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Light & Festive Christmas Tree Caprese Skewers, Easy Holiday Appetizer

Christmas Tree Caprese Skewers - featured image
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These Light & Festive Christmas Tree Caprese Skewers are a quick, easy, and healthy holiday appetizer made with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic glaze. Arranged as little Christmas trees, they’re perfect for parties and bring a bright, festive touch to any table.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces (225g) fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 1 pint (300g) cherry tomatoes
  • 20–25 large fresh basil leaves
  • Balsamic glaze (for drizzling)
  • 20–24 wooden skewers or toothpicks (6-inch)
  • Small star-shaped cookie cutter (optional, for decoration)
  • Flaky sea salt (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients (5 minutes): Drain the mozzarella pearls and pat them dry with a paper towel. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and pat them dry. Pick the largest basil leaves; if they are huge, tear them in half.
  2. Start stacking (10 minutes): Take a skewer and thread on one cherry tomato first—this will be the base of your tree. Push it down to about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the skewer. Then add a basil leaf, folding it slightly if needed. Follow with a mozzarella pearl. Repeat this pattern: tomato, basil, mozzarella, stacking them in a slightly staggered way so it looks like a tree. You’ll want about 4-5 layers total, depending on the length of your skewer.
  3. Create the tree shape (5 minutes): As you stack, angle each layer slightly outward. Start with the tomato at the bottom being the widest point, then gradually make each layer a tiny bit smaller. The top should end with just a mozzarella pearl or a small tomato.
  4. Add the star (2 minutes): If using a bell pepper star, cut a thin slice of red or yellow bell pepper and use the cookie cutter to punch out a star shape. Press it gently onto the top mozzarella pearl. If you don’t have a cutter, just cut a small triangle.
  5. Drizzle and serve (2 minutes): Arrange the skewers on a platter. Drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze right before serving—if you do it too early, the glaze can make the basil soggy. You can also serve the glaze on the side for dipping.
  6. Garnish (optional, 1 minute): Sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt over the top if you’re feeling fancy.

Notes

Assemble within an hour of serving for best texture. Serve at room temperature. If prepping ahead, wash and dry ingredients separately and assemble just before serving. For a dairy-free version, use plant-based mozzarella. For a low-carb option, use sugar-free balsamic glaze or olive oil and salt.

Nutrition

Keywords: caprese skewers, Christmas tree appetizer, holiday appetizer, easy appetizer, mozzarella skewers, tomato basil skewers, festive appetizer, no-cook appetizer

Find it online: https://dinadishes.com/light-and-festive-christmas-tree-caprese-skewers-easy-holiday-appetizer/