Inspired by caprese salad, this Tomato and Mozzarella Skewers recipe is a quick and easy appetizer or snack! Thanks to fresh basil and a shortcut bottled balsamic glaze, these simple caprese skewers are bursting with flavor and ready to serve in minutes.
Picture this: you've suddenly got company coming over or are headed to a party but you don't have time to pre-heat the oven or fry something up!
With only 4 ingredients, they're easy to put together in less than 10 minutes and look impressive. These no-bake tomato and mozzarella skewers are one of my favorite shortcut party recipes not just in the summer since cherry and grape tomatoes are available year 'round!
The end result is a colorful snack with familiar flavors, and it can be accomplished in minutes!
I love to assemble the skewers ahead of time and take the glaze with me if I'm going to a party.
I tend to stockpile wooden skewers when they go on sale after each holiday but I bought these bamboo skewers on Amazon.
Serve these caprese appetizers on a blue plate, and they are perfect for a Fourth of July party appetizer.
For Valentines Day, use grape tomatoes, cut in half diagonally and put back together to look like hearts! (Scroll down for a how-to picture.)
Add cooked tortellini to the appetizer skewers for a more hearty serving. I drizzled with herb-flavored olive oil and sprinkled with black pepper here.
If you're looking for more caprese appetizer recipes, try my Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella Tomato Basil Salad with sliced fresh mozzarella.
Shortcuts
- If you can't find smaller tomatoes, you can also take Roma tomatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks ahead of time.
- Buy a basil plant in the grocery store --the small leaves will be the perfect size for these caprese skewers.
- Choose marinated mozzarella balls to give your basil tomato mozzarella skewers even more flavor!
- You can make your own balsamic glaze, but it's common to find them pre-made in the grocery store next to the salad dressings.
Ingredients
What you will need to make this caprese skewer recipe:
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Tomatoes - Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are perfect since they're already bite-sized. These came from my own garden!
- Fresh basil - I grow my own basil, but here's a tip. A pot of basil at your local nursery will be cheaper than a pot in the grocery store and much fresher than buying a plastic package of picked basil.
- Pearl mozzarella - Also called fresh mozzarella balls, these cheese bites have a fantastic creamy texture.
- Balsamic glaze - This can be found in grocery stores and adds the perfect amount of tangy flavor.
How to Make Skewers with Mozzarella Tomato and Basil
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
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- Take one wooden skewer and press a tomato onto the pointy end. Follow it up with a basil leaf, then add a mozzarella pearl, another basil leaf, and finish with a tomato.
- Arrange the finished caprese skewers on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips
If you plan on making these tomato mozzarella and basil skewers ahead of time, hold off on adding the balsamic glaze until right before it's time to serve. Keep them covered in the fridge in the meantime.
Substitutions & Variations
Trade "this" for "that" in this tomato mozzarella basil skewers recipe.
- Balsamic glaze - If you can't find bottled balsamic glaze, make your own by cooking ½ cup balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons sugar over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until reduced by half and slightly thickened.
- Mozzarella cubes - If you can't find pearls or balls, just cut a block of mozzarella into cubes.
- Grape tomato "hearts"- When cut in half diagonally, you can make heart-shaped tomatoes that are perfect for Valentines day skewers. (See how-to pic below.)
- Add extra flavor with oil or salad dressing - Drizzle the skewers or marinate the mozzarella with a little bit of high quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Use simple seasonings - Give your tomato and mozzarella skewers a pop of extra flavor by sprinkling them with a bit of flaky salt and black pepper. They will stick best if skewers are drizzled or marinated in oil, first.
- Dessert skewers - Using fruits like strawberries or peaches with mozzarella drizzled with balsamic glaze are so pretty and can also be made ahead of time.
- Tomato Mozzarella Tortellini Skewers- Serve these as a handheld main course or a more filling appetizer by adding 1 or 2 cooked cheese tortellini to each skewer.
- Swap for pesto - If you aren't a fan of balsamic glaze, another great option is to drizzle with a bit of pesto.
To make "hearts" from grape tomatoes, cut in half diagonally. Then flip the right half of the tomato and put it back together to form a heart shape!
Helpful Information
Most balsamic glazes you'll find are a reduction of balsamic vinegar, and often have an additional sweet ingredient like sugar or honey. The thick glaze is made by boiling the vinegar and sweetener until some of the liquid cooks off, and you're left with a tasty and syrup-like glaze.
This classic Italian salad made up of fresh basil, tomato slices, and mozzarella cheese is named after the island of Capri, where it's said to have originated. One of its origin stories states that the dish was created to represent the colors of the Italian flag.
What to Serve with Tomato and Mozzarella Skewers
I love to make them for potluck suppers, finger food snacks for game day and dress them up for special holiday party appetizers. They taste great served with:
- Grilled Chicken Pizza
- No Knead Dutch Oven Artisan Bread
- Sausage and Cheese Crescent Squares
- Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Dip
How to store
- To Store: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered or in an air tight container. These tomato and mozzarella caprese skewers store easily ahead of time for several days in the fridge if properly stored.
- To Freeze: I don't recommend freezing leftover tomato mozzarella and basil skewers.
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Tomato and Mozzarella Skewers (with Balsamic Glaze)
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Equipment
- 12 5 inch bamboo appetizer skewers 4- to 5-inch
Ingredients
- 12 mozzarella balls
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 24 basil leaves small leaves or large leaves folded over
- 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Instructions
- On one appetizer pick (skewer) (4 to 5-inches), thread a tomato, a basil leaf, a mozzarella pearl, then another basil leaf and tomato. Repeat this sequence with the remaining ingredients and skewers.
- Place the finished tomato, basil and mozzarella skewers on a serving platter. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve immediately.
Notes
- These skewers can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator and just drizzle with balsamic glaze right before serving.
- I like to buy appetizer picks or skewers right after a holiday while they are on clearance to use for next year's holiday.
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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