Stuffed Cherry Tomato BLT Cups
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These little BLT cups are everything we love about a classic BLT sandwich, served up as a healthy bite-size appetizer. Cherry tomatoes are hollowed out and stuffed with arugula, crispy bacon, and a homemade spicy chipotle mayo. They're perfect for parties, and they're ready in just 20 minutes!
For more delicious ways to serve cherry tomatoes, try our roasted cherry tomatoes or our roasted cherry tomato sauce.
This bite-size BLT cups appetizer is fresh, full of flavor, and fun to serve. Little cherry tomatoes are the perfect tiny vessel for layering peppery arugula, crispy bits of bacon, and smoky chipotle mayonnaise. They're easy to whip up and any leftover chipotle mayo makes a delicious spread on burgers and sandwiches all week long!
Ingredients needed
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these little BLT appetizer cups with a homemade chipotle mayo.
Here's everything you need for the BLT cups:
- Bacon: we use regular slices of bacon bacon instead of thick-cut as it works better in the small cups.
- Cherry tomatoes: choose larger round cherry tomatoes so they're easier to hollow out and fill.
- Arugula: arugula is peppery and flavorful but you can also use spinach or lettuce if you prefer.
Here's what you need for the chipotle mayo:
- Mayonnaise: use real store-bought mayonnaise or try making your own homemade mayonnaise.
- Adobo sauce: adobo sauce is the smoky red sauce that chipotle peppers come packaged in. It's a bit spicy, and deeply flavorful.
- Lime juice: fresh lime juice brings brightness and acidity to balance out the creaminess of the sauce.
- Soy sauce: soy sauce adds its rich umami flavor that's salty and slightly sweet.
- Sea salt: sea salt enhances all the flavors in this sauce.
- Liquid smoke: liquid smoke has a highly concentrated flavor so just a little bit goes a long way.
How to make BLT cups
If there's one thing that every great celebration needs, it's easy and delicious appetizers just like these adorable BLT cups. They're the perfect no-bake snack for last-minute hosting. Here's how we make them in a couple of simple steps:
- Start by cooking the bacon until it's crispy, then break it into 24 small pieces.
- Carefully cut off the top of the cherry tomatoes and hollow them out. We also slice a little bit off the bottom so they sit nice and flat.
- Mix all the chipotle mayonnaise ingredients together and then transfer it to a bag for piping.
- To assemble your stuffed cherry tomatoes, place a piece of arugula and bacon in each tomato, pipe in some chipotle mayo, and garnish with a piece of crispy bacon. That's it!
How to pipe the chipotle mayo
To make your life a lot simpler (and less messy), put the chipotle mayo into a pastry bag fitted with a smallish tip and then pipe it into the tomatoes. You can also use a sandwich bag and just snip the corner off. Or you can spoon it in.
What to serve with BLT cups
These bite-sized BLT cups are the ultimate party appetizer for birthdays, holidays, game days, or just because! Everyone enjoys their familiar flavors and itty-bitty size. Serve them with other appetizers like our smoked salmon appetizer with cucumber and lemon dill cream cheese or sesame pineapple sausage bites.
Recipe FAQs
How far ahead can I make these?
You can assemble these a few hours in advance and then leave them on a serving platter in your fridge. They taste best when 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.
Can I use store-bought mayo?
Sure! There are plenty of store-bought flavored mayo options available. Choose one that looks good to you.
How do I store leftovers?
In the unlikely chance that you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in your fridge. The tomatoes will go a little soft by the next day, but they're still very tasty.
BLT Cups Recipe
Ingredients
Mini BLT Cups
- 5 strips bacon
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 24 pieces baby arugula
Chipotle Mayo
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ā½ teaspoon soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
- Ā¼ 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 pastry bag.3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice, Ā½ teaspoon soy sauce, Ā¼ 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 baby arugula
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our appetizer recipes!
