Ok, listen up!
Bruschetta with burrata and balsamic glaze sounds super bougie and fancy, but it's seriously the most simple-toast some bread, pile on juicy tomatoes, add a generous helping of creamy burrata, drizzle with balsamic glaze, and boom, you're serving up a snack that tastes like summer in literally every bite.
There's nothing quite like the flavors of bruschetta. We're talking freshly diced tomatoes, red onion, minced garlic, drenched in a balsamic glaze on top of crispy Italian bread (the actual bruschetta, or crostini).
Take those flavors, amplify it with a dollop of pesto on the bruschetta, topped with creamy, fresh burrata, you've got heaven on a plate and they will be very, very hard to resist stopping at just one.
Jump to:
The Recipe Rundown
- Flavor Profile: Acidic from the tomatoes, slightly spicy from the garlic and the pesto, sharp from the red onion, sweet from the balsamic, and fresh and creamy from the burrata.
- Cook Time: This will take you virtually no time at all to prepare these bruschetta. Leave some time to chop the veggies and you're looking at 10 minutes tops (including toasting the bread).
- Cook Level: Anyone can make this bruschetta recipe!
- Pairings: Serve these crostini as an appetizer before classic stuffed shells, my infamous easy baked ziti recipe with no meat, chicken francese, or my creamy chicken tortellini pasta recipe.
Tips, Tricks, and Reminders
- Use Fresh Garlic: I know, garlic can be annoying to peel and chop, but do not use jarred garlic. I never mind having to mince garlic, but I know some people don't prefer it. Bruschetta needs to have some fresh garlic in it, so when making it, choose fresh garlic cloves.
- Let the Tomatoes Sit: For optimal flavor, make the tomato/red onion/garlic mixture and let it sit and marinade for about an hour before using. It gives the tomatoes and onions time to soak up all the delicious flavor from the balsamic glaze.
- Buy Crusty Bread: Bruschetta, aka crostini, is an Italian bread appetizer that is either toasted or grilled. You WANT the bread to be super crusty and thick so you get that infamous crunch when biting into it.
- Mise en Place: A traditional French term for "everything in its place." Meaning, have all ingredients prepped or "in place" before assembling the crostini, that way you aren't running around the kitchen wasting more time.
The Ingredient List
- Italian Bread - A classic Italian bread is exactly what is needed for this recipe. It's thick, crispy, has a great crunch when bitten into, and will be sturdy enough for all the toppings.
- Grape Tomatoes - Grape tomatoes are classic for topping the bruschetta. You can slice them lengthwise, then dice them into smaller pieces.
- Red Onion - Even though it's technically purple, a red onion is classic for making bruschetta.
- Garlic - Minced, fresh garlic is the best type of garlic for this recipe. It adds a slight spicy flavor, but also helps to round out all other flavors.
- Balsamic Glaze - Balsamic glaze is a thick, sweet reduction of balsamic vinegar that adds a rich, tangy depth and a little sweetness to the tomatoes and on top of the burrata.
- Pesto - I love making my own, but you can always use jarred. Also, if you really don't love pesto, don't use it! No harm if you don't want to use it.
- Burrata - An Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. It's soft on the outside, with a creamy rich center Mild in flavor, but excellent on this crostini.
- Salt and Pepper - We add the salt and pepper to the bruschetta to balance the flavors, and just one crack of fresh cracked black pepper as garnish on top of the actual crostini before serving.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
The Process Photos
Step 1: In a medium bowl, add the minced red onion, garlic, and tomatoes.
Step 2: Drizzle the balsamic glaze into the bowl and fold together with the red onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then fold again.
Step 3: Toast a few slices of Italian bread, then spread one tablespoon of pesto onto the bread.
Step 4: Top the toast with a scoop of the tomatoes.
Step 5: For the final step, add the burrata and a fresh drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Suggested Swaps and Subs:
- You can omit the pesto entirely or use store-bought if you don't want to make it fresh.
- Use a gluten free bread that you love and be sure that it can get nice and toasty and crispy in the toaster.
- Feel free to use plain mozzarella cheese instead of burrata. Or, if you wanna be extra fancy, use buffalo mozzarella.
Frequently Asked Questions
Would I be able to make these ahead of time and store in the fridge?
I don't recommend making and assembling to save in the fridge for later as the bread will get slightly soggy and the cheese will dry out. If you want to prep portions of the recipe you can, and then assemble when you are ready to serve.
What type of bread would work? Can I use a gluten free bread?
I recommend an Italian loaf as the slices are wider, thicker, and can hold the ingredients well. You could also use a semolina, seeded Italian bread, or in a pinch, you can use a French baguette.
Feel free to use your favorite gluten free bread here too!
What other types of cheese can I use instead of burrata?
You can use freshly shaved parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese instead of the burrata. If you want to be extra fancy, use some stracciatella (the creamy insides of a burrata) on top.
Do I NEED to use the pesto at the bottom of the crostini?
No, the pesto at the bottom is entirely optional, however, it does add more flavor and a pop of color. Also, I am biased to pesto, so just go with what your preferences are.
Hungry for more?
Check out these other yummy recipes that are amazing for appetizers and entertaining!
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Bruschetta with Burrata and Balsamic Tomatoes
Equipment
- toaster oven
- baking sheet
- food processor Optional if making homemade pesto
Ingredients
- 1 Italian Bread sliced
- 1 cup Grape Tomatoes finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ large Red Onion minced
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Glaze
- 3 tablespoon Pesto
- 1 whole Burrata Cheese sliced into pieces
- 1 oz Fresh Basil for garnish
Instructions
- Slice a large Italian bread into ½" thick pieces, then toast in the toaster oven until slightly golden brown.
- As the bread toasts, finely dice the tomatoes, mince the garlic and the red onion, then throw into a large bowl.
- To the tomato and garlic mixture, add the balsamic glaze and fresh salt and cracked black pepper. Mix to combine, then let sit for 15 minutes for the ingredients to marinade.
- When the toast is done, add 1-2 teaspoons of pesto to each of the slices of crostini.
- Top the pesto with one to two scoops of bruschetta.
- Add a piece of the burrata onto each of the crostini and top with a final crack of black pepper and drizzle of balsamic glaze. Serve with a garnish of basil.
Adrienne W. says
I love burrata and love making bruschetta so this recipe popped up on my pinterest and I ran to the store to get the ingredients. We loved it! We had it over memorial day weekend and grilled the bread, it was so delightful!!
Morgan Peaceman says
That's amazing, so happy you loved it! I love that you grilled the bread, must have tasted amazing!