This Balsamic Glazed Caprese Sandwich is the ultimate upgrade to your sandwich game. Made with fresh mozzarella, juicy ripe tomatoes, basil pesto, and peppery arugula, it’s pressed until golden and drizzled with a rich balsamic glaze for bold, crave-worthy flavor.

Balsamic Glazed Caprese Sandwich
This is the sandwich that makes you rethink what lunch (or dinner) should taste like.
Years ago, I had a sun-dried tomato panini in South Carolina that completely rewired my sandwich standards. Fast forward a few summers and a local shop’s caprese panini had me hooked again. When my mom needed a vegetarian dinner idea to impress her friends, this sandwich was the first thing that came to mind. And now, it’s our go-to all summer long! It is quick to make, packed with flavor, and way more impressive than your average sandwich.

What is Caprese?
Caprese is an Italian dish made from fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil, occasionally paired with arugula. It can be eaten as a salad or on a sandwich.
Caprese Sandwich Ingredients
With just a handful of fresh, high-quality ingredients, this sandwich comes together in minutes and delivers major flavor. Here’s a quick rundown of what goes into this crave-worthy panini:
- Sourdough Bread: Tangy, chewy, and sturdy enough to hold all the melty goodness together.
- Fresh Tomatoes: Juicy and sweet. Look for ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Fresh Mozzarella: Creamy and soft. It melts beautifully and pairs perfectly with tomato and basil.
- Salt and Pepper: Simple seasonings that enhance every ingredient and bring the flavors to life.
- Pesto: Rich, herby, and packed with flavor. Adds a savory punch to every bite.
- Arugula: Peppery and crisp. It gives the sandwich a fresh, slightly spicy bite.
- Basil: Classic Caprese flavor. Fresh leaves add brightness and aroma.
- Butter: Creates a golden, crispy crust and adds rich, buttery flavor
- Balsamic Glaze: Sweet, tangy, and syrupy. It ties everything together with a bold finish.
The measurements for each ingredient can be found on the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make a Caprese Sandwich
This caprese sandwich recipe couldn’t be simpler to make!
- Prep: Start by making the homemade pesto and balsamic glaze. It’s less complicated than it seems and adds tons of flavor.
- Coat: Spread a generous layer of pesto on both slices of sourdough.
- Assemble: Layer on the fresh mozzarella, ripe tomato slices, fresh basil, and a handful of arugula. Drizzle with balsamic glaze for an extra flavor kick.
- Complete: Place the second slice of bread on top to close the sandwich.
- Grill: Cook in a panini press or on a grill pan until the bread is golden and crispy, and the cheese is melty.
The instructions can be found in more detail in the recipe card at the end of this post.

What to Serve with Caprese Sandwiches
A grilled Caprese sandwich is the ultimate light and fresh meal, perfect for lunch or dinner. But, of course, no sandwich is complete without the perfect sidekick. I love to pair my Caprese panini with sides that bring out its flavors while keeping things just as fresh and vibrant. Whether you’re in the mood for something crispy, fruity, or super refreshing, these sides will perfectly complement your sandwich:
- Crispy Sea Salt Chips
- Grape Salad
- Fruit Salad
- Garden Salad
- Citrus Jicama Avocado Salad
- Italian Veggie Salad

What’s the Best Bread for Caprese Sandwiches?
Our favorite bread to use for this tomato mozzarella caprese sandwich is sourdough. However, any crusty or hearty bread works well—think ciabatta rolls, focaccia, baguette, or Dutch crunch. Just be sure to skip the soft white bread; it won’t hold up to all those delicious toppings!
Do I Have to Use Homemade Pesto?
Not at all! While homemade pesto adds that extra touch, you can absolutely use your favorite store-bought pesto for a quicker, yet still flavorful, sandwich.
Can I Add Extra Veggies?
Sure thing! You’re welcome to load up your caprese sandwich as you see fit. Just keep in mind that this won’t technically be a caprese sandwich anymore once you add other vegetables. It’ll still be delicious though!

Tips for Making the BEST Caprese Sandwich
One of the biggest mistakes people make? Using the wrong mozzarella. Those firm, low-moisture blocks won’t give you the melty, creamy texture that makes a caprese sandwich shine. Look for fresh mozzarella! the kind that’s soft, packed in water, and usually found in the specialty cheese section. We love the Galbani mozzarella log for convenience and flavor.
Want to add a little protein? This sandwich is perfection as a vegetarian option, but feel free to layer on grilled chicken, sliced steak, or even some prosciutto to make it more filling!
Does This Sandwich Store Well?
This Caprese Sandwich is best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day. Just keep in mind that the bread may lose its crispiness, and the cheese could become a bit less melty. If you want to reheat it, pop it in a skillet or a panini press to crisp up the bread again and melt the cheese back to perfection.
This Caprese sandwich is the perfect blend of fresh, flavorful ingredients like mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and pesto, all sandwiched between crispy sourdough bread. Whether you’re making it for a quick lunch or serving it at a summer party, this easy-to-make, vegetarian panini is sure to impress!
More EASY SANDWICH RECIPES:
- Cucumber Dill Sandwiches
- Avocado, Turkey, & Bacon Sandwiches
- Crockpot French Dip Sandwich
- Classic Egg Salad Sandwiches
- Triple Decker Club Sandwich
- BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese
- Chicken Salad Sandwich (on a Croissant!)
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Panini
- Sun-Dried Tomato, Bacon, & Pesto Grilled Cheese
- …ALL OF OUR SANDWICH RECIPES!
Balsamic Glazed Caprese Panini
Description
Ingredients
Caprese Paninis
- Bread, (we prefer sourdough)
- Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
- Roma Tomatoes, sliced
- Arugula
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- Homemade Basil Pesto
- Butter
Balsamic Glaze
- 1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Honey, (or sugar)
Instructions
Make the Balsamic Glaze:
- Bring the vinegar and honey to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat until reduced by half. Do not boil, turn to medium low if needed. Set aside to cool.1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1 teaspoon Honey
Make the Caprese Sandwiches:
- Prepare the pesto per recipe instructions.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread. Then flip each slice and spread a generous layer of pesto on the other side.Butter, Homemade Basil Pesto
- With the pesto side facing up, layer on arugula, basil, sliced tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little balsamic glaze. Top with the second slice of bread, ensuring the pesto side faces inward.Bread, Fresh Mozzarella, Roma Tomatoes, Arugula, Fresh Basil Leaves
- Heat a panini grill or grill pan and grill until the bread turns golden and crisp and the cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition

Catherine Sokolowski
This sandwich looks dellicious!
Sweet Basil
Thanks Catherine! I’d love to hear what you think if you make it!
L.E.
Panini is a plural word! When you say you made a panini, you are saying you made a sandwiches!!! The singular word is panino. Why, oh, why does everyone make this mistake???
Sweet Basil
Whoa! This is news to me! Every restaurant I’ve ever been to has gotten this wrong. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says, “Panini is a plural form in Italian but is commonly used as both a singular and a plural in English. Its use as a singular has given rise the variant plural form paninis. The use of panino as a singular form in English has become relatively uncommon as panini has become established as the usual singular.”
JEAN m MORLANDO
you say to make the pesto it’s really easy, but where is the recipe ?
Sweet Basil
Hi Jean! Sorry about that! The link to the pesto recipe in the recipe card got broken somehow. I have corrected it. Here’s the link to the recipe: https://ohsweetbasil.com/classic-pesto-recipe-and-how-to-store-pesto/ Enjoy!!
Johna
So delicious! Gorgeous, big flavors that are utterly addictive and taste like these sandwiches should be way harder to make than they really are. A panini press is really the way to go. We were in our travel trailer, so I had to prepare these in our electric skillet. Flipping these was a tad messy, but we made it work, and the outcome was still yummy!
Sweet Basil
You are the best, Johna! Thank you so much!!
Catherine Sokolowski
I can see this sandwich being a regular on our weekly menu. I can’t wait to try it!
Sweet Basil
You’re going to love it, Catherine!!
A@4U
I prepared these sandwiches yesterday for a light Sunday supper – Quick, easy, minimal clean up and oh so delicious. I did use store-bought pesto and I reduced the glaze ingredients by about half which yielded plenty of glaze for 2 sandwiches. Thanks for a great recipe and look forward to serving again and again.
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed these sandwiches!
Donna
It says prepare per instructions but there are none…
Sweet Basil
Hi Donna! The instructions are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Leticia Beck
The pesto recipe part is not working… can you share the recipe?
Sweet Basil
Hi Leticia! That is so strange! It is opening just fine on my end. Try this link: https://ohsweetbasil.com/classic-pesto-recipe-and-how-to-store-pesto/
Let me know if that doesn’t work!
Robin
This is SO good!! Have already made three times since discovering your recipe. Only change is I used store bought pesto (because I’m lazy lol) and added spinach and pickled jalapeños! Easy and great sandwich for weeknight dinner!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Robin! Your version sounds amazing! Thank you for taking time to leave a comment!
Suze
Delicious and so easy!
Sweet Basil
It is one of my favorites! Thank you Suze!
Donna Sansbury
You were looking for a vegetarian meal for your mother, but pesto has parmesan cheese which is rennet which is from unweaned calf intestines. Bottled pest is aren’t vegetarian, a lot of people don’t know this. In the ingredients of a lot of food it lists enzymes which is rennet, unless it is microbial vegetarian.
Sweet Basil
Thank you for the information Donna!
Cheri
made the Caprese Sandwich for supper tonight. Delicious! I did make my own pesto tonight, but if I am in a hurry, I won’t hesitate to use store bought. I used a store bought Balsamic Reduction, because I was too lazy and in a hurry to get it together and didnt want to wait for it to cool. I skipped the Arugula tonight. My family as a whole don’t really like it. Next time I will use what ever leafy green I have avail, such as spinach, bibb or leaf lettuce. I may add some sliced chicken next time, as our son wanted a lil more subsidence. Lol.
Thank you for a lovely recipe that we shall use frequently!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much for the feedback Cheri! I love all your ideas for the next time around!
Dawn
I made these yesterday, they were SO GOOD
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much!