This recipe is sponsored by the Grapes from California.
This super simple and delicious roasted grapes with goat cheese crostini recipe is perfect for your next get together.
Between football watching parties, dinner parties, and other fun fall gatherings, we’re all looking for easy blood sugar friendly appetizer options this time of year. Roasted grapes are the perfect addition to any menu and these goat cheese crostini are sure to be a hit!
Can you roast grapes?
Absolutely! I mean, I wouldn’t have written this recipe if you couldn’t! Roasting grapes is a relatively easy process and results in a delicious and flavorful eating experience.
What do roasted grapes taste like?
Roasted grapes are flavorful and more robust than fresh grapes typically. The roasting process breaks the skin of the grapes and the inside turns to an almost jam-like consistency. The flavor is juicy and sweet, which makes it a perfect compatible ingredient for pairing with savory spices like rosemary and goat cheese!
Fun facts about Grapes from California
Did you know that 99% of grapes grown in the United States are grown in California?
- They have been grown for over 200 years in two regions: the Coachella Valley and the San Joaquin Valley.
- Grapes from California are in season May-January.
- There are 80 different varieties and California grapes come in three colors – green, red, and black – in both seeded and seedless options.
- There are approximately 340 table grape operations in California.
And, what’s great is that all colors of grapes – red, green, and black – are a natural source of antioxidants and other polyphenols, which contribute to heart health.
And most importantly, grapes can absolutely be part of a blood sugar friendly diet or eating pattern. If you want to read more about how I use California grapes and why it’s ok and encouraged for people with diabetes to eat grapes, check out this recipe and blog post!
Additionally, we know people with diabetes should eat a diet that promotes a healthy heart, so it’s great that California grapes are a heart healthy food and may help maintain a healthy heart! Adding grapes to the diet every day helps support heart health in both men and women.
While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium may reduce heart disease risk; and grapes are also a good source of vitamin K which promotes heart health. Grapes also support heart health by helping to maintain healthy circulation.
How to roast grapes
So, how do you roast grapes? There’s many different ways to approach roasting grapes, but they all result in a delicious end product! I prefer to bake at a higher temperature of 400 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, though you can roast them for shorter or longer depending on the flavor or texture you want.
You can also toss them in flavorings or oils, add nuts or seeds to the mixture, and more.
Crostini with roasted grapes recipe
You can use any variety of California seedless grapes for this recipe. To start, we’ll prep our grapes. Toss the grapes, walnuts, and balsamic glaze together in a bowl until fully coated. Then, we’re going to spread the grape and walnut mixture in a greased baking dish into one even layer and bake/roast them for about 15-20 minutes until the grapes start to wrinkle and caramelize.
Once we’ve roasted our grapes and walnuts, we just add those onto some sourdough bread and goat cheese, sprinkle with our seasonings and pop them back in the oven for a bit to toast up! And, that’s it!
What else do you serve when roasting grapes?
Roasted grapes can also be served with a variety of different foods:
- Crostini
- Salads
- Chicken
- Pork chops
- Sweet potatoes
- And more!
The Best Roasted Grapes with Goat Cheese Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 cup red California grapes
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 Tbsp balsamic glaze
- 4 slices sourdough bread cut in half (use gluten free if needed)
- Cooking oil spray
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash your grapes under running water and gently pat them dry.
- In a medium-size bowl, toss the grapes, walnuts, and balsamic glaze together until coated.
- Spread the grapes and walnut mixture in a foil-lined baking dish into one even layer.
- Place the dish in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until the grapes start to wrinkle and caramelize.
- While the grapes and walnuts are roasting, prepare your bread by spraying each piece with cooking oil spray and a thin layer of goat cheese. Arrange the pieces of bread on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set the sheet aside.
- Once the grapes and walnuts are done roasting, remove them from the oven. (Do not turn your oven off.) Divide the roasted grapes and walnuts on top of the goat cheese.
- Sprinkle each with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
- Place the baking sheet with your crostini back in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the crostini start to brown and crisp up.
- Remove your crostini with roasted grapes from the oven and enjoy!
