Best Focaccia Toppings

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Vegan Swaps

It is easy to make all these recipes vegan or dairy free. First make sure you are using a vegan bread. If you are not sure, use my no-knead focaccia recipe.

Swaps

• Butter – use vegan butter instead. I like the Earth Balance sticks.
• Chocolate chips – use vegan chips. I can find them in my local Kroger, but they are not labeled as vegan. You can often find them labeled as allergen-free.
• Cream cheese – use vegan cream cheese. My favorite is Violife!
• Parmesan, feta, goat, or blue cheese – I recommend the Follow Your Heart brand for the best flavor.
• Honey – Use blue agave, maple syrup, or make your own vegan apple honey.
• Nutella – use the vegan version. I have not been able to find it in large grocery stores and instead I order vegan Nutella online.
• Mozzarella – I recommend Miyoko’s pourable mozzarella cheese for the best results!

Appetizer FocacciaTopping Ideas

Roasted Garlic, Rosemary and Goat Cheese Focaccia Topping

Warm up the bread in the oven. While it is still warm, scatter roasted garlic cloves, rosemary, and goat cheese. You can roast the garlic yourself. Or, if you want to save time, check the cheese and antipasto section at most Kroger stores. This is where I get my garlic. It makes this recipe fast and easy!

Pears, Red Grapes, and Blue Cheese Focaccia

This is my personal favorite focaccia recipe. It is rich and decadent. You can serve it as an appetizer or a dessert. I added arugula and made it into a main course.

First, thinly slice ripe red pears and halve red grapes. Scatter them over focaccia with crumbled blue cheese. Warm in the oven for 5–10 minutes until the cheese softens. Finish with a drizzle of agave or vegan honey.

Olive Tapenade Focaccia

Go simple and warm the focaccia bread. Then spread a thin layer of olive tapenade with a light sprinkle of feta. Olive tapenade can be salty, so it is best to stick with a thin layer. If you are not too sure about olives, try using pesto rosso. It is an Italian sun-dried tomato pesto. It has a similar richness, but not as strong as olives.

Greek-Inspired Focaccia

Start by sprinkling sliced or halved kalamata olives over the top of the bread. Then add halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, and crumbled feta cheese. Place the bread in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Top with a light drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette glaze. This recipe is simple and divine!

Main Dish Focaccia Topping Ideas

Classic Margherita Pizza Focaccia

Start by spreading a thin layer of tomato sauce on top. I like to use San Marzano tomato sauce. It is sweeter and less acidic than other tomato sauces. Then add thinly sliced Roma tomatoes and baby mozzarella cheese. Warm the pizza in the oven until the cheese melts. Remove it from the oven and top with strips of fresh basil. Easy-peasy!

Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese Focaccia

Start with your favorite pesto. Basil (Genovese) is the most well-known pesto. But there are so many more options! Try my lemon pesto, which is a Genovese with lots of lemon! Sun-dried tomato pesto will add an intense tomato flavor. Roasted red pepper pesto will add a smoky flavor that is perfect for the fall or winter!

Then scatter halved cherry tomatoes over the top and sprinkle goat cheese on top. If you’re not too keen on goat cheese, try feta instead.

Cream Cheese, Spinach, and Artichoke Focaccia

Begin by warming the focaccia bread. While that is warming, heat up a small amount of cream cheese in the microwave. Then mix in finely chopped spinach and artichoke pieces. Once the bread hard warmed, spread the cream cheese mixture on top. It will create a creamy Mediterranean pizza!

Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Asiago Focaccia

This combination of toppings is perfect for fall! Sauté mushrooms and onions in heat-tolerant oil. Then spread the mixture over focaccia bread, and sprinkle Asiago cheese over the top. Warm it in the oven for five to ten minutes. While it’s warming, make a kale crunch salad, and you have a perfect family dinner that is ready in 20 minutes!

Vegans use vegan Parmesan instead.

Dessert Topping Ideas

Caramel Apple Focaccia

For a decadent fall-inspired dessert, try this caramel apple recipe! While the bread is warming, slice the red apples. I find it easier to eat them if I cut them into thin slices. Once you warm the bread, spread the apples across the top and then drizzle caramel sauce. Pop it back in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes to warm up the caramel.

Chocolate Chip and Banana Focaccia

Warm the bread in the oven. Then take it out and, while it is still warm, spread a thin layer of chocolate chips on top. The warmth from the bread should make the chocolate spreadable in 1 to 2 minutes. If the chocolate is not spreading, pop it in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes. After spreading the chocolate, add freshly cut thin slices of banana.

Note, chocolate has a melting point of 100 degrees. This is why we pop it in the oven for a short time on a low temperature.

Cinnamon Sugar Focaccia

A combination of sugar and cinnamon gives focaccia a cinnamon bun flavor. Start by warming the focaccia bread. Add a thin layer of butter and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture on top. You will have a perfect dessert. This can also double as a breakfast, or that’s how we ate toast in the ’80s!

Figs and Honey Focaccia

Figs and honey are a classic combination. Warm up the focaccia bread with thinly sliced figs and a drizzle of honey. I like to add a European flair by sprinkling blue cheese on top.

Strawberries and Nutella Focaccia

Warm the focaccia in the oven. While it warms, slice the strawberries into thin, lengthwise pieces. Once the focaccia is warm, take it out of the oven. Then, spread a thin layer of Nutella around the perimeter, leaving half an inch from the edge. Then, top with strawberries.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

You can store focaccia wrapped it in foll in the refrigerator for up to two days. Avoid storing it in plastic, as that will soften the crust.

You will want to reheat it in the oven. This will help bring back the crust. Keep it wrapped in foil and put it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10–15 minutes. For a crispier crust, uncover the foil for the last few minutes. If you have a convection oven, I recommend using that to reheat the bread.