Stuffed Cherry Tomato BLT Cups
If you're looking for bite-sized appetizers for your next party, look no further. These Mini BLT Cups (AKA: stuffed cherry tomatoes) are as cute as they are delicious! Cherry tomatoes are stuffed with arugula and a little chipotle mayo then topped with a piece of crunchy bacon.
Also, try our Mediterranean stuffed tomatoes with rice and our roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic!
Table of contents
These cute little stuffed cherry tomatoes are one of our all-time favorite appetizer recipes. We've been making them since 2013 and they're still going strong.
These tomato cups are all the things you would find in a BLT sandwich, only in cute, bite-sized appetizer form. Plump cherry tomatoes are hollowed out and then stuffed with a piece of arugula and crumbled bacon. Then some easy-to-make chipotle mayo is piped on top because you can't have a BLT (or mini BLT cups) without chipotle mayo. There's a law about that somewhere.
For a real treat, try making these BLT tomato cups with our homemade mayonnaise recipe!
Ingredient notes
Bacon – we use regular bacon (as opposed to thick-cut bacon) as it works better in these little cups.
Cherry tomatoes – look for round cherry tomatoes that aren't too small.
Arugula – pick through a box of baby arugula to find the smallest pieces.
Chipotle mayo ingredients
Mayonnaise – use real mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip). Light mayo works, too. Or you can even try making your own homemade mayo!
Adobo sauce – this is the sauce that comes in a jar of chipotle peppers.
Lime juice – fresh is best. Or substitute apple cider vinegar.
Soy sauce – low-sodium works.
Salt – fine sea salt works best in this recipe.
Liquid smoke – a few drops really kicks up the smoky flavor.
How to make mini BLT stuffed cherry tomatoes
Start by cooking the bacon until it's nice and crispy. Break 24 pieces and set them aside to garnish the stuffed tomatoes and then crumble the rest.
Hollow out the tomatoes by cutting off the bottoms then using a small spoon to scoop out the inside. We cut the bottom of the tomatoes because they will sit nicer on the top where the stem was.
Now make the mayonnaise by mixing the ingredients together. Then, transfer the mayo to a piping bag. (You can also use a sandwich bag and snip off the corner.)
It's time to assemble your stuffed cherry tomatoes! Put a piece of arugula into the hollowed-out tomato, letting the edges hang over. Then spoon in some crumbled bacon and top with a little mayo. Finally, garnish the top with a piece of bacon. That's it!
The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Recipe FAQs
You can assemble these a few hours in advance and then leave them on a serving platter in your fridge. They taste best if they're served at room temperature.
If you want to prep these ahead of time, you can cook the bacon and make the mayonnaise 2-3 days ahead.
Sure! There are plenty of flavored mayo options available. Choose one that looks good to you!
We like to use arugula because of the small size, peppery taste, and because we always have a box in our fridge. But any baby lettuce that will fit into the tomatoes will work.
In the EXTREMELY unlikely chance that you have leftovers, you can store them in a covered container in your fridge. The tomatoes do go a little soft by the next day, but they're still very tasty.
Don't skip the chipotle mayo
To make your life a lot more simple (and who doesn't love that?), put the chipotle mayo in a pastry bag fitted with a smallish tip and then pipe it into the tomatoes. You can also use a plastic sandwich bag and just snip the corner off.
The mayo is super easy to make and adds so much flavor to these tomato cups. It's a tiny bit spicy and has tons of smoky flavor, just the way chipotle mayo should be.
We use liquid smoke in this recipe. Have you heard of it? You can buy it for a couple of dollars in the BBQ sauce section of most grocery stores. A couple of drops will add a delicious smoky flavor. And it lasts nearly forever so you can have it on hand anytime you want a little smokiness.
When to serve stuffed cherry tomatoes
These BLT tomato cups are the ultimate party appetizer. Whether it's a special event or a just-for-the-heck-of-it party, these tomato bites will be a big hit. We often make this appetizer for:
- New Year's Eve
- Christmas
- Thanksgiving
- Game Day
- Birthdays
Mini BLT Tomato Cups (Stuffed Cherry Tomato Recipe)
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
Mini BLT Cups
- 5 strips bacon
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 24 pieces of baby arugula
Chipotle Mayo
- 3 tablespoons real mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, see notes
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce, gluten-free if needed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Optional: 2-3 drops liquid smoke, see notes
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium-high heat until crispy. Let the bacon cool slightly. When it is cool enough to handle, break 24 small pieces for the topping and crumble the rest.5 strips bacon
- While the bacon is cooking, hollow out the cherry tomatoes and make the mayo. Cut off the bottoms (they will sit on their tops) and carefully scoop/ shake out the insides with a small spoon.24 cherry tomatoes
- Whisk all the mayo ingredients together in a small bowl. Transfer the mayo to a small resealable plastic bag and cut off the tip. Make the hole very small.3 tablespoons real mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, Optional: 2-3 drops liquid smoke
- Tuck a piece of arugula into each cherry tomato. Spoon a little of the crumbled bacon inside then fill with the chipotle mayo and top with a piece of bacon.24 pieces of baby arugula
These tasted good, all were eaten but were lots of work and time trying to clean out each cherry tomato despite using a thinner pointed tool and still left jagged edges. On top of that, they rolled over on the serving plate before I served them so were not pretty anymore going face down ;( Maybe I should have crowded them together in a bowl vs. flat plate? I had to upright therm but it was too late to make the bacon & arugula stand up again and look decent. There has to be an easier way to make these??
I love your recipes and your photography is awesome! It looks so delicious.
This looks delicious! I’ll be adding it to my Eid menu, for sure! And I think it’s a sign that I have all of the ingredients in my kitchen right now. My husband and I might get an appetizer before dinner tonight!
Thank you!
I’m getting ready to make this yummy treat got all the ingredients and as I read the instructions it calls for mayo although doesn’t see mayo in the ingredients section.
It’s the first ingredient in the chipotle mayo section. 🙂
I made these as an appetizer at a baby shower and everyone truly enjoyed them. They were simple and gone before the mother to be even opened up the gifts. Great recipe!
That’s so great to hear! Hooray!
These literally lasted all of 5 seconds when I brought them out. Next time I need to make a WAY bigger batch. They were amazing!
Hahaha that’s so awesome! So happy to hear everyone loved them!
How soon can you make these before your party?
Once assembled, they’re good for a few hours. You can make the mayo, cook the bacon, and hollow out the tomatoes a day ahead to save you last minute work. 🙂
OMG where have you been all my life? These look amazing, making these ASAP!! Would be great for lunchboxes too!!
Hah right here waiting for you!!
Hi Kristen,I love tomatoes like these. It should be yummy, Just a question, Can I use pork instead of bacon? Thanks very much.
Cooked ground pork would work, too. I would season it with plenty of salt and pepper. 🙂
Perfect little appetizer to serve during the holidays. Pinned, thank you.
Thank you so much!!
I think this might be the cutest appetizer I’ve ever seen. They are the best. I can’t wait to make these. I hope mine turn out just as cute!
Yours will look just as cute! I’ve seen a few people make them and they always look adorable. I’m so happy you’re making them!
Yum. Might do these and add a bit of crunch (crouton) if I can fit it in.
What if I leave out the liquid smoke???
Hi Suzanne,
The liquid smoke really adds a lot of flavour in the aioli. You can leave it out but it just won’t be as smoky tasting. You can pick up a bottle at any grocery store for about $2. I usually find it near the bbq sauce 🙂
This is great. I have been trying to work out a way to do a mini BLT for quite some time and this is perfect. I call them BLT-zers. It’s a BLT Appetizer Teaser. You can use that if you want.
I’m a little confused help!!! I’m getting ready to make this yummy treat got all the ingredients and as I read the instructions it calls for mayo yet I don’t see mayo in the ingredients section. Super confused
Hi Stacey,
I just re-read that and it is a bit confusing. I will have to change that!
I’ve given the instructions on how to make your own mayo but you can definitely use store bought. Just don’t use Miracle Whip as it won’t taste right. Just add these ingredients to about a half cup of store bought mayo:
1-2 teaspoons of chipotles in adobo sauce
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon miso
¾ teaspoon sugar
3-4 drops of liquid smoke
Salt to taste
Sorry for the confusion! Let me know if you have any other questions ?
You can keep the chipotle. I’ll try it with some light ranch dressing. I don’t mean to offend any one. I just don’t like chipotle.
How cute!! Yum!
I was so excited to be making these little gems. It took me ages to whisk in the oil & it turned out lovely and thick….BUT….as soon as I blended it with the mixture of other ingredients, it turned runny! : (
I know you said that would happen if you used bought mayo but why did it happen to me???
I am sooo upset as the whole process took me forever!
Hi Toni,
Oh no, that is not supposed to happen! I know it can be super frustrating when you spend time and are excited to cook something and it doesn’t work out quite as planned.
The aioli definitely thins out a fair bit after you add the rest of the ingredients. It is quite bit of liquid and unfortunately I haven’t found a way to keep it thick as the the aioli is on its own. When I make it it ends up being more of the consistency of a dipping sauce. Is this what yours looked like? Or was it really thin?
It was REALLY thin!
Hi Toni,
It is definitely not supposed to turn out really thin! I’m not sure what happened since I have made this recipe many times and never had that problem. I’m wondering if it had something to do with the blender you used. Maybe? I have heard of people having trouble with their aioli if their blender is quite high powered (i.e.: better than mine!) I use a magic bullet to blend the ingredients. Did it get thinner as you blended it longer?
Maybe next time try blending the rest of the ingredients together and then whisk them into the aioli.
If followed the directions minus the miso, I couldn’t find any, and the aioli was super runny, any suggestions?
Hi Amy,
When you were making the aioli was it runny right from the beginning?
Here are a few tricks to make sure the egg and oil emulsify:
1. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Cold eggs will not emulsify.
2. Add the lemon juice and mustard first and whisk well.
3. Slowly (very slowly at first) add the oil. Pour in the tiniest drizzle and whisk well. Continue to do the same until it starts to thicken. Once it thickens you can start to pour in the oil a little faster.
If the aioli doesn’t seem to come together I have started a new batch (egg yolk/lemon juice/ mustard) and then used the runny aioli as the oil. This has worked for me in the past.
Also, once you add all the ingredients to give the aioli the chipotle flavour it will become a lot thinner. It will be more like a dipping sauce.
Hope this helps!
“Stuff 1 piece of arugula (or other lettuce) into each tomato cup. Then place ½ teaspoon (you don’t need to be exact here!) into each.” 1/2 teaspoon of WHAT? Is it the Bacon? Can’t wait to try. Thanks a lot.
Yes, bacon! Clearly I was focusing too much on eating bacon and not enough on writing the recipe 😉
Could you use basil rather than regular lettuce, do you think?
I would definitely try it. Basil does have a strong flavour but it could be quite delicious 🙂
Thank you so much, Immaculate!!
I could stare at this the whole day…… This is a must try. love your blog!
Genius and I thought that those little olive penguins that I made rocked. Don’t doubt that they will fly off the plate – cannot wait to make!! Thanks!
Thanks, Jill!!
Omg, omg, omg. I want these now!!
Hope you’re doing great, Kristen!
I love your recipes and your photography is awesome! I am also an Okanagan girl, & would love to promote our area more.
These look simply delightful! Will prepare them this weekend for my husband’s birthday.
Side note: when you try to print this recipe, it instead redirects to you the Minuteman Press website and map directions and doesn’t let you print the recipe-a tad annoying. I have printed many of your recipes btw 🙂