Balsamic Butter Mushroom Bites

These Balsamic Butter Mushroom Bites are perfectly poppable party appetizers. The gut-healthy balsamic vinegar offers up an acidic tang that is tamed by the velvety smooth honey and butter. As the antioxidant-rich mushrooms cook, the sauce thickens up and hides in the crevices of the mushrooms, providing incredibly complex sweet and sour notes in each tender, earthy bite. Keep reading for expert tips, including why you should cut the mushrooms into evenly sized pieces.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Cut the mushrooms into evenly sized pieces so they all roast in the same amount of time. If you don’t want to quarter them, you can purchase pre-sliced mushrooms, but cooking times may vary. You can also use a tube of grated garlic to save time in the kitchen.
• Turn this appetizer into a meal: Make a double batch of sauce and brush it over salmon or chicken on the same sheet pan as the mushrooms, or use the sauce as a marinade for meat or grilled shrimp.
• If you don’t like mushrooms, try this recipe with your favorite veggie, like asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, edamame, red or yellow potatoes or sweet potatoes. You may need to adjust the roasting time.

Nutrition Notes

• While mushrooms’ earthy color might not fit the typical “eat the rainbow” motto, what they lack in color they make up for in nutritional value. Since they’re loaded with prebiotic fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants, regularly eating mushrooms may help reduce inflammation and chronic disease. Many types of mushrooms also provide vitamin D, a vitamin that many people fall short of that is necessary for strong and healthy bones, muscles, nervous system and immune system.  
• Like all types of vinegar, balsamic vinegar is fermented, making it good for your gut by adding beneficial bacteria. There is some evidence that the antioxidants in balsamic vinegar may help reduce blood pressure and support healthy skin.
• Typically made from cow’s milk and cream, butter’s rich, creamy flavor is hard to replicate. While butter’s primary nutrient is fat, it also contributes some vitamin A—11% of your day’s worth in 1 tablespoon of butter, per the USDA. And the fat in butter will help your body better absorb fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin D, in the mushrooms. Regarding the big picture, as with any other food, you don’t want to make butter your only fat source. Include it in your diet along with other types of fat, like olive oil and avocado oil.