These Caramelized Onion Pear Tarts are the perfect way to start your holiday parties! Flaky puff pastry topped with smoky, caramelized onions, sweet pears, earthy thyme and decadent gorgonzola and gruyere cheeses. 
Hi friends! Happy Thanksgiving week!! I can hardly believe I just typed that.
This IS the week of THANKSGIVING. Holy cannoli, right?
Where DID 2016 go? I’m slightly freaked out at the prospect that before we know it, I will be telling you guys Happy New Year.
Straight up craziness, right there.
Anyways, we are going to keep things short today. Because, not only are we only 3 days away from Thanksgiving, and I KNOW you guys have things to do – final touches on the menu, grocery shopping, house cleaning, decorating, etc.
BUT, we are also only 2 days away from Boy’s birthday. WAHOO! So while you guys will be preparing for Turkey Day, I have to prepare for the hubster’s very special day.
And, on that note, enough chatter. Let’s talk about holidays and appetizers.
Legit, appetizers are my all-time favorite part of any party (well that, and the cocktails, let’s just keep it real here).
Seriously, I get heart eyes FOR DAYS over mini bites. I absolutely L.O.V.E. them. And if given the chance, I would make a holiday JUST for appetizers. 😉
So, in honor of my admiration for hor d’oeuvres, I thought I’d share a fantastic little amuse-bouche with you guys today. You know, juuuust in case you don’t have the appetizer portion of your Thanksgiving extravaganza covered.
But, make a mental note, these little bites of puff pastry heaven would also be an excellent addition to ANY of your holiday gatherings – Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s. Whatever!
Caramelized Onion Pear Tarts
You guys! Buttery, flaky appetizer perfection is going on ri-cheer.
These pear tarts may be mini in size, but they pack a flavorful punch!
Flaky, buttery puff pastry topped with smoky caramelized onions; sweet, fruity pears; earthy thyme, and cheesy, decadent gorgonzola and gruyere.
Drool-fest!
Seriously guys, make these mini tarts. Devour them. And repeat… at every party from now to eternity. 😉
Can you freeze pear tarts?
Yes! You can absolutely assemble and freeze pear tarts!
To freeze these puff pastry tarts simply caramelize the onions and cook the pears as directed in the recipe below. Then, cut the sheets of puff pastry into mini squares as directed. Next, place the puff pastry onto a sheet pan and spoon the filling onto the squares. Place the pan in the freezer for a few hour to freeze completely before transferring them to a freezer safe container. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer, brush the edges with egg mixture as directed in the recipe. Bake according to the recipe, adding a few minutes to the bake time.
Notes, Tips & Tricks for the Best Caramelized Onion Pear Tarts recipe:
- If you have been caramelizing your onions and NOT deglazing the pan at the end with liquid, like a splash or two of alcohol, you have been doing it all wrong. 😉 The alcohol cooks off, but the flavor it leaves behind is amazing. I always use a few splashes of Brandy to deglaze the pan, and I have written it in the recipe below. However, feel free to use whatever liquid you would like. White wine works well, but if you want to do a splash of stock or broth, that is fine too! Just use some sort of liquid, because you want to scrape up all the flavor in those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- The onions and pears can be caramelized and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can either make little puff pastry pear tarts as shown here, or you can keep the puff pastry whole and serve it more like a flatbread or pizza. If you cut it into bites, you will have a little bit of scraps of puff pastry left over. Simply discard them as there won’t be enough to utilize.
- The onion pear tarts can be assembled and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking.
Add these Caramelized Onion Pear Tarts to one of your holiday menus. I pinkie promise they are guaranteed to please!
Until next week friends, cheers! To all my friends in the USA, I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving!
XOXO
Cheyanne
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How to make Caramelized Onion Pear Tarts at home👇
Caramelized Onion Pear Tarts
Ingredients
- 1 TBS Vegetable Oil
- 3 TBS Unsalted Butter , divided
- 1 ½ Pounds Yellow Onions – thinly sliced (about 2-3 onions)
- 1 ½ Pound Bosc Pears (about 1-2 jumbo pears) – peeled and diced
- 2 tsp Light Brown Sugar
- 2 TBS Brandy
- 2 ounces Gruyere Cheese – coarsely grated
- 2 ounces Gorgonzola – crumbled
- 1 TBS Fresh Thyme
- 1 package Frozen Puff Pastry – thawed
- 1 Large Egg , beaten with 2 TBS of Water
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
- Optional for Serving: Balsamic Vinegar or Reduction
Instructions
- Caramelize the Onions: Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and ½ tsp salt. COVER and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. UNCOVER and continue to cook, stirring often, for 20-25 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Deglaze the pan with brandy* and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.*
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and position 1 rack in the lower third and 1 rack in the upper third positions in the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cook the Pears: In the same skillet you used for the onions, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the pears and cook, stirring frequently, until the pears are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are fully softened, about 5-8 additional minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the onions and let cool.
- Cut the puff pastry into 2’’ squares* and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1’’ apart. Brush the pastry squares with egg mixture.
- Add both cheeses, thyme, 1/8 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper to onion and pear mixture. Stir to combine. Place a heaping 1 tablespoon onion mixture in the center of each puff pastry square.
- Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the pastry is golden and crisp, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- To Serve: Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the tarts cool to room temperature before serving. Serve with Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
1. I used Brandy to deglaze the pan, because I like the hint of sweetness, but feel free to use whatever liquid you would like. White wine works well, but you can also use stock or broth. Just make sure you use some sort of liquid, because you want to scrape up all the flavor in those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
2. The onions and pears can be caramelized and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
3. You can either make little puff pastry tarts as shown here, or you can keep the puff pastry whole and serve it more like a flatbread or pizza. If you cut it into bites, you will have a little bit of scraps of puff pastry left over. Simply discard them as there won't be enough to utilize.
4. The tarts can be assembled and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking.
Nutrition
Do you think I could use pastry cups instead of cutting into bites? I am afraid of it falling apart as I try to make into squares.
Hi Renee!
The puff pastry is very easy to work with and cut into squares, if that helps ease your mind at all. With that said, I’ve never used puff pastry cups for these tarts, but I do not see why you can’t. If you try it, let me know how it goes! And, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I’m always here to help! Cheers!
Can I make these a day ahead and reheat before the guests arrive?
Hi Harriet,
Honestly, I have never made these a day ahead and tried to reheat them, so I can’t give you an answer based on experience. However, I do know you can assemble these a few hours ahead and store them in the refrigerator, then proceed with baking them as instructed. Or, if you want to get as much done in advance as possible, I would caramelize the onions and cook the pears and store those in the refrigerator. Then assemble the day of, store in the refrigerator and bake as directed when guests arrive. Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!
This looks the perfect dish for a small buffet party, especially in this Christmas. Tart is my favourite regardless it combines with what food. So this sounds ideal. I will try realizing soon. Thank for your recipe!
It’s easy and delicious recipe. My husband will love this :). Thank you very much for your sharing!!!
Hey Girl – I totally missed this post from last week because I was crammed in the car with a billion kids headed to PA and my 83 year old Aunt Pinkie and some homemade pumpkin pie. Yeah, it was awesome. But there was not an hor d’oeuvre in sight before Thanksgiving dinner. Or the whole weekend for that matter. The company was great but I felt slightly cheated re: the menu. I was dying for something outstanding like this with a glass of white. These Caramelized Onion & Pear Tarts are just what I would have LOVED, being that I have a love affair going with gruyere. (I have a gruyere mac & cheese recipe we all adore.) Everything about this little app is awesome and I am thinking we will try it over the Christmas holidays. Cheers to a fab week ahead and hope Boy’s birthday celebration was over the top. XO
Excuse the name typo, I obviously need more coffee. 😉
I know you’re thinking, what are you doing commenting on Thanksgiving day? Well we are up in the Portland area, sipping coffee and looking out into the trees and rain and I wanted to stop by and say thanks. Thanks for the continued friendship and support this past year Chex.
This one has it all, caramelized onions, cheeses and puff pastry… I would eat a few now and it’s 8:50 in the morning! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving friend.
Boy’s Birthday and Thanksgiving at the same time … wow and I am already stressed about Christmas which is still weeks away 😉 Gruyere is one of my favourite cheeses and I love sweet and savoury combinations so this is right up my alley. So delicious and perfect for the holiday season! Have a great weekend!
Happy Birthday to you hubby! You made tarts with onion and pear ??? Wow! I love puff pastries like anything but I’ve never seen anything like this and it’s so pretty and so festive! I bet it would be perfect for Christmas too with that gorgeous color! Happy Thanksgiving, Chey! <3
I’m with you, apps are often the highlight of any big meal for me! In fact, I often fill up on them before dinner, because they’re just SO good! Caramelized onions, gorgonzola, and pear are a match made in heaven, and to serve them on a buttery puff pastry is just over the top in all the best ways! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving my dear and happy birthday to Boy!
I, legit, cannot believe it’s Thanksgiving week! Happy Birthday to BOY! I’m also a HUGE app fan.. and I’m extremely excited to try this recipe because I’ve just successfully made gluten-free puff pastry this week! It’s the simple things in life.Caramelized onions, pear, gruyere AND gorgonzola?! Totally drooling over here! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, Cheyanne!
These look fantastic, Cheyanne!! I am such a fan of pear with cheese, especially if you stick on some puff pastry! 😉 I hope you and the hubby have a lovely holiday and a fabulous bday! 🙂
These look perfect for entertaining! Have a wonderful holiday Cheyanne and birthday wishes to your hubby! Enjoy.
Oh my goodness, I’ve died and gone to heaven!! Puff pastry, pears and Gorgonzola are the things my food dreams are made of . Nicely done! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!