Avocado Appetizers on Crostini
Here’s a tasty, popular avocado appetizers on crostini to add to your repertoire. We top it with tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle to boost flavor and pizzazz.
You will love the flavor combination of avocado, lime, tomatoes and balsamic. Simple low-fuss vegetarian appetizers or brunch fare in just 12 minutes.
Crostini – “little toasts” in Italian – are a great base for these appetizers. They are semi-crisp with a hint of garlic and easy to manage in one or two bites.
Mash the avocado with lime, salt and pepper to make a very basic guacamole. Spread the mixture on crostini, then add your tomatoes and drizzle. Serve them on a cutting board, rustic style.
Essentially, this is another avocado toast idea with a few variations to make it your own. Nothing fancy, but very tasty.
3 Tips
- Buy ripe avocados (or wait until they ripen) to get a nice creamy avocado mash.
- Use a sturdy bread that will hold up well and stay semi crisp.
- Only drizzle the balsamic reduction just before serving as it tends to “bleed”.
FAQ for Avocados
Firstly, check the color. Typically, brown avocados are ripe IF they yield to gentle pressure when squeezed. Bright green avocados are not ripe. Secondly, if there is a nubby stem on the avocado, it will easily break off if it’s ripe – and show a greenish or yellowish color under the stem.
Leave the avocados on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days. To speed up the ripening process, place them in a paper bag. Do not put whole avocados in the fridge as they won’t ripen. Cut avocados, however, should be stored in the fridge.
Basically, you have to keep the oxygen from reaching the cut avocado surface. You can do this in one of 3 ways: by squeezing lemon juice over the cut surface; by place the cut surface face down on a flat plate; or by submerging the cut avocado in an airtight container full of clean water.
For more information about avocados, check out this video on nutrition benefits, tips and preparation.
Tailor To Your Taste
Bread options
- Use a sturdy bread such as multigrain, artisan bread, French baguette or ciabatta.
Substitutes
- For tomatoes: If you don’t like tomatoes, leave them out or substitute them with chopped roasted red peppers, prosciutto, chopped hard boiled egg, small cooked shrimp or radish slices.
- For balsamic reduction: Instead, try a sweet chili sauce.
Garnish options
- Top with chopped fresh basil, green onions or chives. Or mash the herbs into the guacamole avocado mixture.
- Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.
- A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes a great finish.
Shortcuts
- Buy ready made guacamole.
- Buy the Balsamic reduction/glaze. It’s available in most grocery stores and last forever in the cupboard.
Make Ahead
- Assemble the avocado appetizers up to 30-60 minutes ahead without the balsamic drizzle. Drizzle the Balsamic reduction just before serving as it tends to bleed into the avocado if it’s not thick enough.
Other easy healthy appetizers you might like
- peach and prosciutto appetizers
- endive ricotta appetizers
- stuffed mini peppers with goat cheese
- pesto ricotta crostini appetizers
- roasted shrimp with gremolata dressing
- shrimp cocktail recipe (with homemade cocktail sauce)
- 10 Easy Make-Ahead Appetizers
How to make avocado appetizers on crostini
Avocado Appetizers on Crostini
Ingredients
- 1/2 baguette, Note 1
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half
- 1 medium-large ripe avocado (or 2 small ones)
- 1 lime
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in 4 (or heirloom chopped)
- balsamic reduction/glaze (store bought), Note 4
Garnish options (optional)
- chopped fresh basil or other herbs, crumbled goat cheese, sprinkle of sea salt or lime/lemon zest.
Instructions
- MAKE THE CROSTINI: Cut 16 slices of baguette sized bread about 1/4-1/2 inch (0.7-1.2cm) thick (or 4-5 slices of larger bread that you will cut in thirds or quarters). Toast slices in toaster or toaster oven until golden brown. (Alternatively grill bread for a minute per side or bake at 375F/190C for about 8 minutes). Bread should be fairly crisp. Brush with olive oil on both sides using pastry brush. Then rub one side of bread with the cut half of a garlic clove.
- MAKE THE AVOCADO MASH (Guacamole): Cut avocado in half. Remove the pit. Scoop out the avocado into a small bowl with a spoon, discarding the skin. Squeeze in juice of half or three-quarters of a lime and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mash, taste and add more lime, salt and pepper as needed.
- ASSEMBLE: Place crostini on a serving platter or wooden cutting board. Divide avocado evenly over crostini and spread. Place a few cherry tomato halves on top. Cut toast slices in bite size pieces if you used larger bread slices. Just before serving, drizzle with Balsamic reduction/glaze. Try a zig zag pattern, drizzling balsamic over crostini and onto platter for a nice presentation.
Notes
- Bread options: Use a sturdy bread such as multigrain, artisan bread, French baguette or ciabatta.
- Shortcuts: buy ready made guacamole and Balsamic reduction/glaze
- Variations:
- If you don’t like tomatoes, leave them out or substitute with chopped roasted red peppers, prosciutto, chopped hard boiled egg, shrimp or radishes.
- Instead of balsamic reduction, try a sweet chili sauce or sweet-tart salad dressing drizzle.
- To make your own Balsamic Glaze/Reduction. I usually buy it, but it’s easy to make your own if you prefer. Bring to boil a half cup of balsamic vinegar and two tablespoons honey or brown sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes until it reduces by half to a syrup consistency (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon).
- Make Ahead: Prepare all the components ahead. Assembly can be done up to 30-60 minutes ahead, but I suggest drizzling the Balsamic reduction just before serving as it tends to bleed into the avocado.
Nutrition
Avocado appetizers on crostini has been republished from 2017 with new information and images.