Looking for an appetizer recipe that’s quick, easy, and delicious to make? Wait until you try these mozzarella and tomato caprese appetizer bites.

I LOVE anything with mozzarella and tomatoes. It’s so good, right?

From caprese salads to bruschetta tomatoes, flatbread pizzas, and more, I could eat them all day every day. Today, we are whipping up a batch of mozzarella and tomato caprese appetizer bites.

Have you ever made it before?

It’s an easy blend of a caprese salad with pesto served on crusty Italian bread. And it’s so delicious. I make this often as appetizers for brunches, dinners, cocktail parties, or anything in between.

They hold up well during an event. There’s never a crumb left when the party is over. And you can even make this as a meal too! Wait until you try these tomato and mozzarella caprese bites!

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What Kind of Tomatoes Are Best for Caprese?

For anything caprese, I’d use heirloom tomatoes, especially if you can get them while they are in season. However, garden, roma, cherry, or vine tomatoes work really well too.

The fresher the ingredients, the better this dish will be. But if you are making it when tomatoes are not in season, grab what looks freshest to get the best flavor.

Is Caprese a Healthy Snack?

In general, yes because the tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella each have lots of nutrition that is essential for good health.

Of course, how you prepare it will matter. It’s a healthier dish when served without extra carbohydrates like bread.

And if you have an intolerance to dairy, you might want to omit the fresh mozzarella or swap it out for something you can have.

close up of the best recipe for caprese salad
Caprese Salad

What is the Difference Between Bruschetta and Caprese?

While they might seem similar, bruschetta and caprese are different because one has mozzarella and the other does not.

Bruschetta tomatoes is also typically served on crusty Italian or a French baguette and caprese is typically prepared as a salad.

However, you can totally add mozzarella to bruschetta. And you can also add crusty bread to caprese, which is what we are doing today!

close up of the the best recipe for bruschetta tomatoes on a white platter
Best Recipe for Bruschetta Tomatoes

Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Appetizer Bites

A caprese appetizer bite is a simple and delicious dish that is made with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil pesto on skinny Italian or French bread slices.

This fast, easy, and delicious recipe is simple to prepare and can be made in minutes. I love using my homemade pesto recipe as the base and if it’s time to harvest tomatoes from my garden, even better!

But the best part?

You could even make this dish as a sandwich! Instead of cutting the slices, make it on fresh Italian or French bread. And sometimes, I’ll even toss it into my panini press. It is so yummy!

close up of mozzarella and tomato caprese appetizer bites on a white serving platter on a granite countertop

Ingredients

To make a Caprese appetizer with basil pesto on sliced French bread, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Basil pesto
  • 1 Loaf French bread, sliced
  • Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • Small garden tomatoes, sliced thin
  • Cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

While I like to use a fresh basil pesto for this dish, feel free to sub it for a different kind of pesto or store-bought.

slicing crusty italian bread to make tomato and mozzarella caprese bites in the farmhouse kitchen

Directions to Make Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Appetizer Bites

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut bread into thin slices. You could use French bread too. I usually grab whatever is available at the market.

You want it to be small enough though so when you slice it they are small disks. So skip the larger loaves of Italian bread. They don’t work as well unless you are making these as a sandwich.

putting crusty italian bread slices on a baking sheet to toast in the oven

Place sliced bread onto baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. We are just crisping it up so it holds the mozzarella and tomatoes appetizer better.

While the bread is toasting in the oven, thinly slice the mozzarella and tomatoes.

Remove bread from oven and immediately prepare each bite.

using fresh pesto homemade from my garden to make caprese appetizer bites
Fresh Basil Pesto Homemade From My Garden
adding fresh pesto to each slice of italian bread to make caprese bites as an appetizer with fresh mozzarella and garden tomatoes

Spread a thin layer of basil pesto onto each slice of French bread.

Then add a slice of tomato. If the tomato slices are too big for the bread, cut them in half.

Top each slice with a slice of mozzarella cheese.

adding sliced tomato tomake caprese appetizer bites
Topping the bites off with fresh mozzarella cheese
putting the fresh mozzarella and tomato caprese appetizer bites in the oven for 10 minutes

Pop it back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melty.

Sprinkle the chopped basil over the top.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

If you want to make this dish ahead of time, toast the bread and assemble the mozzarella and tomato caprese appetizer bites but don’t bake them until you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Fresh mozzarella and tomato caprese appetzier bites ona white serving platter
close up of mozzarella caprese appetizer bites in the farmhouse kitchen
close up of mozzarella and tomato caprese appetizer bites on a white serving platter on a granite countertop

Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Appetizer Bites

Stacy Ling
Looking for an appetizer recipe that's quick, easy and delicious to make? Wait until you try these mozzarella and tomato caprese appetizer bites.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 216 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • Basil Pesto
  • 1 Loaf French Bread Skinny Italian Bread
  • 8 oz Mozzrella Fresh
  • 4 Tomatoes Heirloom, garden, vine
  • 1 Cup Basil Fresh, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 400.
  • Cut bread into thin slices.
  • Place sliced bread onto baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes.
  • While the bread is toasting in the oven, thinly slice the mozzarella and tomatoes.
  • Remove bread from oven and immediately prepare each bite.
  • Spread a thin layer of basil pesto onto each slice of French bread.
  • Then add a slice of tomato.
  • Top each slice with a slice of mozzarella cheese
  • Pop it back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melty.
  • Sprinkle the chopped basil over the top.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to make this recipe as a sandwich, halve the bread and follow the rest of the directions. The sandwiches work great in a pannini press too!

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 8gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 471mgPotassium: 167mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1329IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 0.5mg
Keyword Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Appetizer Bites, Tomato and Mozzarella Appetizer
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thank you so much for following along.

Enjoy a beautiful day! xo

Stacy Ling

More Easy Appetizers for a Party

What is your easy appetizer to serve at a party? I would love to know more in the comments below.

Here are some more of my favorites.

Quick and Easy Dishes to Try

Since we moved, I’m all about cooking in my new kitchen! The former homeowners designed a working kitchen and let me tell you, we’ve been working it here.

We’ve got three ovens and 6 burners so it’s been a lot of fun making dishes for friends and family.

Here’s what I’ve been cooking up lately!

caprese appetizer bites with mozzarella and tomatoes
Mozzarella and tomatoes appetizer caprese bites
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The bricks \'n Blooms guide to a beautiful and easy-care flower garden book by stacy ling
The Bricks ‘n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy Care Flower Garden
  • Have you never met a plant you couldn’t kill?
  • Have you dug around in the dirt with nothing to show for it except a sunburn and a sore back?
  • Do you currently enjoy growing flowers, but are looking for more tips and ideas to level up your gardening game?

Then the Bricks ‘n Blooms Guide is for YOU

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