Chocolate Strawberry Bruschetta Recipe

Chocolate Strawberry Bruschetta

Classic bruschetta shows up on my table in more forms than I can count, from a savory tomato appetizer to a breakfast version piled with ricotta and honey.

This Chocolate Strawberry Bruschetta is the sweetest twist yet, and it may be the fastest dessert I make all summer. There is no batter to mix, no frosting to chill, and nothing that needs to cool on a rack.

You toast sturdy slices of sourdough, whip Nutella together with cream cheese until the mixture turns light and airy, then top each toast with juicy diced strawberries and a scatter of toasted walnuts.

The contrast is what keeps people reaching for a second one. The toast is crisp and a little salty from the butter, the Nutella spread is rich but fluffy, and the berries cut through all of it with bright, tangy juice.

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Every bite gives you crunch, cream, and fruit at once. It is the kind of dessert that looks like you fussed, when really the whole thing is assembly.

Because the recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, it is the one I pull out when friends text that they are ten minutes away.

It also works for a potluck as long as you keep the toasts and the toppings separate until the last minute. Set everything out on a board, hand everyone a plate, and let them build their own.

What Bread Do You Use for Bruschetta

Short answer: choose a loaf with a sturdy crust. Bruschetta gets toasted first and loaded second, so each slice has to hold up under a generous spoonful of spread and a pile of juicy fruit. A soft, squishy slice will sag, soak through, and fall apart in your hand before you get it to your mouth.

My pick is a classic sourdough loaf, sliced about 1/2 inch thick. Sourdough brings a gentle tang that flatters chocolate and berries, and its firm crumb stays crisp after toasting.

If there is no sourdough in the house, a traditional French baguette is a lovely stand in. Cut the baguette on a slight diagonal so each piece has a little more surface area for the topping.

A few breads are better saved for other projects:

• Texas toast: too soft and too thick for this job. Save it for French toast.
• Brioche: tender and rich, which makes it wonderful for bread pudding, but it collapses under juicy berries.
• Thin sandwich white bread: it dries out in the oven instead of turning crisp.

Here is how the options stack up:

One more thing worth knowing: thicker is not better here. Slices much past 1/2 inch take longer to crisp and leave you with a chewy center that fights the creamy spread. Aim for even slices so every piece toasts at the same rate.

Can You Whip Nutella?

Yes, and it is one of my favorite small kitchen tricks. Nutella straight from the jar is thick and dense. Pair it with a creamy counterpart and give it a few minutes with a mixer, and it loosens into something light and fluffy that spreads almost like a mousse.

Cream cheese is the counterpart I reach for. It adds a tangy edge that keeps the spread from tasting flat, and that sweet and tangy combination is exactly why this bruschetta tastes balanced instead of heavy.

Let the cream cheese sit out until it reaches room temperature before you start. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy no matter how long you beat it, and no amount of mixing will smooth it out.

For the actual whipping, you have two easy options:

• Stand mixer: use the paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese and Nutella together until smooth.
• Handheld mixer: use a medium bowl and beat the same way, scraping down the sides once or twice.

You are looking for a spread that holds a soft peak when you lift the beaters but still drapes off a spoon. If it looks stiff at first, keep going. The cream cheese needs a moment to relax into the Nutella, and the texture changes quickly once it does.

The fruit is completely flexible. Strawberries are the star in this version, but raspberries, blackberries, and sliced bananas are all welcome swaps or additions. I like a mixed berry pile in late June when everything at the market looks good at once. If you use bananas, slice them right before serving so they stay pale and firm.

This spread is also good on more than toast. I have spooned it over pancakes, swirled it into yogurt, and spread it between graham crackers for a five minute treat. Once you know the trick, it turns into a house staple you will make without thinking.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 8 servings and uses a short, simple list. Here is what you need:

• 8 slices sourdough bread, each about 1/2 inch thick
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup Nutella hazelnut spread
• 2 cups diced strawberries
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

A few notes from my kitchen. Room temperature cream cheese is not optional here, so pull it out of the fridge about 30 minutes ahead if you remember.

The strawberries should be diced into bite size pieces, roughly the size of a pea to a small grape, so they sit on the toast without rolling off.

If your walnuts are still raw, toast them first, because the difference in flavor is enormous and it takes only a few minutes.

Everything on this list is easy to find at a regular grocery store, which is part of why I keep coming back to it. No specialty equipment, no hard to source ingredients, just good bread and a jar of Nutella.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Butter the bread. Brush one side of each slice with the melted butter and arrange the slices on the baking sheet, buttered side up.
3. Toast the bread. Bake until the slices are golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
4. Cool completely. Remove the toasts from the oven and let them cool all the way down. This keeps the spread from melting and sliding off.
5. Whip the spread. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. A bowl and handheld mixer work just as well.
6. Assemble. Spread the Nutella mixture on the cooled toasts, top with the diced strawberries, garnish with the toasted walnuts, and serve.

To toast walnuts on the stovetop, add them to a small saute pan set over low heat and cook, stirring as needed, until they smell fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stay close to the pan, because nuts go from toasty to bitter in a hurry.

Pro tip: assemble these right before serving. The toast is at its best while it is still crisp, and the berries release juice the longer they sit.

If you are feeding a crowd, set out the toasts, the bowl of whipped spread, the berries, and the walnuts separately and let everyone build their own. It is faster, it looks generous on the table, and nobody ends up with a soggy slice.

Once the toasts are cool, the rest moves quickly, which makes this a nice recipe to hand off to a helper. One person spreads, one person adds berries, and the plate is full before the coffee finishes brewing.

Serve these as a dessert, a sweet snack with afternoon coffee, or part of a brunch spread next to fresh fruit and a pitcher of iced tea. They also make a fun shower bite, because they look far more impressive than the effort involved.

Recipe details

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 5 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes. Servings: 8.

Most of that 15 minutes goes to slicing bread, dicing strawberries, and bringing the cream cheese to room temperature. The oven handles the rest in about 5 minutes, which is why this is such an easy one to pull off on short notice.

Nutrition values are provided per serving from the source recipe.

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Chocolate Strawberry Bruschetta Classic bruschetta shows up on my table in more forms than I can count, from a savory tomato appetizer to a breakfast version piled with ricotta and honey. This Chocolate Strawberry Bruschetta is the sweetest twist yet, and it may be the fastest dessert I make all summer.

• Total Time: 20 min
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

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8 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough bread
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
1/3 cup Nutella hazelnut spread
2 cups diced strawberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 400°F: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2-Brush one side of each of the: Brush one side of each of the bread slices with the melted butter and arrange them on the baking sheet buttered side up. Toast the bread until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
3-Remove the toasts from the oven and: Remove the toasts from the oven and let them cool completely.
4-In the bowl of a stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. (Alternately, use a bowl and handle mixer.)
5-Spread the Nutella mixture atop the toasts: Spread the Nutella mixture atop the toasts then top with the diced strawberries. Garnish with the toasted walnuts and serve.

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 5 min
• Method: mixed

Nutrition

• Calories: 242kcal
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 181mg
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 4g
• Cholesterol: 22mg