This balsamic glaze is a sweet, tangy, and rich condiment that pairs wonderfully with a wide variety of dishes! It's a must-have addition to veggies, fish, poultry, salad, pasta, and fruit! Simply drizzle some over the top of your favorite meals and watch it take the flavor to a whole new level!
Homemade Balsamic Glaze Recipe
This tasty balsamic glaze is quite possibly my favorite condiment ever. Not only is it simple to make, but it tastes great with basically everything! (I don't think I could ever eat pizza again without a drizzle of this amazing sauce!)
It's so easy to make at home that there really isn't a reason to not go ahead and give it a try. Trust me, you'll be hooked as soon as you taste it!
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🥘 Balsamic Glaze Ingredients
You only need 3 ingredients for this incredibly delicious glaze! Balsamic vinegar, thyme, and your favorite choice of sweetener!
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 cup of your favorite brand of balsamic vinegar. You don't need anything fancy, just grab your favorite kind from the store!
- Brown Sugar - ¼ cup of light brown sugar. You can swap this out for your favorite kind of sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, or molasses!
- Thyme - 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme to add some depth to the flavors!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make A Balsamic Glaze
The key to this recipe is simply simmering the glaze until it reaches your desired thickness. That's all there is to it! You're going to need a saucepan, a spoon, and your measuring utensils.
This balsamic glaze is incredibly rich and is intended to only be drizzled onto your dishes. Depending on how much you allow the vinegar to reduce, this recipe will yield roughly ½ cup of glaze.
- Whisk. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and ¼ cup of brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add. Add in 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme and bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to low.
- Simmer. Simmer until the glaze has reduced by about half (about 20 minutes). The glaze should cling to your spoon and will continue to thicken up while it cools.
- Serve. When the glaze is as thick as you like, remove it from the heat and strain out the thyme. Let it cool before serving or storing.
When I say this glaze is super versatile, I truly mean it! Enjoy it on some tortilla pizza, a baked NY strip steak, some fresh fruit, roasted brussel sprouts, and more! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- 20 minutes is my preferred amount of time to let my glaze simmer to reach a really nice consistency. However, you can adjust this time based on if you enjoy your glaze thicker or thinner.
- Instead of brown sugar, you can use practically any sweetener you like! Feel free to swap it out for molasses, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or granulated sugar. You can also use sugar-free alternatives, such as swerve.
- Keep in mind that the glaze will continue to thicken as it cools and should have the consistency of warm honey.
🥡 Storing
Let your glaze cool completely before you store it. You'll want to keep it in a glass jar or other type of sealed container. You can keep it on the counter at room temperature for a couple of weeks (it does not need to be stored in the fridge).
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Balsamic vinegar is simply a type of vinegar that is commonly used as an ingredient in recipes. It is completely liquid and has a typical vinegar taste. When you add in a sweetener (like brown sugar) and allow the mixture to reduce until it is thick and sweet, you'll have a balsamic glaze!
Nope! Since a balsamic glaze is literally just reduced balsamic vinegar it has no need to be refrigerated!
The better question is what can't you use this tasty glaze for? It's super versatile and can be enjoyed with beef, chicken, turkey, fish, salad, pizza, fruit, vegetables, and even ice cream! The possibilities are truly endless.
😋 More Homemade Condiments
- Blue Cheese Steak Sauce - A tangy and bold sauce that is perfect for your favorite cuts of steak!
- Red Wine Reduction Sauce - Another delicious reduction that pairs wonderfully with steak!
- Cajun Dipping Sauce - This zesty sauce is perfect for dipping fries, chips, and chicken!
- Lemon Butter Sauce - This buttery and tangy sauce is ideal for any variety of fish!
- Toffee Sauce - A thick and sweet sauce that can make any of your favorite desserts extra tasty!
- Cheese Dip - Pair this creamy sauce with some pretzels and you're ready to host a party!
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📖 Recipe Card
Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup Balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (*see note)
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and the brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add in the fresh thyme and bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to low.
- Simmer until the glaze has reduced by about half (about 20 minutes). The glaze should cling to your spoon and will continue to thicken up while it cools.
- When the glaze is as thick as you like, remove it from the heat and strain out the thyme. Let it cool before serving or storing.
Notes
- 20 minutes is my preferred amount of time to let my glaze simmer to reach a really nice consistency. However, you can adjust this time based on if you enjoy your glaze thicker or thinner.
- Instead of brown sugar, you can use practically any sweetener you like! Feel free to swap it out for molasses, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or granulated sugar. You can also use sugar-free alternatives, such as swerve.
- Keep in mind that the glaze will continue to thicken as it cools and should have the consistency of warm honey.
- To store: Let your glaze cool completely before you store it. You'll want to keep it in a glass jar or other type of sealed container. You can keep it on the counter at room temperature for a couple of weeks (it does not need to be stored in the fridge).
Sabina says
Ovo je radilo točno kako je napisano, hvala!
"This worked exactly as written, thanks!"
Evangeline says
Thank you very much for your valuable advice, I'm going to try making a balsamic glaze. I bought some in the shop, it's delicious, but homemade will be much better.