This easy peach appetizer has a delicious whipped goat cheese base with fresh basil and a quick balsamic glaze. Perfect for summer entertaining or as a light dinner!

Several pieces of peach bruschetta on a dark baking sheet.

Bold statement: This peach bruschetta is the #1, tip-top, very best way to use fresh summer peaches. (Along with, of course, a summery peach charcuterie board.)

Sweet summer peaches are the star of this crostini appetizer, along with some creamy whipped goat cheese (I'll say it again: WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE) and a tart balsamic glaze. Add a bit of fresh basil for color and depth, top with a pinch of flakey sea salt (optional, but delicious) and you're basically looking at summertime on toast.

Peach bruschetta ingredients, organized into individual bowls on a white table.

Our basic order of operations

These peach appetizers are SO easy to throw together. In a nutshell:

Prep your components

Whip some goat cheese in a food processor with a scoop of cream cheese (this makes it extra creamy and very spreadable) and a pinch of salt.

Goat cheese, cream cheese, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.

Reduce some balsamic vinegar in a saucepan on the stovetop until it's thick and syrupy (you can skip this step if you have good aged balsamic, which is very thick, or a premade balsamic reduction/balsamic glaze on hand!)

Toast your baguette slices with a drizzle of olive oil until they're crispy and lightly browned.

Assemble the bruschetta

Spread each toasted baguette slice with whipped goat cheese.
Add one or two peach slices to each crostini.
Top with fresh basil, a sprinkle of flakey salt (optional), and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

Crostini topped with whipped goat cheese on a white serving platter.

Bruschetta vs. Crostini

This peach bruschetta recipe was inspired by traditional Italian bruschetta, which typically consists of toasted bread - sometimes rubbed with a clove of fresh garlic - that's topped with fresh tomatoes, a bit of salt, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Originally an Italian peasant dish from centuries ago, bruschetta toast toppings vary by region: In the states, you'll often see a combo that includes mozzarella and basil (like our warm bruschetta).

We swapped the traditional tomatoes for peaches here, and use a creamy whipped goat cheese in place of the less-traditional mozzarella. Bruschetta, though, typically refers to larger slices of crusty bread that are often grilled or toasted over a fire: Using small baguette slices (and toasting them in the oven) really makes this recipe more of a crostini. We're using the terms a bit interchangeably in this post since different people will opt for different bread sizes and toasting techniques as they cook through this recipe.

Spoon drizzling balsamic glaze over peach crostini.

Riffs and Substitutions

Use fresh berries (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) or sliced plums instead of fresh peaches if you like! You can also grill the peaches for extra flavor (and to amp up the "wow" factor!)
Use ricotta or whipped feta cheese instead of goat cheese to mix up the flavors here.
Swap the balsamic vinegar for a drizzle of honey!
Use any size bread you like here! We used a sliced baguette in the photos and video for this peach bruschetta recipe, which actually makes it more of a crostini than a bruschetta. It's also great with slices of a bigger crusty bread loaf, which yields larger portions (and tips this recipe further towards bruschetta territory).
Mix up the toast preparation! We're baking our crostini in the oven with a bit of olive oil to keep things easy, but you can also brush the bread with oil and cook it on the grill. If you're using larger slices, you can also skip the oil entirely and toast the slices in a regular ol' toaster.

Make Ahead Tips

Up to 5 days in advance: Make the whipped goat cheese and balsamic vinegar reduction. Store in airtight containers in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

Up to 6 hours in advance: Slice the peaches. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready for them.

Peach Bruschetta with Whipped Goat Cheese