Brûléed Pear + Whipped Feta Crostini
Brûléed Pear + Whipped Feta Crostini may sound fancy, but it’s a breeze to make! Break out that kitchen torch and impress your guests with a little light show.
Pears + Whipped Feta Spread on Crostini
While I came up with this concoction with holiday entertaining in mind, this is a great little nosh to enjoy as soon as those sweet, juicy pears are in season. They’re a great counterbalance to tangy feta cheese. And, the addition of caramelized sugar, herbs and sea salt round out the flavors perfectly.
Granted, taking a kitchen torch to your pears may seem a bit overkill, but this really is an easy appetizer to pull together when time is short. (And, I’ll give you another shortcut later if playing with fire isn’t your thing!)
Ingredients for Brûléed Pear + Whipped Feta Crostini
In addition to pantry staples of olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, gather up:
- French baguette — or other similar crusty bread.
- Feta cheese — I used full fat, but a reduced-fat variety would also work. Doesn’t matter if it’s in a block or crumbled.
- Plain Greek yogurt — I used 2%, but 0% also works.
- Fresh thyme — you’ll mix some into the cheese spread and use more to garnish.
- A large pear — your favorite variety! I used D’Anjou because they were the prettiest on shopping day.
- Golden sugar — less refined than white sugar, but you can use white or also turbinado sugar.
- Walnuts — obviously, omit if you have a food allergy. You can also leave these out if you just aren’t a fan, but the toasty crunch they provide is a nice compliment to the pears.
- Coarse sea salt — I like flaky Maldon. A little of this salt brings balance to the pears’ sweetness and just looks nice scattered about.
How to Make Crostini with Brûléed Pears + Whipped Feta
Start by toasting the bread slices in a preheated 350°F oven. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and place on a sheet pan. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until just crisp.
Next, make the whipped feta. In the bowl of a mini food processor, add feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil, fresh thyme (leaves only), and several grinds of black pepper. Process until mostly smooth — it won’t be completely smooth due to texture of feta cheese, but that’s totally ok! Taste for seasoning and mix in a little kosher salt (or sea salt) if you feel it needs it.
To brûlée the pears, pat the slices dry with paper towels and place them on a heat proof tray — like a sheet pan or casserole. Sprinkle sugar over the surface of each slice. Apply a kitchen torch until the sugar bubbles, then turns golden.
To assemble the crostini, spread whipped feta on each toast, then top with a slice or two of brûléed pear. Garnish with more thyme leaves, toasted walnuts and a sprinkle of sea salt.
If you adore appetizers on toasted bread, you’ll also love this Quick + Spicy Warm Crab Bruschetta!
Common Questions for Brûléeing Pears
You have two options here:
1) Brûlée the pears under your oven broiler. Place pears on a sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar. Place a rack on the top shelf of your oven, 5 to 6 inches from the broiler. Just keep a close eye on them so they don’t catch fire. They will caramelize in a matter of seconds.
2) Skip the sugar and brûlée step altogether! Instead, drizzle a little honey over assembled crostini and garnish per the instructions.
Making brûléed pear slices essentially cooks the pears. If the pears are too ripe, they will end up soft and soggy. I recommend starting with a firm pear, but it will still become softer in texture. They will taste sweet + juicy, so if you prefer a crisper mouthfeel, go with option 2 above.
Can’t Get Enough Cheesy Apps?
- Basil + Lemon Burrata with Ciabatta Toasts
- Red Pepper Jam + Goat Cheese Crostini
- Baked Lemon Ricotta Dip with Blackberries + Honey
- …and you might also like Grilled Flat Bread with Flank Steak, Arugula + Chimichurri!
Brûléed Pear + Whipped Feta Crostini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ounce baguette, sliced into 1/4" rounds (about 16 slices)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 4 ounce feta cheese, broken into small chunks, or pre-crumbled
- 6 tablespoon greek yogurt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only + more to garnish
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1 large pear, firm, cored + thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon golden sugar
- 2 tablespoon walnuts, toasted + chopped
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, like Maldon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Brush both sides of the baguette slices with 1 tbsp of olive oil and set them on a sheet pan. Toast for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Combine feta, greek yogurt, 1 tbsp of olive oil, several grinds of black pepper and thyme leaves in a food processor until fairly smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt. Set aside.
- Pat the slices of pear dry then place on a heat proof surface (like a sheet pan or casserole dish). Sprinkle with sugar. Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar until golden brown, but not burnt.
- To assemble, spread whipped feta on a toasted slice of baguette and top with a slice of pear. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, toasted walnuts and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin for Later! Brûléed Pear + Whipped Feta Crostini
Feta and pear are so delicious together! This is the perfect little bite.
I have friends coming over this weekend for wine tasting. I think I’ll make these crostini. They look delicious. Thanks for idea!
I just made some whipped feta for Easter as an appetizer. I love the addition of the pear to the mix. This is the perfect party appetizer. Easy and delicious.
This crostini was so delicious! I loved the bruleed pears!
The recipe sounds wonderful! Especially the bruleed pears! Can’t wait to try it out! I’m sure it will be delicious!