If you're looking for bite-sized appetizers for your next party, look no further. These Mini BLT Cups 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. They're a healthy gluten-free + paleo + Whole30 appetizer recipe that everyone will love!
Friends! I've made us my all-time favorite appetizer recipe and I'm ridiculously excited to share it with you.
These mini BLT cups first appeared on The Endless Meal back in 2013. It's Throw Back Thursday time again today (the 27th #tbt post!) and I thought it was about time these guys came back.
They are the ultimate party appy. Since we have tons of entertaining coming up over the next few months (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, game day parties, and just for the heck of it parties) I thought we should all have a guaranteed hit recipe that we can pull out whenever we need to.
In the name of keeping things simple, I've made a few adjustments to the recipe. If you've made these before, don't worry. The recipe is every bit as good now with way less work.
These tomato cups are all the things you would find in a BLT sandwich, only in cute, bite-sized appetizer form. Plump cherry tomatoes (the T) are hollowed out then stuffed with a piece of arugula (the L) and crumbled bacon (the B).
Some easy to make chipotle mayo is piped on top because you can't have a BLT (or mini BLT cups) without chipotle mayo. I swear there's a law about that somewhere.
Do you see how cute that Mini BLT Cup is? When you bring these to a party, no one can resist them. It's ridiculous how fast a plate of these can disappear.
Besides winning all the presentation and deliciousness points, these little tomato cups also win big time in the easy to eat at a party category. I know you've all been to a party and tried to snack on something messy only to have to go racing around trying to find a napkin to wipe the mess from your face/ stop the juice from running down your arm/ blot the puddle of fill-in-the-blank from the front of your new dress. So not fun.
These perfectly bite-sized mini BLT cups will never give you any of those troubles. Win!
Original post: January 7th, 2013
Warning: These bite-sized Mini BLT Cups are highly addictive. I'm mean, really really addictive. You get some crispy bacon and smoky chipotle aioli all inside a perfectly juicy little tomato. Oh ya, and there's even a little piece of arugula just to make the whole thing look extra pretty.
Set these mini BLT cups out at a party and they are going to fly off the plate. Trust me, I've seen it happen with my own eyes.
Grape tomatoes are perfect for this recipe but cherry tomatoes will work too. I use baby arugula for the lettuce but have also used baby spinach in a pinch. Whatever kind of lettuce you use just make sure it's small. (Update: I now prefer to use cherry tomatoes in this recipe.)
To make your life a lot more simple (and who doesn't love that?) I suggest that you 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.
I've used liquid smoke in this recipe. Have you heard of it? You can buy it (for super cheap!) in the BBQ sauce section of most grocery stores. A couple of drops will add a delicious smoky flavor.
If you love these Mini BLT Cups as much as I do, don't forget to give them a 5-star rating in the comments below!
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Bite Sized Appetizers – Mini B.L.T. Cups
Prep Time: 20 mins- Total Time: 20 mins
Yield: 24 bites
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If you're looking for bite-sized appetizers for your next party, look no further. These Mini BLT Cups 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. They're a healthy gluten-free + paleo + Whole30 appetizer recipe that everyone will love!
Ingredients
For the Mini BLT Cups:
- 5 strips of bacon
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 24 pieces of baby arugula
The Chipotle Mayo
- 3 tablespoons real mayonnaise (homemade for Whole30)
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or coco aminos
- 1/4 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Adobo sauce is the sauce that comes in the jar when you buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It's available in the Mexican section of most grocery stores. Sub chipotle powder for Whole30.
Bottles of liquid smoke are generally sold near BBQ sauces in most grocery stores. A bottle is very inexpensive and will last a long time. It adds a really nice smoky flavor to the mayo.
The original photos of these Mini BLT Cups:
If you’re interested in learning a few tricks that I did to improve my food photography, check out the posts 10 Food Photography Tips for New Food Bloggers and The 10 Best Food Photography Props to Improve Your Food Photography and The Food Photography Equipment I Use.
Kristen Stevens
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Hi, I’m Kristen! 
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 🙂