Cranberry Ricotta Crostini: An Easy Make-Ahead Holiday Appetizer

What ingredient says “holiday” to you? For me, it’s cranberries (and chocolate). How can you not love something that’s naturally that bright red? Here is a fresh way to use them: an easy Cranberry Ricotta Crostini that looks stunning and tastes even better, without keeping you stuck in the kitchen. The components can be easily made ahead. The crunchy-tart cranberries play off the creamy ricotta, and your guests will remember this one long after the party ends.

Christmas in July continues! Today it’s an appetizer, because make-ahead recipes are the ones worth finding and saving early. Save this pretty little bite for your holiday party menu.

These cranberry ricotta crostinis check every box:

• They’re elegant enough for your fanciest gathering.
• They are simple enough to make while juggling a dozen other dishes.
• Each component can be made ahead and assembled right before serving time – a big time saver.
• They are absolutely delicious – not too sweet and not too tart.
• The crunchy cranberries pair with creamy ricotta on crispy, toasted bread, creating a perfect balance of textures.

Your guests will remember this pretty little bite long after the party ends. Whether you’re hosting Christmas dinner or bringing something special to a holiday potluck, these crostini deliver maximum impact with minimal effort.

Why Do Cranberries Make the Perfect Holiday Appetizer?

Cranberries aren’t just another pretty face in the culinary world. Cranberries bring gorgeous festive color to your appetizer spread, creating that instant holiday feeling without any food coloring or fuss.

If you’ve never had fresh cranberries other than as a jelled sauce on your Thanksgiving plate, here are reasons to include them on a Christmas party menu.

• Their bright tartness cuts through rich, creamy ingredients like ricotta and goat cheese, creating a balanced flavor profile that keeps guests coming back for more.
• Fresh cranberries are at their peak during the holiday season, making them budget-friendly and readily available when you need them most.
• They’re incredibly versatile – you can use them fresh, roasted, or as a quick compote, adapting to whatever your recipe and timeline require.
• The sweet-tart flavor profile pairs beautifully with both savory elements like herbs and balsamic, and sweet touches like honey or orange zest.
• Cranberries also add a sophisticated, grown-up flavor that elevates simple appetizers into something truly special for holiday entertaining.
• It’s an easy one- bite appetizer for guests; it requires no utensils.
• Cranberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C, so you can feel good about serving an appetizer that’s as nutritious as it is delicious.

A Cranberry Story

The only way I knew cranberries growing up was through my mom’s homemade fresh cranberry sauce. When I first saw the stuff that slivered out of a can at a friend’s house, I had no idea what it was. It bore no resemblance to the sweet/tart condiment my mom always served at Thanksgiving.

As an adult, I discovered cranberry bread and cosmopolitans (who can not love one of those delicious cocktails?) Not sure which one I liked best. (Ok, it was the cosmo.)

These days, using fresh cranberries is totally accepted (Do they still sell the stuff in the can?) and preferred. Fresh cranberries are healthier and have no preservatives.

I think you’ll like this way of serving fresh cranberries. Cranberry Ricotta Crostini is pretty, reasonably healthy (We won’t count the ricotta and crostini in the calorie count.), and very easy to make as an appetizer for your Christmas entertaining.

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Cranberry Ricotta Crostini: The Background

You may know that I worked in the culinary department at Sur La Table for almost five years. Then I went to culinary school at the community college in downtown Dallas for one year.

Next, I started teaching cooking classes from my home and at other venues (Viking, Williams Sonoma, and private events). Three years later, I went back to the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Dallas to finish my culinary degree. Actually, I had to start over because ICSAID didn’t accept my credits.

I have thousands of recipes in binders, and hundreds of cookbooks, mostly signed and collected from my SLT days.

The first place I look for recipe inspiration is my recipe collection.

That’s where I found this recipe. I had made it years ago and remembered it as tasty and impressive as an appetizer.

So now let’s get started.

Making the Cranberry Ricotta Crostini

This recipe has three parts. The first two can be made ahead of serving time:

• ricotta mixture
• cranberry mixture
• toasted baguette slices – crostini

The printable recipe is below, but let me talk you through some of the steps.

DISCLOSURE: I made the cranberry and ricotta crostini for a casual dinner that I hosted last week for some girlfriends. As I got into the preparation, I forgot to take all the process pictures. So I recreated the recipe prep to take more pictures for you.

I’ll share the equipment you need during the instructions and at the end of the recipe.

The Ricotta Mixture

This step can be made a day ahead, which is great if you are serving this appetizer for a holiday party.

Step 1 – The recipe calls for one 15-ounce container of whole-milk ricotta. Don’t use skim or fat-free; it won’t taste right or have the body and texture you need for this recipe.

NOTE: I used half of the ricotta mixture. I made 2 crostini per person, for a total of 12. You can halve the ricotta mixture if you don’t need as many crostini.

Step 2 – Place the ricotta in a food processor. I love my Kitchen Aid Food Processor. I had to replace it a few years ago. (I broke the top; I had it so long, the model was no longer available.) It has never failed me.

Step 3 – Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, orange zest, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. I love my Microplane for zesting any citrus fruit.

TIP: One of my students’ favorite tips from my cooking class days: After you zest any citrus, tightly wrap the entire fruit in plastic wrap. It should act like a second skin. This will keep the fruit from drying out and allow you to still get juice.

Step 4 – Process the ingredients until combined and smooth. You can add more olive oil if the ricotta is very thick. Taste the mixture and add more salt if needed.

Step 5 – Place the ricotta in a storage container and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the crostini.

The Cranberry Mixture

The Cranberry Mixture is the pretty part of this appetizer. It also gives the dish its slightly tart taste and crunchy texture. This step can be done several hours in advance.

NOTE: Bagged cranberries start appearing in the grocery stores in late October/early November. Don’t wait too late or they may be sold out. Fortunately, they freeze beautifully. I always buy two bags – one for cranberry sauce and the other for this appetizer and to garnish a cosmopolitan.

Step 1 – Wash and dry the fresh cranberries. I use a large colander for this step. Pat the cranberries dry with a couple of paper towels.

Did you know that cranberries freeze beautifully?

TIP: Everyone starts buying fresh cranberries weeks before Thanksgiving. Fortunately, you can put the bag in the freezer for weeks until you are ready to use it.

Step 2 – With a sharp chef’s knife, roughly chop the 1 1/2 cups of cranberries. You will not use all the cranberries in the bag. You can reseal the bag and place it in the freezer.

My Wüstof chef knife has been my number one knife for over 20 years. It will probably outlive me. It’s the best for daily chopping and slicing. The bamboo cutting board is my everyday one. I bought it and Dean & Deluca in New York City in 2003.

Place the chopped cranberries in a medium bowl.

Step 3 – Add the orange juice, honey, and a pinch of kosher salt to the bowl of chopped cranberries. Stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Making the Crostini

You will use a French baguette for the crostini. Buy the best bread you can find. Fortunately, our Central Market has a fabulous bakery with all sorts of breads.

Step 1 – Slice the baguette on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices. Use a sharp bread knife.

TIP: Ask the bread department to slice the baguette 1/4-inch thick for you. It’s a big time-saver. The only downside is that they can’t slice it diagonally. Either way will work for this appetizer.

TIP: You can easily quick-freeze your bread slices. Lay them out on a parchment paper-lined half-sheet pan and place in your freezer until frozen. Then put them in a zip-lock freezer bag. When you are ready to use them, take them out of the freezer and thaw them before using. It only takes minutes for the bread to thaw. Keep unsed bread slices in the refrigerator.

NOTE: The more you slice the bread on the diagonal, the larger your crostini will be.

Step 2 – Place the crostini on a parchment paper-lined half-sheet pan.

Step 3 – Use an olive oil spray bottle to generously spray the top of the bread slices. Our older daughter gave us this great tool several years ago and we use it frequently. If you don’t have a spray bottle, use a pastry brush dipped in a ramekin of extra virgin olive oil.

Step 4 – Bake the crostini at 350˚F. for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown. You can flip the crostini and bake for another couple of minutes.

Assembling the Cranberry Ricotta Crostini Appetizer

Step 1 – Use a spoon or a small offset spatula to spread a generous layer of the ricotta mixture on each crostini.

Step 2 – Top the ricotta mixture with about one tablespoon of the cranberry mixture.

Step 3 – Remove the fresh thyme leaves from the stems for garnish. Also, have flaky sea salt on hand. (One of my favorite brands is Maldon.) I love having fresh herbs in our garden available for cooking. Thyme is a hardy perennial herb that we use year-round.

Step 4 – Sprinkle a little chopped thyme leaves and a pinch of salt over each crostini.

Step 5 – Now you’re ready to serve your Cranberry and Ricotta Crostini Appetizer. Select a pretty tray or platter that showcases the red color of the cranberries. I had this oblong tray that worked well.

Set your tray of crostini on the table.

What Equipment Do You Need to Make this Appetizer?

Here are the basic tools that you need to make this appetizer. These are standard kitchen equipment for any cook.

The Cranberry Ricotta Crostini Appetizer Recipe

Have Questions? I have Answers

Don’t forget to PIN this recipe so you have it for your holiday festivities.

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