Want to add sweet and tangy flavor to a salad, appetizer, or side dish? Make this balsamic reduction! You just need 10 minutes and 1 basic ingredient.

Since it’s the season for all things Caprese (find my salad recipe here and my skewer recipe here!), I thought I’d go ahead and share a simple balsamic glaze recipe too. This punchy reduction couldn’t be easier to make, and its sweet and tangy flavor is the perfect accent for seasonal ingredients like basil and tomatoes.

That being said, this balsamic glaze recipe can come in handy at other times of year, too. You can toss it with Brussels sprouts in the fall, drizzle it over roasted acorn squash in the winter, and serve it with ruby red strawberries in the spring. Honestly, once you know how to make a balsamic reduction, you’ll start drizzling it over everything.

How to Make Balsamic Glaze

Here’s the good news: you only need 1 ingredient to make this balsamic glaze recipe! While some recipes call for maple syrup or brown sugar, I find it’s not necessary. Reduced balsamic vinegar is plenty sweet and syrupy on its own.

The other good news? Making this balsamic glaze only takes about 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Then, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often so that the vinegar doesn’t burn, until the vinegar thickens. The exact timing will depend on how thick you want your balsamic reduction to be. Keep in mind that it will continue to thicken as it cools.

That’s it! Making a homemade balsamic glaze couldn’t be simpler.

How to Use Balsamic Reduction

Use this balsamic glaze anytime you want to give a dish a kick of sweet and tangy flavor. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Drizzle it over a Caprese salad. It’s great on Caprese skewers, too!
Toss it with roasted Brussels sprouts. This combination is a classic for a reason.
Or other roasted veggies! Some of my favorites include butternut, acorn, and delicata squash, broccoli, beets, fennel, and tomatoes.
Spoon it onto grilled vegetables. Think zucchini, onions, and mixed veggie skewers.
Serve it with fruit. Try it in this strawberry salad, or add it to this burrata recipe with tomatoes and peaches. It’d be divine on grilled peaches, too.
Drizzle it onto pizza. It’s especially at home on a Margherita.
Serve it on bruschetta for a classy summer appetizer. When tomatoes and basil are in the picture, this balsamic reduction will always taste great.
Or enjoy it for dessert. It’s an out-of-this-world ice cream topping!

How do you like to use balsamic glaze? Let me know in the comments!

More Favorite Dressings and Sauces

If you love this balsamic reduction recipe, try one of these dressings or sauces next:

Balsamic Reduction (Balsamic Glaze)

rate this recipe:

4.95 from 18 votes

Cook Time: 12

Serves 4

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This sweet and tangy balsamic glaze is an easy, delicious topping for roasted or grilled vegetables, bruschetta, pizza, fruit, and more! Find specific serving suggestions in the post above.

Ingredients

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Add the vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until thick and reduced, about 8 to 12 minutes. The timing will depend on your desired thickness. The balsamic will also thicken as it cools.
See the blog post above for serving suggestions.