Warm, garlicky roasted tomatoes and white beans, finished with pesto and a whole ball of melty burrata. This white bean and burrata dip is ready in 40 minutes and made for scooping straight from the dish.
There’s a specific kind of appetizer I reach for when I know people are going to stand around the kitchen island for twenty minutes before we even sit down to eat. Something warm, something you can scoop with your hands, something that doesn’t need a fork or a plan. This roasted tomato white bean dip with burrata is exactly that. It started as a way to stretch a pint of cherry tomatoes further for a dinner party. And it turned into the dish people ask about before they even finish their first bite.
The beans are what set it apart from every other tomato and burrata dip you’ll find. Roasted cherry tomatoes and melty burrata are already a proven pairing, but on their own they’re more of a garnish than a dish. Gone in two scoops and a little thin once the bread runs out. Great northern beans soak up all that garlicky, jammy tomato liquid as they roast alongside it, so what you end up with is something closer to a warm, creamy spread with real substance. It holds its shape on a piece of toasted sourdough instead of sliding right off.
I make this white bean and burrata dip on repeat from late summer into early fall, whenever tomatoes are still good and I want something on the table that looks like it took more effort than it did. Forty minutes, one baking dish, and you’ve got a centerpiece.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a genuinely hearty dip, not just a tomato garnish. The white beans give it body, so it holds up as a real appetizer instead of disappearing in three bites.
- One dish, minimal cleanup. Everything roasts together, then you finish it with pesto and burrata right before serving.
- It looks like a lot more work than it is. Forty minutes total, most of it hands-off oven time.
- It’s endlessly adaptable for what’s in your fridge. Swap the beans, the pesto, even the cheese, and it still works.
Ingredient Notes
Great northern beans: These hold their shape better than cannellini once they’ve spent time in the oven soaking up hot tomato juice, and their mild flavor lets the tomatoes and garlic lead. Cannellini beans or even chickpeas will work fine if that’s what’s in your pantry.
Cherry tomatoes: Look for a pint that’s fully ripe, even a little soft. You want tomatoes that are ready to burst in the oven, not ones that need convincing. Grape tomatoes work too, though they release slightly less juice.
Burrata: This is the one splurge ingredient, and it’s worth it. Burrata is a mozzarella shell filled with soft curd and cream, so when it hits the hot beans it slumps open and turns the whole dish into something silky. If your grocery store doesn’t carry it, a ball of fresh mozzarella will get you most of the way there, though you’ll lose some of that creamy center.
Basil pesto: Store-bought is completely fine here and I usually reach for it because this is meant to be a fast recipe. If you have a jar of homemade pesto in the freezer, even better.
Red pepper flakes: Optional, but they cut through the richness of the burrata in a way I really like. Leave them out if you’re serving a crowd with mixed spice tolerance.
How to Make It
Start by getting your oven hot, 425°F, because you want real roasting heat, not a slow bake. While that’s coming up to temperature, add your cherry tomatoes to a small baking dish along with the sliced garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if you’re using them. Give everything a good toss so the tomatoes are evenly coated, then slide the dish into the oven.
You’re looking for 18 to 20 minutes here, and you’ll know it’s time when the tomatoes have visibly collapsed and there’s a shallow pool of juice at the bottom of the dish. That juice is doing a lot of the flavor work in this recipe, so don’t rush this step or pull the tomatoes early just because they look soft. Let a few of them actually split open.
Once the tomatoes are there, add the drained beans and your remaining tablespoon of olive oil directly into the same dish. Stir gently, more of a fold than a stir, so the beans get coated in that tomato juice without turning to mush. Back into the oven they go for another 8 to 10 minutes, just long enough for the beans to warm through and start absorbing all that flavor sitting around them.
When you pull the dish out this time, drizzle the pesto over the top in loose swirls rather than stirring it in. You want ribbons of green through the dish, not a uniform sauce. Then comes the fun part: nestle the whole ball of burrata right in the center, pressing it down just slightly so it settles into the beans instead of sitting on top. A small drizzle of good olive oil over the burrata helps it open up a little on its own as it sits.
Finish with torn basil leaves, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and a crack of black pepper. Bring this white bean and burrata dip straight to the table while it’s still warm, with a stack of toasted sourdough alongside for scooping. This one is meant to be torn into, not portioned out.
Tips for Success
- Let the tomatoes actually burst before adding the beans. If you pull them too early, you won’t have enough juice to properly coat the beans, and the dish ends up drier and less flavorful than it should be.
- Add the burrata at the very end, off any direct heat. If you put it in the oven with the beans, it’ll melt completely into the dish instead of holding its creamy center. You want it to slump open from residual heat, not cook through.
- Warm your bread while the dip finishes. Toasted sourdough that’s still warm scoops so much better than cold bread, and it holds up to the wetter parts of the dip without going soggy.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is forgiving, which is part of why I keep coming back to it. If you don’t have great northern beans, cannellini or chickpeas both work well and change the texture only slightly. Swap the basil pesto for a spoonful of sun-dried tomato pesto or even a simple chili crisp if you want something with more heat.
No burrata on hand? Torn fresh mozzarella gets you close, and a soft, creamy goat cheese is a completely different but equally good direction if you want something tangier.
For a heartier version that can stand in as a light lunch rather than an appetizer, stir in a handful of baby spinach or arugula right when you add the beans so it wilts into the dish.
Storage and Make-Ahead
The roasted tomato and bean base holds up beautifully on its own. You can make it up to two days ahead, store it covered in the refrigerator, and reheat it gently in a low oven or on the stovetop before serving. Just don’t add the burrata until you’re ready to serve, since it doesn’t reheat well and is really at its best fresh out of the fridge, torn into the warm beans right before guests arrive.
Leftovers with the burrata already added are still good the next day, just expect a slightly less dramatic presentation.
FAQ
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, the tomato and white bean base can be made up to two days in advance and reheated. Add the fresh burrata right before serving for the best texture and presentation.
What can I serve with this instead of sourdough?
Toasted baguette, warm pita, or even sturdy crackers all work well. Anything with enough structure to scoop without collapsing is a good match.
Can I make this vegan?
The beans, tomatoes, and pesto can all stay as they are, but burrata is the one piece that’s genuinely hard to replace. A good cashew-based soft cheese is the closest substitute if you’re keeping this dairy-free.
Do I need to use fresh basil, or is dried okay?
Fresh basil at the end makes a real difference here since it’s doing double duty as both flavor and garnish. Dried basil can go into the tomatoes while they roast if that’s what you have, but save fresh leaves for the top.
Serving Suggestions
This dip is built for a spread, not a solo appearance. I like setting it out alongside my Mediterranean Tomato & Olive Dip so guests have two different textures to work through, one bright and briny, one warm and creamy.
If tomatoes are the theme of the night, a bowl of my Quick Marinated Cherry Tomatoes on the side rounds things out without any extra cooking.
And if you want to lean fully into burrata for the evening, this dip pairs naturally with something like my Peach Burrata Salad as a second course once everyone’s ready to sit down.
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Roasted Tomato White Bean Dip with Burrata
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to a small baking dish. Toss to coat.
- Roast for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and released their juices.
- Add the drained beans and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir gently to coat.
- Return to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the beans are heated through.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle the pesto over the tomatoes and beans.
- Nestle the burrata in the center. Drizzle the burrata with a little extra olive oil.
- Finish with torn basil, flaky sea salt, and cracked black pepper.
- Serve immediately with toasted sourdough.
Notes
- The tomato and bean base can be made up to 2 days ahead and reheated gently.
- Add fresh burrata just before serving.
- Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated, though the burrata is best enjoyed the day it’s added.
