This cherry tomato bruschetta is a delightfully different bruschetta and a lovely way to use lovely cherry tomatoes. With a lightly toasted focaccia base (instead of the usual baguette or rustic bread), topped with a creamy mascarpone spread flavoured with honey, garlic and chili flakes, then finished with balsamic vinegar‑marinated cherry tomatoes. It makes a flavour‑packed and easy summer appetizer, side dish, or light dinner that feels restaurant‑worthy but is easy enough for weeknights.
Ready in 25 minutes!
Easy cherry tomato bruschetta on toasted focaccia, with a creamy mascarpone base and balsamic‑marinated cherry tomatoes, that’s a perfect summer appetizer or light meal. Serves about 6 as an appetizer.
Why you’ll love this cherry tomato bruschetta
- Comes together in just about 25 minutes, making this bruschetta perfect for a last-minute meal addition or for entertaining.
- No need to make homemade focaccia. Store-bought focaccia works beautifully, so this feels special without extra baking
- Focaccia makes a perfect bruschetta base, as it is light in texture and flavourful, while sturdy enough for finger food and eating out of hand.
- Balsamic vinegar adds sweetness and tang, while mascarpone brings a rich, creamy base that balances the acidity of the tomatoes, making it a more substantial, restaurant-style appetizer or light summer meal.
- This cherry tomato bruschetta would be a wonderful addition to a summer table as a side dish or appetizer, but as it is heartier than classic bruschetta, it would also be great as the main alongside some fresh corn on the cob for a light Summer dinner.
Love cherry tomatoes?
You might like to try my Cherry Tomato and Red Pepper Pasta or this Cherry Tomato and Garlic Crouton Salad next!
Table of Contents
- Ready in 25 minutes!
- Why you'll love this cherry tomato bruschetta
- Ingredients and substitutions
- Easy mascarpone substitute
- How to make cherry tomato bruschetta: step-by-step photos
- Cherry tomato bruschetta tips!
- Cherry tomato bruschetta FAQ
- Serving suggestions
- Making ahead and storing
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Focaccia – Any store-bought or homemade focaccia will work here. A focaccia that is a little thicker probably works best, so the slices are wider (more room to hold the tomatoes!). Use plain focaccia or focaccia with some flavouring that would complement the tomatoes. I used rosemary and sea salt focaccia here, and it was lovely.
If focaccia is unavailable, I think an unsliced loaf of ciabatta would be a great alternative. It is roughly the same thickness as focaccia, so you could slice it in the same way. Ciabatta is also sturdy enough to hold these toppings nicely.
Mascarpone – You’ll just need a small container of mascarpone, so no need to spring for the big one. Mascarpone can be pricey. If you’d prefer, you can use the mascarpone substitute detailed below, which simply combines cream cheese, sour cream (or plain yogurt), and heavy cream.
Cherry tomatoes – I’ve used multi-coloured heirloom cherry tomatoes here, and I think they are so pretty, but all red cherry tomatoes are just fine. In a pinch, in the absence of cherry tomatoes, any nice, ripe tomato will work. Cut in half and remove as many of the seeds and pulp as possible, then roughly chop to the size of cherry tomatoes.
Easy mascarpone substitute
4 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature (about 1/2 of a standard block)
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Pinch of white sugar
Mix all together in a small bowl and use as a replacement for the mascarpone in this recipe.
How to make cherry tomato bruschetta: step-by-step photos
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Slice the focaccia into generous 1-inch slices and place onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and place into the oven to toast.
Step 2: Toast the focaccia until lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
Step 3: Add the cherry tomato topping ingredients to a bowl and toss well. Let stand to marinate briefly.
Step 4: Add the mascarpone, honey, garlic and chili flakes to a small bowl and mix together well.
Step 5: Spread the mascarpone mixture onto the toasted focaccia.
Step 8: Top with the marinated cherry tomatoes and garnish with microgreens or more chopped fresh basil.
Cherry tomato bruschetta tips!
- Mascarpone is lovely on this bruschetta, but you can certainly use the mascarpone substitute detailed above. I think whipped ricotta would also work well, as would crème fraîche, if you happen to have some on hand.
- Don’t over-toast the focaccia. You want the focaccia crisp on the edges but still chewy in the middle so it doesn’t become tough.
- When assembling the bruschetta, I like to use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to the top of the focaccia, but then I go back with a spoon and get some of the marinade to drizzle over the top. This method prevents the tomatoes from being too slippery that they won’t stay in place, and it prevents too much of the marinade liquid from making the focaccia soggy.
- Leftover focaccia is great for focaccia sandwiches or cube it up, toast and use as croutons for salads.
Cherry tomato bruschetta FAQ
You can use any nice, ripe tomato in place of cherry tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out as many seeds and as much pulp as possible, then roughly chop them into pieces about the size of cherry tomato halves. This helps keep excess liquid out of the topping so the bruschetta doesn’t become watery.
For a close substitute, use the easy mascarpone mixture detailed in the recipe notes, which combines cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and a pinch of sugar. Other options with a slightly different flavour profile include whipped ricotta or crème fraîche, both of which make a lovely creamy base under the cherry tomato topping.
Yes, if focaccia isn’t available, you can use another sturdy, unsliced loaf such as ciabatta. Ciabatta is a similar thickness to focaccia and holds the toppings well when sliced into thick pieces. A baguette or rustic country loaf can also work; just cut slightly thicker diagonal slices so they can support the mascarpone spread and cherry tomatoes without getting soggy.
You’ll want to assemble the bruschetta right before serving, but you can prepare all the components ahead. Toast the focaccia slices and let them cool, then keep them loosely wrapped at room temperature. The cherry tomato mixture can be marinated an hour or so ahead, and the mascarpone spread can be mixed together and refrigerated for several hours. For best texture, top the focaccia with the mascarpone and tomatoes right before you serve so the bread stays crisp and doesn’t become soggy.
The focaccia base is served lightly warm (if toasted right before assembling) or at room temperature after toasting, while the cherry tomato topping and mascarpone spread are served at room temperature. This combination keeps the focaccia crisp and the topping fresh and bright, which is ideal for a summer appetizer or light meal.
Toast the focaccia until lightly golden so it has a bit of crust to stand up to the toppings. When assembling, use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes onto the mascarpone‑topped focaccia, then drizzle some of the marinade over the top with a spoon. This method gives you great flavour from the balsamic and olive oil while preventing too much liquid from soaking into the focaccia.
Serving suggestions
This cherry tomato bruschetta is a wonderful addition to any Summer dinner table, either as a side dish for just about anything off the BBQ or alongside a Summer pasta or as an appetizer. I think this bruschetta is also hearty enough to be the star of a light Summer dinner, alongside a bowl of any Summer salad and/or maybe as a farmer’s market dinner with some grilled zucchini and corn on the cob.
Making ahead and storing
You can toast the focaccia slices ahead and store them loosely wrapped at room temperature.
The tomatoes can be set to marinate an hour or so ahead, while the mascarpone mixture can be stirred together and refrigerated several hours ahead. (Do note that the chili flakes will increase in intensity a bit as they blend with the mascarpone, so if you are making ahead, you may want to keep that in mind when deciding how much of the chili flakes to add.)
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
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Get the Recipe: Cherry Tomato Bruschetta on Focaccia
Ingredients
- 1 loaf focaccia, store-bought or homemade focaccia *see Note 1 below
- olive oil, for drizzling
For the cherry tomato topping:
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the mascarpone spread:
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, *see Note 2 below
- 1/4 cup runny honey
- 1/2 – 1 Tablespoon red chili flakes, adjust to taste
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, minced, adjust to taste
- pinch salt and freshly ground pepper
For serving:
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- microgreens or fresh chopped basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (regular bake setting/not convection or fan-assisted), with the rack in the centre of the oven. Cut the1 loaf focaccia (store-bought or homemade focaccia *see Note 1 below) into 6 thick (1-inch-ish) slices and place them cut side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil (for drizzling) and toast in the oven until golden, about 8 minutes. Watch closely so you don't over-toast. You want the focaccia crisp on the edges but still chewy in the middle so it doesn’t become tough.
- In a medium bowl, combine the 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved), 1/2 small red onion (diced), 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup fresh basil (coarsely chopped), salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste). Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (*see Note 2 below), 1/4 cup runny honey, 1/2 – 1 Tablespoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste), 1 – 2 Tablespoons fresh garlic (minced, adjust to taste) and pinch salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
- On a large serving plate or individual plates, lay out the toasted focaccia slices. Spread generously with the mascarpone spread. Using a slotted spoon, top the bruschetta with a generous pile of cherry tomatoes, then use a spoon to grab some of the marinating liquid from the bowl and drizzle it over the tomatoes.
- Garnish the bruschetta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and microgreens or fresh chopped basil (for garnish).
- Serve immediately. This bruschetta is quite sturdy and is intended to be picked up and enjoyed as finger food.
Notes
Adapted from Chef Jane Crawford
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This looks really yummy. Did you make your foccacia or is it store bought. I’m not sure I’ve seen focaccia in the grocery store, but maybe just haven’t noticed it before. I’m in Ontario. Which store did you find it?
Hi Colleen, I often make my own focaccia (I’ll be sharing the recipe soon), but for this one I used store-bought rosemary focaccia that I picked up in the bakery section at our local Walmart (it was too hot to bake :). That said, Ace Bakery focaccia would be an even better option. I’ve seen Ace Bakery focaccia at our Independent Grocer (Loblaws affiliated) and at Sobeys.