My easy Caprese Skewers recipe is the perfect no-bake appetizer to serve at your next party! These grab-and-go bites look fancy, but are assembled in 5 minutes using fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella balls. You can also make them ahead, then drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve! It’s a winning classic Italian combination your friends will rave about.

Caprese skewers recipe with tomatoes, basil, mozzarella pearls and balsamic glaze on a white plate

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Helpful Reader Review

“Tried making this today – great combination of ingredients. Tastes delicious and looks very fancy. Thank you !!!” – Alesya ★★★★★

Caprese Skewers Video

Watch me make the easiest and cutest Caprese Skewers. If you like classic Caprese Salad, you’ll love these! My Caprese salad skewers turn the classic Caprese salad into finger food. If you want to be really fancy, you can call this Caprese Antipasto (Italian for appetizer).

They have all the classic flavors–fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil with an irresistible drizzle of Balsamic Glaze to bring it all together. These are next-level delicious and aren’t they cute?

Caprese Skewers are the perfect appetizer because I build the skewers in minutes and they are so simple to serve on a platter. They are fresh, healthy, and so tasty. I first served these at my sister’s baby shower years ago, and everyone raved, so I’ve made these countless times since then, but I’ve streamlined the recipe even more by using mozzarella balls instead of cutting chunks and leaving the tomatoes whole instead of halving them.

Tomato mozzarella appetizers with balsamic glaze dipped over top

Caprese Skewers Recipe Ingredients

You only need 3 ingredients, plus a simple dressing, to make these classic Italian Caprese Skewers, so opt for the freshest ingredients for the best flavor.

  • Tomatoes – cherry or grape tomatoes work best since they keep all their juiciness inside. We’ll use about 20 cherry tomatoes, or one carton. For variety, try multi-colored tomatoes.
  • Basil – choose basil that is uniformly green in color and avoid any leaves with brown spots. Store the basil like a bouquet of flowers in a cup of water covered loosely by a zip-top bag on the counter until ready to use.
  • Mozzarella pearls – one container or about 3-4 oz. I love these fresh mozzarella balls. They come ready to use. I usually use the plain, but it works with marinated mozzarella pearls or even diced fresh mozzarella.
  • Balsamic glaze – my homemade Balsamic glaze is incredibly simple to make and tastes great on everything from grilled chicken to fruit. There’s no shame in using store-bought glaze when you’re short on time.
  • Extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper – this simple combination perfectly seasons the caprese skewers
ingredients for antipasto salad including balsamic glaze, mozzarella balls, skewers, basil and tomatoes

How to Make Caprese Skewers

Let’s build the appetizer! You’ll need 10 small skewers or cocktail picks. I found these cute small bamboo skewers and I love that they have a little handle which makes them easy to serve. You can also use toothpicks to make 20 mini skewers.

  1. Skewer ingredients in order – tomato, basil, and mozzarella pearl–and then repeat so you have two of each item. Cut the tomatoes in half if they are too large and fold the basil if needed.
Caprese skewers on a white plate with balsamic glaze in a jar
  1. Arrange the completed Caprese skewers on a platter in a single layer.
  2. Drizzle balsamic glaze and olive oil over the skewers just before serving and season with salt and pepper.
a hand holding a caprese skewer appetizer above a tray of skewers

Helpful Reader Review

“They are so cute!!! . Light, easy and fast, Perfect for any occasion 🙂 beautiful presentation as always. “ – Inessa ★★★★★

Balsamic glaze dripped over Italian tomato and mozzarella appetizers served on a platter

Storage Tips

My Caprese skewer appetizer can be prepped ahead, but tastes best when dressed just before serving.

  • To Refrigerate: Set skewers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 8 hours, being careful not to crush the basil.
  • To Store Leftovers: Once the skewers are dressed, they will look their best for 2 hours, but you can cover and refrigerate leftovers and enjoy for 1 day after they are dressed.
  • Repurpose Leftovers: You can chop them into a salad, add them to pasta, or fold them into omelets.

My easy Caprese skewers are an easy and elegant appetizer with just 3 ingredients, plus a simple dressing. You’ll love the fresh flavors of Classic Caprese Salad in a convenient grab-and-go form. Try these for your next event to see them fly off the plate!

Caprese Skewers

5 from 12 votes
Tomatoes and mozzarella cheese appetizers on a toothpick served lined up on a white plate with balsamic glaze over top
My Caprese Skewers Appetizer is incredibly easy to make with only 3 ingredients plus the easiest dressing, and best of all, there's no cooking required! They have all the classic Caprese Salad flavors of tomato, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic in an easy-to-eat appetizer. Your guests will love these!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 small skewers
  • 20 cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes, *rinsed and patted dry
  • 20 fresh basil leaves, *rinsed and patted dry
  • 20 mozzarella pearls, or diced fresh mozzarella, *patted dry
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic glaze, for drizzling
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling
  • sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling, preferably a coarse salt

Instructions

  • Skewer your tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and basil onto your small skewers, then repeat so you'll end up with 2 tomatoes, 2 cheese balls and 2 basil leaves on each skewer. Fold the larger basil leaves as needed when skewering.
  • Arrange the skewers on a platter in a single layer. You can cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours at this point if making them ahead then add dressing just before serving.
  • Drizzle with balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and serve.

Notes

*Pat dry the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Moisture will wilt the basil and will cause the glaze to slide off.
Make-Ahead – You can assemble the skewers up to 8 hours ahead without any dressing or seasoning. Cover and refrigerate the caprese skewers. Add oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper just before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Once the skewers are seasoned, they start to soften and discolor with longer storage. 

Nutrition Per Serving

47kcal Calories2g Carbs2g Protein3g Fat1g Saturated Fat0.2g Polyunsaturated Fat2g Monounsaturated Fat7mg Cholesterol57mg Sodium83mg Potassium0.3g Fiber1g Sugar266IU Vitamin A8mg Vitamin C48mg Calcium0.3mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Caprese Skewers
Amount per Serving
Calories
47
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
7
mg
2
%
Sodium
 
57
mg
2
%
Potassium
 
83
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
2
g
1
%
Fiber
 
0.3
g
1
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
266
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
8
mg
10
%
Calcium
 
48
mg
5
%
Iron
 
0.3
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: caprese appetizer, caprese skewers
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 47
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

More Spring Appetizers

Once you try these Caprese Skewers, you’ll be hooked on fresh flavors and bite-sized foods! Try these other popular Spring Appetizers that showcase fresh and vibrant ingredients.

5 from 12 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Steve V.
    December 29, 2023

    This recipe just popped up in my Facebook feed. I’ve made these for years, and they’re always a hit! Three things I do differently: 1) I use pearl mozzarella balls, 2) keep the tomatoes whole, and 3) add a kalamata olive to each one.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 29, 2023

      Thank you for sharing, Steve!

      Reply

  • Theresa
    December 9, 2019

    Can I make these the day before?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 9, 2019

      Hi Theresa, I love it fresh because I feel tomatoes don’t refrigerate well and generally should not be refrigerated or they turn mealy. Also, you wouldn’t want to drizzle on the glaze until ready to serve or it will discolor the cheese and basil and won’t look as presentable done ahead. I wish there was an easy way to make this one ahead, but alas… there is not.

      Reply

  • Sue
    September 2, 2018

    These Caprese skewers are easy to put together and were a hit at a pot luck brunch we attended this morning (100% gone!). I decided to make them right before the event so the basil didn’t get weird in the fridge (like it sometimes does) and used BelGioioso fresh mozzarella snacking cheese from Costco for their easy size balls. The tiny drizzle of balsalmic was the perfect finishing touch. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 2, 2018

      Hi Sue. I’m so happy it worked out for you! Thank you for the great review!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    June 1, 2018

    Hi Natasha, the toothpicks you bought are they longer then the regular size?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 1, 2018

      Hi Tanya, the toothpicks I used on these Caprese skewers were regular sized 🙂 I wish I could find them again. They are so cute with that little spindle end 🙂

      Reply

      • Tanya
        June 1, 2018

        I found them in smart & final store, but thinking they to short. Planning to make a bunch for an engagement party.

        Reply

    • Robin Roper
      June 12, 2022

      “Fancy” toothpick with the spindle ends can be found at most Asian stores. They aren’t one sided. Some also carry an extra long version but I don’t think you’d want to fill it with more than one tomato/mozzarella/basil.

      Reply

  • sveta
    December 22, 2014

    looks really good! can i make them a day ahead? or right before serving?

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 22, 2014

      Sveta, you can assemble them a day before, but drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil just before serving. Hope this helps :).

      Reply

  • Kathy
    March 31, 2014

    Caprese Salad is one of my favorite summer treats! I saw this recipe on Pinterest and pinned it about 6 months ago. When I needed something to bring to church for an event yesterday, I remembered these. They were a hit! Thank you so much for this fresh twist on an old salad!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 31, 2014

      You’re welcome! Thanks for pinning! I do the same thing when I’m looking for ideas. I love Pinterest! It’s like your own personalized magazine 🙂 I’m so happy you liked the skewers 🙂

      Reply

  • Lena
    November 12, 2012

    I made these for a little get together. They are just beautiful addition to the table. My husband even liked them 🙂 Thank you so much for all your hard work!!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 12, 2012

      I’m so glad you both enjoyed them 😀

      Reply

  • Alesya
    September 16, 2012

    Tried making this today – great combination of ingredients. Tastes delicious and looks very fancy. Thank you !!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 16, 2012

      I like the fanciness too 🙂

      Reply

  • Mary
    May 1, 2012

    Too Cute! I was looking for a way to incorporate grape tomatoes with a Caprese salad for a teachers lunch at my sons school. I may leave the tomato whole because it will sit out a little while. I was able to find fresh mozzarella “pearls” (look like marbles).

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 1, 2012

      The small balls of mozzarella would be perfect!

      Reply

  • Hope
    April 25, 2012

    The liquid that fresh mozzerella is “marinated” in is simply water and salt. It keeps well in this liquid for days. If you havent used up the fresh mozzerella in a few days, just rinse the mozzerella in water, and replace the liquid with fresh water and salt. I dont recall the exact ratio of salt to water, but I’m sure you can look that up on any brand of fresh mozzerella. (Or Google their brand website).
    By the way, these look super cute! I make brolied caprese sandwhiches in the oven. Rustic bread slices, olive oil, garlic salt, (You can use regular salt. I just cook everything with garlic salt. lol) tomato, basil, (I love spinach, so thats what I always use instead of basil.), and fresh mozzerella. These sandwhiches are amazing when the tomato is lightly browned and the mozzerella is melted. Yum!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 25, 2012

      Oh my gosh, broiled caprese sandwiches sound so good!! What you just described is making me drool! Thanks for the info. It’s good to know that you can replace the liquid to keep it fresh.

      Reply

  • Vikulya
    April 25, 2012

    What a bright idea!
    Thank you so much 🙂
    Where did you get this fresh mozzarella cheese?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 25, 2012

      I bought it at Winco in a little tub. It was marinated in some kind of liquid. I also tried regular mozzarella, which works if you aren’t able to find the fresh mozzarella.

      Reply

  • Liliya
    April 25, 2012

    What is Balsamic vinegar? Can i just use regular?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 25, 2012

      Look for it next to the regular vinegars. Plain vinegar won’t work for this. It’s a dark vinegar made from a reduction of grape juice; the same thing they use for dipping bread at Italian restaurants. It’s also just fantastic mixed with a little olive oil for dipping homemade artisan bread. Mmmm.

      Reply

  • Inessa-GrabandgoRecipes
    April 25, 2012

    They are so cute!!! . Light, easy and fast, Perfect for any ocation 🙂 beautiful presentation as always.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 25, 2012

      Thanks Inessa 🙂 You are so sweet!

      Reply

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