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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Snacks

    Parmesan Crostini (Small Toasted Bread)

    Updated: Feb 5, 2025 · Published: Jan 27, 2025 · by Jan Nunes

    Two white plates of parmesan crostini with text overlays.
    A white plate of parmesan crostini with text overlays.

    Parmesan Crostini are little toasts seasoned with olive oil and parmesan cheese that are ideal for hearty dips, spreads, soups, and stews.

    Two plates of parmesan crostini one without paprika and one with paprika.
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    Why You’ll Love This Parmesan Crostini Recipe

    • Reason 1: Only 4 Ingredients.
    • Reason 2: Makes in 30 minutes.
    • Reason 3: Tastes better than store-bought!
    Jump to:
    • Why You’ll Love This Parmesan Crostini Recipe
    • What Is Crostini?
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Parmesan Crostini
    • My Top Tips
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Make-Ahead & Storage
    • Other Recipes You Will Love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What Is Crostini?

    Crostini in Italian means "little crusts". They are small slices of bread brushed with olive oil and toasted. To toast them, you can bake them in the oven, pan-fry them, or grill them. Often they are seasoned with salt, other seasonings like black pepper, or aromatics like garlic.

    They can be eaten alone or served with toppings like meats, cheeses, are condiments. Because they are thicker than potato chips they are ideal with hearty dips and spreads. They are also delicious with soups and stews!

    About This Recipe

    This is a very simple, straightforward recipe for small toasts that I love to use with a variety of dips and toppings that are too heavy for potato chips.

    The key to making a delicious crostini is to use quality, tasty ingredients. A well-made baguette, fruity, extra virgin olive oil, salty parmesan cheese, and a light dusting of paprika is all you need.

    You can adjust the thickness to your liking and slice the bread on the diagonal for larger two-bite toasts or cut straight rounds for smaller bites.

    We love a light sprinkling of paprika for a boost of flavor and color, but you can also omit it.

    These little toasts are fantastic with your favorite toppings. Consider egg salad, tuna salad, or chicken salad in addition to robust hot and cold dips. These little crostini are sturdy and bring the crunch when a pita chip or celery stick just won't do.

    So, let's cook!

    Ingredient Notes

    Parmesan Crostini labeled ingredients, from top, clockwise: sliced baguette, extra virgin olive oil, sweet paprika (optional), and grated parmesan cheese.

    Here's what you need:

    • French Baguette - Any French Baguette will work. The length of the baguette with affect the number of slices of bread that can be cut. The baguettes at my local store are 20" which is shorter than an official French baguette.
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Choose the very best-tasting olive oil you can afford.
    • Parmesan Cheese - Parmesan cheese brings both flavor and saltiness, which is why I don't add additional salt.
    • Sweet Paprika - (Optional) We love the extra boost of flavor from sweet paprika. It is optional and can be omitted if you don't have any on hand.

    Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    How to Make Parmesan Crostini

    Process Photo 1 - A 4 Image Collage. a: Preheat the oven. b: Prepare pan by lining it with parchment paper. c: Slice the baguette. d: Grate the parmesan cheese.

    Preheat Oven. Set rack in oven to the second shelf from the bottom and preheat oven to 350°/177°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Slice the bread ½" thick and grate the parmesan cheese.

    Process Photo 2 - A 4 Image Collage. a: Place slices of bread on prepared pan. b: Brush bread with olive oil c: Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. d: Sprinkle with sweet paprika.

    Brush Bread. Place the bread on the prepared baking sheet and brush each slice of bread with the olive oil. Sprinkle bread slices with the parmesan cheese and sweet paprika.

    Parmesan Crostini on two white plates two ways, with and without paprika.

    Bake. Bake the crostini for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.

    My Top Tips

    ♡ These can be baked lightly toasted, good for a soft bite, or fully toasted for a crisp bite.

    ♡ For a more toasty brown color, after baking turn off the oven and turn on the broil. Watch carefully so the toasts do not burn.

    Serving Suggestions

    Chopped cherry tomatoes are tossed with chopped shallots, chives, and vinaigrette in a decorative bowl.

    Fresh Cherry Tomato Relish

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    Neiman Marcus Million Dollar Dip

    A bowl of freshly made green guacamole garnished with lime and cilantro with tortilla chips surrounding it.

    Simple Guacamole

    Make-Ahead & Storage

    These Parmesan Crostini can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored at room temperature in a sealed, airtight container.

    Two plates of parmesan crostini one without paprika and one with paprika with a bowl of cherry tomatoes.

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    ♡ Did you love this recipe for Parmesan Crostini? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how things went in the ✍ comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📖 Recipe

    Parmesan Crostini on two white plates two ways, with and without paprika.

    Parmesan Crostini (Small Toasted Bread)

    5 from 1 vote
    By: Jan Nunes
    Parmesan Crostini are little toasts seasoned with olive oil and parmesan cheese that are ideal for hearty dips, spreads, soups, and stews.
    Print Share Pin Email
    Prep Time ~ 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time ~ 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 25 minutes minutes
    Servings ~ 30 Toasts
    Calories ~ 40kcal
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    Ingredients
     

    • 1 French Baguette, Sliced ½“Thick
    • ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 3 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, Finely Grated
    • 1 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat Oven. Set rack in oven to the second shelf from the bottom and preheat oven to 350°/177°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Slice the bread ½" thick and grate the parmesan cheese.
    • Brush Bread. Place the bread on the prepared baking sheet and brush each slice of bread with the olive oil. Sprinkle bread slices with the parmesan cheese and sweet paprika.
      1 French Baguette, ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, 1 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
    • Bake. Bake the crostini for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.3mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.3mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American, Italian

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    About Jan Nunes

    Jan is the creator and owner of Encharted Cook. Her cooking and baking journey began more than 50 years ago and she specializes in showing how recipes and ingredients can work together and why. At Encharted Cook you can rely on proven recipes and take your cooking and baking up to the next level.

    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

    more about Jan

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