Caprese Bites Recipe

Reduce vinegar

Pour 120 ml balsamic vinegar into a small, wide saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Lower heat to medium-low and let the vinegar simmer, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by about half and becomes syrupy (coats the back of a spoon). This typically takes 12–18 minutes depending on pan width and heat. Watch carefully during the last few minutes to prevent burning.

Remove from heat. If the glaze is thicker than desired, stir in up to 1 teaspoon water to loosen slightly; it will thicken further as it cools. Let cool to room temperature — it will continue to thicken to a glaze consistency.

Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. If using larger tomatoes, halve them to create bite-size pieces.

Drain the fresh mozzarella balls well and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture so they don’t dilute the glaze.

Lay out 24 wooden skewers. On each skewer thread one cherry tomato (rounded side out), one fresh basil leaf (folded if large), then one mozzarella ball. Optionally finish with a small extra tomato or a second basil leaf if skewer length allows, keeping proportions uniform.

Arrange assembled skewers on a serving platter in a single layer for easy serving.

Drizzle the skewers lightly with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Using a spoon or small squeeze bottle, lightly drizzle the cooled balsamic glaze over each skewer. Alternatively, serve the glaze on the side for guests to dip. If desired, garnish with an additional small basil chiffonade over the platter.

Serve immediately at room temperature. If not serving right away, cover loosely and refrigerate for no more than 2 hours; bring back to room temperature before serving and re-drizzle glaze if it soaks in.