Tomato, Pesto and Mozzarella Skewers

An easy 4-ingredient appetizer you can prepare in just a few minutes. These tomato, pesto and mozzarella skewers are a real crowd-pleaser! Perfect for summer entertaining – or anytime of the year!

I like to call these skewers “Italy on a stick” because they combine some of the best flavors this country has to offer: ripe, juicy tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil pesto!

And did you notice it’s also the colors of the flag? I’m telling you – Italy, straight in your very own kitchen!

Every time I make these skewers, people rave about them. They’re delicious, people are happy and it only takes 15 minutes give or take to make.

How to make tomato, pesto and mozzarella skewers – step by step

Well, that’s going to be quick to explain because it is SO easy!

First, add the basil pesto and the mozzarella balls (aka bocconcini) to a bowl and mix until the balls are fully covered with pesto.

Resist eating them all – it’s going to be tempting.

Prepare your mini-skewers and thread one tomato onto a skewer. Add one pesto covered mozzarella ball, then another tomato and finish with another mozzarella ball.

If your mozzarella balls are pretty big (say, the size of your tomatoes), you can use only one ball per skewer: one tomato, then one ball, and finish with a tomato.

Repeat until you run out of tomatoes and bocconcini.

That’s it! See, it told you it was easy! 😉

A few tips to make these tomato, pesto and mozzarella skewers!

• Make ahead: I don’t recommend prepping these too much ahead because the bocconcini will dry out and if you’re using homemade pesto it will brown too much. You can prep them a couple of hours before but not the day before.
• Pesto: Homemade pesto is a lot more flavorful than store-bought pesto so I prefer to use that whenever I can (here’s the link to my recipe) but using the bottled stuff is fine too. Try to buy the brand with the highest basil percentage on the ingredients list for more flavor.
• Mozzarella balls / Bocconcini: Mozzarella balls aka bocconcini come in a lot of different sizes. The one I used for the pictures were pretty small so I preferred to use two per skewer. If yours are bigger, you could only use one per skewer. Ideally, they’d match the size of your tomatoes.

If you tried these tomato, pesto and mozzarella skewers, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

5 from 6 votes

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Tomato, Pesto and Mozzarella Skewers

An easy 4-ingredient appetizer you can prepare in just a few minutes. These tomato, pesto and mozzarella skewers are a real crowd-pleaser! Perfect for summer entertaining - or anytime of the year!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword #easyappetizer, #healthyappetizer, #summerappetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 5 people - 10 mini skewers

Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup basil pesto homemade is best but store-bough works too! click the link for the recipe
• 20 mini mozzarella balls 10 if they are big. They are also called bocconcini. You can used cubed mozzarella instead.
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• 10 wooden mini-skewers or toothpicks

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine pesto and mozzarella balls. Mix until balls are well covered with pesto.

2. Thread one tomato onto a skewer. Add one pesto covered mozzarella ball, then another tomato and finish with another mozzarella ball. If you are using large mozzarella balls, you can use only one ball per skewer (one tomato, then one ball, and finish with a tomato).

3. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 10 skewers. Serve immediately or store in the fridge covered until ready to serve (see notes just below).

Recipe Notes

• Make ahead: I don't recommend prepping these too much ahead because the bocconcini will dry out and if you're using homemade pesto it will brown too much. You can prep them a couple of hours before but not the day before.
• Pesto: Homemade pesto is a lot more flavorful than store-bought pesto so I prefer to use that whenever I can (here's the link to my recipe) but using the bottled stuff is fine too. Try to buy the brand with the highest basil percentage on the ingredients list for more flavor. 
• Mozzarella balls / Bocconcini: Mozzarella balls aka bocconcini come in a lot of different sizes. The one I used for the pictures were pretty small so I preferred to use two per skewer. If yours are bigger, you could only use one per skewer. Ideally, they'd match the size of your tomatoes. 

Nutrition Facts

Tomato, Pesto and Mozzarella Skewers

Amount Per Serving (2 skewers)

Calories 200 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16g 25%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 21mg 7%

Sodium 163mg 7%

Potassium 148mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 3g 1%

Sugars 2g

Protein 11g 22%

Vitamin A 11.7%

Vitamin C 18.8%

Calcium 22.7%

Iron 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More appetizer recipes:

• Homemade Pita Chips with Mint Yogurt Dip
• Parmesan, Oregano and Pine Nut Melts
• Pomegranate Hummus

More pesto recipes:

• How to Make Homemade Basil Pesto (including lots of variations)
• Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
• Roasted Potatoes and Lentil Salad with Lemony Pesto
• Pesto Panko Crusted Fish
• Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms With Ricotta, Pesto And Grilled Haloumi

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published on July 17, 2012 and republished in June 2018 with an updated recipe, new photos and more tips.