Grilled Peach Crostini

This grilled Peach Crostini with whipped honey cream cheese and crispy pancetta is a quick and easy summer appetizer that never disappoints. While it may look fancy, it can be pulled together in no time.

The combination of sweet peaches, toasted baguette, honey cream cheese, and salty pancetta is only improved by adding a little drizzle of balsamic glaze, a sprinkle of fresh basil, and a pinch of flakey sea salt. If you’re looking for more crostini recipes, you can also try this Fresh Tomato Bruschetta or our Fig and Prosciutto Crostini.

At first glance, this sweet and savory peach crostini might look a little fancy, but I promise you—once you’ve got the grill fired up, it couldn’t be easier. Toasted baguette slices are topped with honey sweetened cream cheese, grilled peaches, and crispy pancetta and then topped with balsamic glaze, fresh basil, and flakey salt.

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If you want to make things even easier, you can whip up the cream cheese mixture the day before. Pull it out of the fridge while you heat up the grill and gather the rest of the ingredients. From there, it’s really just a matter of grilling and assembling.

This makes a great appetizer, but it can also be a light lunch or dinner. Looking for peach recipes to make for dessert? Try our Fresh Peach Pie, Baked Peach Pie, or simply serve up some Grilled Peaches with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Grilling sliced baguettes to make crostini.

Key Ingredients

Peaches – be sure to find ripe peaches that are free of bruises. You can use white peaches or yellow peaches—cling-stone or cling free. They all taste great. The more you grill peaches, you may begin to discover different flavor variations that you prefer with white vs yellow peaches.
Crostini Bread – for crostini or bruschetta, use bread that is sturdy when sliced very thin. Baguettes work great, but any other crusty bread will also work.
Cream Cheese – this needs to be soft so that it can be easily mixed with honey and spread over the grilled crostini.
Honey – the honey is whipped together with the cream cheese to create a sweetened spread for the crostini.
Pancetta – you can cook pancetta just like you cook bacon. Because it’s generally sliced thinner than bacon, keep a close eye on it to be sure you don’t burn it.
Balsamic Glaze – a little drizzle goes a long way. You can purchase this or make your own.
Fresh Basil – fresh sliced basil makes a pretty and tasty garnish. Basil and peaches are a delicious combo, but mint would also taste great.
Flaky Sea Salt – a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt really compliments the sweetness of this crostini.

A cutting board with grilled baguettes, whipped honey cream cheese, grilled peach slices, pancetta, and sliced basil for making peach bruschetta.

How to Make Peach Crostini

Grill the crostini bread. Lightly brush both sides of each baguette slice with olive oil. Place on the hot grill and grill both sides for about 2 minutes, or until lightly golden on each side. Remove from the grill and set aside.
Grill the peaches. Place peaches cut side down over the preheated grill, then brush the skin side with more olive oil. Grill over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, or until grill marks form on the cut side.
Flip over and grill the other side. Use tongs to flip the peaches over, then add 1/2 tablespoon pat of butter and about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon brown sugar to each peach half. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the brown sugar is melted and slightly caramelized. Transfer to a plate and slice each half into 4 slices.
Mix the cream cheese spread. In a stand mixer, or with a handheld mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and honey until light and fluffy.
Cook the pancetta. Add 5-6 slices of pancetta to a frying pan and cook over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Flip the pancetta over and continue to cook until the edges are a little crispy.
Assemble the crostini. Take each grilled crostini and spread about 1 tablespoon of the honey cream cheese evenly over the top. Add enough crispy pancetta to cover the cream cheese, followed by a slice of grilled peach, a sprinkle of fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Finish with sea salt, then serve immediately. Enjoy!

Assembling peach crostini on a serving platter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between crostini and bruschetta?

Both crostini and bruschetta are basically small open-faced sandwiches with a grilled or toasted bread as the base. The main difference is that the bread for crostini tends to be sliced slightly thinner than bruschetta. Otherwise, the terms are used interchangeably.

What’s the best bread to make crostini with?

For crostini and bruschetta, you want to use bread that will be sturdy enough to hold toppings. In my experience, baguettes work the very best. You can also try another kind of crusty bread as long as it doesn’t have huge holes.

Can I make any of this recipe ahead of time?

Crostini needs to be eaten very soon after it has been assembled or it will become very soggy. You could grill the peaches and whip the cream cheese ahead of time, then store them separately in the fridge overnight. That way, you would just need to assemble the following day. In fact, this is a great recipe to make if you have leftover grilled peaches! Just don’t try and assemble them ahead of time, or they will become a soggy mess.

A serving plate with this peach crostini recipe topped with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Recipe Variations

Honey Ricotta Peach Crostini: instead of cream cheese, try using ricotta cheese. Whip the ricotta and honey until fluffy, then spread and assemble as directed. The ricotta is a little lighter than cream cheese.
Peach and Burrata Crostini – burrata cheese has a buttery center wrapped in fresh mozzarella cheese. It is super creamy and absolutely delicious with peaches. This would taste great paired with the pancetta in this recipe, or fresh prosciutto.
Whipped Feta Peach Crostini – using this recipe for whipped feta as a base, skip the garlic and salt and add a little honey instead. It has a slightly tangier flavor and lighter texture than cream cheese and would taste great paired with fresh mint. Goat cheese would also work!

More Easy Summer Appetizers

This savory and sweet Peach Crostini recipe is an easy appetizer or light meal. It’s topped with honey cream cheese, crispy pancetta, grilled peaches, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Categories:

4th of July, Appetizers, Easy Weeknight Meals, Healthy, Nut-Free, Summer Recipes,

Peach Crostini