Honey recipes

Pear, goat cheese and honey crostini

These little toasts bring together five things that work especially well with honey: warm bread, tangy cheese, fresh pear, walnuts and thyme. Assemble just before serving so the bread stays crisp underneath the soft topping.

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By ApiNote editorial team3 min readUpdated
Toasted baguette slices topped with soft goat cheese, fresh pear, walnuts, thyme and honey.

From the honey kitchen

Pear, goat cheese and honey crostini

12 crostini · 4 starter portions Easy

Prep
10 min
Cook / bake
10 min
Total time
20 min

Equipment: Baking tray, bread knife, small dry frying pan and spreading knife.

Ingredients

Amounts are for the yield above. 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml; use level measures for dry ingredients.

Toasts & toppings

  • 12 baguette slices, about 1.5 cm thick (approximately 180 g bread)
  • 2 tsp olive oil (10 ml)
  • 150 g soft, spreadable goat cheese
  • 1 large firm-ripe pear
  • 30 g walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 30 g runny honey
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • A little freshly ground black pepper

Step by step

  1. Toast the baguette

    Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F. Lay the bread slices on a tray and brush lightly with the olive oil. Toast for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through, until crisp at the edges but not hard all the way through.

  2. Prepare the toppings

    While the bread toasts, warm the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking often. Tip onto a plate. Wash and quarter the pear, remove the core and cut into thin slices. Keep the cheese ready to spread.

  3. Build each toast

    Let the bread cool for a minute so it is warm, not piping hot. Spread the goat cheese over the twelve slices. Arrange a few pear slices on each, then scatter with the walnuts and thyme. Divide the toppings evenly rather than piling everything onto the first few pieces.

  4. Drizzle and serve

    Finish with a thin drizzle of honey and a little black pepper. Transfer to a board or platter and serve immediately. The honey should connect the toppings, not run off the bread in thick streams.

Allergens: Wheat (gluten), milk and walnuts.

Honey is not suitable for children under 12 months. Read the guidance.

Timings are guides. For meat and fish, check the internal temperature, not just the clock.

Choose spreadable cheese and a firm pear

A soft goat cheese spreads cleanly without tearing the toast. A firm aged cheese behaves differently; if using one, slice it thinly rather than trying to spread it. Let refrigerated spreadable cheese lose its chill briefly while the bread toasts.

Choose a pear that yields just slightly near the stalk, not one that is mushy through the middle. Thin slices are easier to bite than thick wedges and balance the tang of the cheese. A mild honey is a good starting point; stronger honey needs a lighter hand.

Prepare for guests without soggy toast

Toast the walnuts and slice the bread ahead. Keep the pear whole until close to serving to reduce browning. For a longer party, assemble a few crostini at a time instead of leaving a full tray sitting out.

The assembled toasts are best eaten straight away. Keep unused cheese and cut pear refrigerated at 4°C or colder; do not leave perishable toppings at room temperature for more than two hours. For a nut-free version, omit walnuts after checking the remaining ingredients for cross-contact.

Originally published . Editorial update: ApiNote.

Recipe created for the ApiNote honey kitchen. Preparation and cooking times are guides; ovens, ingredient sizes and room temperatures vary.

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