife makes slicing the baguette so much easier (no more squished bread), and a honey jar with a dipper makes drizzling look intentional instead of messy. I serve these on a big acacia wood serving board because it makes everything look like it came from a cute little wine bar.
How I serve them for the holidays
For Thanksgiving I set these out on the counter while the turkey rests, so everyone has something to nibble that is not the rolls. For Christmas parties I pile them on the board with a few sprigs of rosemary, stack some holly appetizer plates next to it, and add a pack of Holly Jolly cocktail napkins because honey fingers are real.
Want a whole spread? Pair these with my cranberry brie bites and a bowl of whipped feta dip with hot honey and you have an appetizer table that took you under an hour. Heading to someone else’s house instead? Bring a little hostess gift under $30 along with a tray of these, and if family is staying with you, here is how I get the guest room ready before holiday company shows up.
More party food lives on my Christmas hub and my Thanksgiving hub, and you can see every holiday in one place on Browse by Holiday.
Printable recipe
Pear, Brie and Prosciutto Crostini with Honey
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay the baguette slices on a sheet pan, brush both sides lightly with olive oil and bake 6 to 8 minutes, until golden and crisp at the edges. Cool for a minute.
- While the bread toasts, thinly slice the pears and toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Cut the chilled brie into thin pieces that fit the toasts. Rind on is fine.
- Top each toast with a piece of brie and return the pan to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the cheese starts to soften and melt.
- Add a few arugula leaves, a folded strip of prosciutto and a slice or two of pear to each crostini.
- Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with the chopped nuts and finish with a pinch of flaky salt and black pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
The takeaway
Hosting does not have to mean a whole weekend of prep. Sometimes it is just a baguette, a wedge of brie, a couple of pears and twenty minutes of pretending you had it together all along. These are my go to because they feel special without being fussy, and that is the whole vibe around here.
If you make them, tell me what you swapped in. I’m always looking for a new combo, so drop it in the comments.
So glad you are here. Pam
