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Strawberry bruschetta with cream cheese, basil, and balsamic vinegar is the party appetizer everyone will talk about. If you think it's off-limits because you're on a low-carb diet, we've got good news for you!
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When fresh, juicy berries are in season, you have lots of choices, from cheesecake stuffed strawberries for dessert to strawberry chicken for dinner. But be sure to save some to make this easy finger food too!
- It's healthy. It can be low-carb and keto-friendly too. Let that sink in!
- It takes 15 minutes or less to make.
- It requires only a few ingredients, and many can be prepped ahead of time.
I lay out all the options and variations so you can build the ultimate strawberry bruschetta appetizer for your next celebration.
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Ingredients and Variations
Truth be told, you can leave off a few ingredients like fresh basil or balsamic glaze, and your guests will still be very happy. You can also make substitutions to make this recipe low-carb.
Here's what you'll need:
- Strawberries that are fresh and firm. Frozen strawberries aren't recommended. Other fruits that you can use include raspberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches,, and mangoes.
- Bread for the base. See the section below for various options.
- Cream cheese can be full-fat, lightened, fat-free or plant-based. We used full-fat cream cheese. Ricotta is another option that can be used instead.
- Sweetener is mixed with the cream cheese. It doesn't call for much, only 1 teaspoon of sugar. Use the type of sweetener you already enjoy to equal this amount, including honey. We linked to the Stevia Baking Blend that we love in the recipe card!
- Vanilla extract is added for flavor and helps thin the cream cheese to a creamy consistency.
- Fresh basil adds another layer of flavor. Dried basil is not suggested in this recipe. If you're not a fan of fresh basil, leave it off.
- Balsamic vinegar or glaze pairs beautifully with strawberries. If you have some, definitely use it. It adds flavor, even if you don't reduce it. But if you'd like to take that extra step, we provided the directions below.
Bread Options
A base is needed to make this an appetizer you can pick up and hold in your fingers, much like traditional bruschetta or crostini. I'm taking liberties with the definition, but there are lots of delicious options for the base, and many will make this recipe very low in carbohydrates.
- Baguette. This is the traditional way to prepare it. I used thin-sliced, whole wheat bread. It can be cut thick instead. Steer clear of sourdough bread because the flavor will overpower the strawberries. If you're making these for a special occasion, thin-sliced bread is the way to go! Yield: approximately 4 slices per serving.
- Low-carb flour tortillas. Use 4 small street-style sized tortillas. Cut each one into 4 triangles with a pizza cutter and then crisp them in an oven or air fryer. I ordered this next because I make this nacho-style version often. Yield: 16 triangles from 4 tortillas.
- No-carb, low-carb or keto bread. This type of bread is popping up everywhere. Cut 4 slices into squares (or diagonally into toast points) and toast as you normally would. Yield: 16 toast points from 4 slices.
- Cloud bread. Use our recipe and spoon out small little rounds instead of the larger ones.
- Crackers that are not heavily seasoned.
- Cookies that are thin or flat, such as shortbread or sugar cookies. If you have a favorite low-carb cookie, try that!
How to Make Balsamic Reduction
Balsamic glaze can be purchased at the store. But it's so easy to make! The directions below will yield more than you need, so you can use it with other things like Watermelon Salad or Caprese-style dishes.
- Place about half a cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. There's no need to add any sugar or sweetener, but you can add a pinch if desired.
- Bring vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer until it turns syrupy and coats the back of a spoon when you stir it. It takes about 10-15 minutes, depending on how much you want to reduce it! Ideally, the volume will be cut in half.
- Allow it to cool before using in the recipe.
Directions with Pictures
We paired up the instructions with pictures of each step:
- To soften cream cheese quickly, cut it into smaller pieces and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 10-15 seconds.
- Add sweetener and vanilla to the bowl and combine. It should be very easy to stir.
- Dice or slice strawberries. It's a little extra work to dice them, but it makes each slice easy to bite into as you hold it.
- Stir in chopped basil.
- Tip: The easiest way to cut basil is to stack the basil leaves, roll them, and cut them into thin strands with kitchen shears.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar or glaze. Alternatively, you can drizzle it over the top just before serving.
- Toast bread in an oven, toaster oven, or air fryer.
- Spread a dollop of the cream cheese mixture on each piece of bread.
- Spoon strawberries over the top and enjoy!
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Even though it's easy to whip up this recipe, you may want to prepare a few things ahead of time, particularly if you're making this for a party or doubling the recipe.
- Cream cheese base can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container.
- Balsamic reduction can be prepared and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
- Bread can be sliced and toasted up to a day ahead of time and stored on the counter in a sealed container.
- Strawberries are best washed and diced the day of serving.
- Cut fresh basil the day of serving too!
So, there are lots of things you can do to save prep time on serving day. But we don't recommend assembling strawberry bruschetta with cream cheese until the day of the party!
More Fruit Appetizers and Desserts
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- Frozen Chocolate Covered Raspberries
- Apply Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
- Apple Nachos
- Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Strawberry Bruschetta with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon Stevia Baking Blend or other sweetener to equal the sweetness of 1 teaspoon of sugar, honey or sweetener of choice
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or glaze see instructions above to make your own balsamic reduction
- ¼ cup basil leaves stacked, rolled and sliced into slivers
- Bread of Choice (Not included in nutritional estimates) see options below
Instructions
- Cut cream cheese into cubes, place in small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 10 to 15 seconds to soften.
- Add sweetener and vanilla extract to the bowl with cream cheese and stir until smooth. Set aside.
- To prepare bruschetta, add diced strawberries to a medium-sized bowl and gently mix in chopped basil and balsamic vinegar or glaze. Alternatively, balsamic vinegar or glaze can be drizzled over the top when assembled.
- Toast bread of choice. For baguette slices, preheat the oven to 400 °F. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 2 minutes. Flip and bake for 2 minutes more or until firm.
- To assemble, layer baguette slices on serving dish and spread a dollop of cream cheese on top of each slice. Spoon bruschetta mixture on top. Serve!
Notes
- Baguette. Thin or thick sliced. We used thin-sliced, whole wheat bread in the recipe pictured. Yield: 16 rounds.
- Low-carb flour tortillas. Use the small street-style size. Cut each tortilla into 4 triangles with a pizza cutter and then crisp them in an oven or air fryer. Yield: 16 triangles from 4 tortillas.
- No-carb, low-carb or keto bread. Cut it into squares (or toast points) and toast as you normally would. Yield: 16 toast points from 4 slices each.
- Cloud bread. Use our recipe and spoon out small little rounds instead of the larger ones.
- Crackers that are not heavily seasoned.
- Cookies that are thin or flat, such as short-bread or sugar cookies. If you have a favorite low-carb cookie, try that!
Nutrition
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Margaret says
I’ve made this recipe several times and always enjoyable. Thank you
Rik says
I love this idea. After looking through several over recipes. This is the one I like the most. Easy to multiply.
Sammy says
We had this on flour tortillas made into chips. Delicious and will definitely be making more chips this way. I did want it a little sweeter so added about 1/2 teaspoon more honey. Will make it again.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Definitely sweeten to taste. If you have really sweet strawberries, then you can get away with a little less in the cream cheese.