Fruit & Cheese Crostini with Pure Maple Syrup

This blog post is sponsored by Pure Maple Syrup from Canada.All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Eek—it’s my favorite time of the year! The holidays are upon us! Although I don’t love the freezing temps in NYC right now, I do love the month of December. Not only am I turning 35 the week before Christmas (December18^th to be exact, just in case you want to send me a gift), I just love spending time with loved ones and eating and drinking all the things.

As an adult, my contribution to Christmas is helping my mom prepare the feast. We make multiple courses, like antipasto, lasagna, meatballs and more! With the extensive menu, I’m always looking for simple things to add that taste really good. These Fruit & Cheese Crostini with Pure Maple Syrup fit the bill!

As you probably know, I’m a pure maple syrup from Canada aficionado (seriously, it’s in all my fav recipes—Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies, Maple Syrup Pesto,Tahini Maple Oat Bites and the list goes on). This year, I’ve figured out a way to include pure maple syrup from Canada at the holidays in a savory and sweet appetizer.

This bite sized crostini recipe features goat cheese, pears or persimmons, walnuts, pure maple syrup and a dash of basil. In this recipe, I use pears and persimmons because they are both in season and balance well with the savory goat cheese. The walnuts add a nice toasted flavor and crunchy texture, while the basil supplies a freshness to the appetizer. Lastly, the pure maple syrup brings the sweet and salty flavors together.

But here’s the best part—you can customize this to include whatever type of cheese, fruit and nut you like! The only non-negotiable is the pure maple syrup!

Why do I love pure maple syrup so much? So glad you asked. Let me share my top three reasons.

1. It’s primarily carbohydrates, making it the perfect fast acting pre-workout fuel source.
2. Pure maple syrup from Canada is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of riboflavin, and it’s also a source of  calcium, thiamin, potassium, and copper.
3. Scientists have identified more than 67 different plant compounds, or polyphenols, nine of which are unique to pure maple syrup. One of these polyphenols, named Quebecol, naturally forms when the sap is boiled to produce maple syrup.

And by the way, I’m super excited to partner with Pure Maple Syrup from Canada this year to give away a $150 Amazon gift card and a year’s supply of pure maple syrup. Head on over to my Instagram to find out how to enter!