caprese blini bites (bougie on a budget)
this recipe was inspired by the cutest appetizer i had at a friend’s party. his version used blinis with crème fraîche, strawberries, and balsamic caviar, and i couldn’t stop thinking about what a perfect bite-sized hors d’eouvres they wore! while being relatively effort (especially if you don’t make the caviar yourself like i did).
i wanted something that felt a little more savory and summery, so i swapped in juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of good olive oil. instead of traditional blinis, i used trader joe’s silver dollar pancakes, which are way more budget-friendly (30 for $4 vs 16 for $10!) and honestly worked better since they’re slightly larger than blinis.
these little bites are perfect for summer parties, happy hour, or whenever you want something that looks impressive without a lot of effort. the balsamic pearls are definitely the star, but everything together is creamy, tangy, fresh, and just a little fancy.
i used (for 12 bites)
- 12 trader joe’s silver dollar pancakes (or blinis)
- ¼ cup crème fraîche
- 15-20 cherry tomatoes
- pinch of kosher salt
- balsamic caviar
- 12 mini basil leaves, or largely leaves sliced thinly
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- flaky salt
to make
- slice the cherry tomatoes — i like to halve smaller tomatoes and slice larger cherry tomatoes vertically into thirds. i find that the flat surface area also helps them sit more securely on the pancakes if you’re transporting them
- toss the sliced tomatoes with a pinch of salt and let them sit for 10–15 minutes to draw out moisture and concetrate the tomato-y flavor
- warm up your frozen silver dollar pancakes or blinis per package instructions and let cool for ~5-10 minutes
- spread a generous swipe of creme fraiche on each pancake
- then top each with 2-3 pieces of tomato, a small spoonful of balsamic pearls (~10 pearls), and one mini basil leaf
- finish with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a small pinch of flaky salt. serve at room temp, enjoy!
