Goat Cheese Crostini with Candied Walnuts and Caramelized Onions
Goat cheese crostini with candied walnuts and caramelized onions – we're getting fancy here!
This mouthful of an appetizer (literally and figuratively) is actually an extremely simple and quick way to impress your guests if you're entertaining, or your own family if you enjoy a little appetizer before your meal. I know we sure do!
I love me anything you can plop on top of a piece of bread. I also love bites that exhibit a friendly balance of sweet and savory. If it pairs well with cheese, then it pairs well with me. That's what I always say. Well, no… I don't always say that but the sentiment remains. Ya girl loves her cheese and I feel no shame about it!
I only really discovered just how much I love goat cheese in the past couple of years. There is something sooo yummy about the way the cheese blends with the sweetness of the candied walnuts. They go together in such a way that the nuts don't taste overwhelmingly sweet, but at the same time… the sweetness comes through in such a mouthwatering way.
Does that make sense? The power of balance, I tell ya! The caramelized onions also truly make this appetizer.
I love to entertain and when it comes to appetizers, I often have a hard time deciding what I want to make. This inevitably results in me making multiple apps because you never know who is going to want what. And the larger the group, the more options I convince myself I need (who am I kidding, I feel the same way when it's just a double date).
When I find myself in this predicament I tend to opt for the simpler dishes rather than spending too much on complicated ones. This recipe is one of those. It honestly takes just 20 minutes to make, from toasting the crostini to caramelizing the onions and candying the walnuts (assuming you do them all at the same time).
Pile your toppings on high and you've got yourself an easy appetizer that tastes much more complicated than it actually is. Enjoy!
You may also like:
– Tomato Bruschetta with Garlic and Basil
– Air Fryer Pita Chips
– Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread
– Rosemary Parmesan Crisps
Goat Cheese Crostini with Candied Walnuts and Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz goat cheese, softened
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp butter, (or 1 tbps butter + 1 tbsp olive oil)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp balsamic vinaigrette
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Soften goat cheese at room temperature.
- Cut the baguette into 1/4-1/2-inch slices. Arrange on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and season with salt to taste. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Cut an onion into thin slices. To caramelized, melt 2 tbsp butter (or 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil) in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and 1 tsp balsamic and cook until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.
- To candy the walnuts, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup walnuts. Coat evenly and cook for 5-8 minutes, until the mixture is browned and slightly sticky. Be careful not to burn.
- Spread a dollop of softened goat cheese on each crostini. Top with caramelized onions and candied walnuts*. Serve warm.
Notes
*Candy the walnuts right before you are ready to use them. They harden as they cool which may or may not be to your liking.
Sounds really good–and sweet too! I love walnuts!
Thanks, Patricia!
I love goat cheese with something sweet like an apricot glaze. This recipe sounds great. I never knew how to caramelize onions so I was surprised when I read about the balsamic as I usually don’t care for balsamic vinegar in my dishes. I’m going to try this soon.
The balsamic is actually so minimal that you can hardly tell it’s there! Mm, apricot sounds good, will have to try that next time!
If we are neighbors, I’ll always visit you to try your appetizers! I also love goat cheese!!! I’ll try this recipe on the weekend. Thanks for sharing!
Haha right! I am always telling my friends that they could swing by any time and expect me to be whipping something up! Gotta love some taste testers!
Omg you had me at goat cheese! This looks absolutely amazing and I am drooling in my chair. Wow. I need someone to make this for me lol. It’s so fancy too, I feel like I’d get this at a 5 star restaurant!
Lol! That’s what I love about this recipe – it seems so fancy for something so simple! Hope you try it!
Hi, thank you for the recipe, We’ve just served it to our guests at our bbq party and they loved it, thanks again!
Excellent! So happy to hear that you and your guests enjoyed this! Thanks for coming back to tell me! :)