Caprese Salad Skewers
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Caprese Salad Skewers are one of my favorite Summer appetizers to make. They’re simple, easy and fresh! Not to mention, they’re absolutely delicious. Fresh cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil leaves are placed on an elegant skewer. Then, they’re drizzled with olive oil, sweet and tangy balsamic glaze, and seasoned with salt and pepper.
It doesn’t get better than a fresh cherry tomato. They’re sweet, absolutely beautiful and incredibly versatile to cook with. They’re in season late Spring through early Fall which means we get to enjoy them for several months! If you love cooking with fresh cherry tomatoes, try my Pesto Caprese Chicken with Sautéed Spinach or my Fresh Tomato Garlic Pasta! Both use cherry tomatoes and are delicious! You know what else is delicious? These Caprese Salad Skewers. I’m going to share everything you need to know so you can enjoy this simple appetizer at home!
Caprese Salad Skewer Ingredients
- Round cherry or grape tomatoes – make sure to get the circle ones, not the oval ones. I love sugar bombs, but any kind will do.
- Mozzarella pearls – marinated or plain both work. Marinated will offer more flavor.
- Fresh Basil – Basil is beautiful and so tasty in the Summer. If you can, I suggest growing a basil plant. It’s very easy and will produce all Summer long.
- Balsamic Vinegar or Balsamic glaze – I really like the Colavita brand of balsamic glaze and vinegar. It’s more expensive, but delicious. You can make balsamic glaze very easily at home. I give the instructions in the recipe card below. If you want to keep it easy, simply buy balsamic glaze at the store.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I prefer a mild, lighter olive oil for this recipe.
- Salt and pepper – A little salt and pepper enhance the ingredients. Flaky salt is even better if you have it!
- Medium woods skewers – there are all types of skewers you can use. These are great and sturdy!
Instructions
Assembling Caprese Salad Skewers is very easy. It’s also versatile. I personally like to thread one tomato, one basil leaf and one mozzarella pearl for an easy bite. With that said, you can add more or less of each ingredient as you wish! The pictures show them a few different ways.
Tip for Success
- Purchase high quality ingredients – the fresher the ingredients the more flavorful this appetizer will be. Since the ingredients are eaten fresh, we want them to be at their peak ripeness.
- Enjoy the day of – Again, because the ingredients are fresh, they should be eaten fairly soon after assembling. I don’t suggest assembling a day in advance.
- Serve room temperature – The flavors are much brighter and stronger when at room temperature.
Optional Flavor Twists
- Add a drizzle of pesto instead of balsamic glaze.
- Use marinated mozzarella balls for extra flavor.
- Include extra ingredients like prosciutto, olives or artichoke hearts if you want a heartier skewer.
Final Thoughts
These Caprese Salad Skewers are perfect if you need a simple appetizer. They can be served at a party, or be enjoyed over patio drinks. They’re elegant, beautiful, delicious and easy to make. They don’t need a ton of effort, but the result is stunning! Enjoy the sweet cherry tomatoes and creamy mozzarella. Savor the minty vibrant basil and sweet balsamic glaze. This appetizer is a flavor bomb waiting to be enjoyed!
Caprese Salad Skewers
Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella pearls and basil leaves are threaded onto a skewer then drizzle with balsamic glaze and seasoned with salt and pepper. The perfect party appetizer!
Ingredients
- 20 round cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounce container mozzarella balls
- 20 fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar (or a bottle of a balsamic glaze)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional if making the balsamic glaze from scratch. This will make the glaze a little sweeter)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Black pepper
- Salt
Instructions
- Assemble the skewers by adding a tomato, basil leaf (roll from one end to the other), and a mozzarella ball on medium-sized toothpicks. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- To make balsamic glaze, place balsamic vinegar and sugar (if using) in a small or medium sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, stirring gently, until the vinegar has reduced by half. This can take about 10 minutes, but the time can vary based on cookware, burner and batch size. The glaze is done once it coats the back of the spoon. Take off the heat and let cool. The glaze will thicken quite a bit as it cools. If it's too thick, add a teaspoon of water and whisk to your desired consistency.
Notes
I personally like to make each skewer one bite which is why I like to use one tomato, one basil leaf and one mozzarella ball. However, if you have leftovers you can thread an additional tomato and basil leaf on each skewer if you would like.
Skewers can be made a few hours ahead of time and placed in the refrigerator covered. Remove 30 minutes before serving so they can come to room temperature.
You can enjoy leftovers, but they will not be as fresh.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 57Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 104mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.
I have a wedding party on Thursday and they suggested Caprese salad on the menu, o I’m gonna try this, Simple and unique
wonderful!
I have a function on 7th this month and they want caprese salad on their menu, so i just got a nice simple but unique option here… Let me go and try it. Love it
When I saw this I thought “I can make this a bit less messy and surprise people with the taste by injecting the tomato with the balsamic…” LOL – Can you imagine?
They look great!
there’s an idea!
I thought that you are not supposed to refrigerate tomatoes because that reduces their flavor.
Yes this is true so it’s best to make them fresh and serve but if you have to refrigerate that’s okay too.
So simple yet so sophisticated. A year round staple for all my parties. Definitely cant get this recipe wrong. Perfect everytime!
Thank you!
Hello! I have my housewarming party this weekend and was curious if I could make these the night before and put in the fridge? I just don’t want anything to dry out or get soggy. Thank you!
Yes, you can assemble them the night before, but I would add the balsamic before you serve.
Fun to serve and fabulous bit size treat. Only change – I agree with Mike – cut the tomatoes in 1/2 – put on paper towel – let them drain and you can stand them up – they look great like that and the balsamic does stick if you refrigerator them for a bit before serving.