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Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Tomato Tarts…with everything bagel spice and plenty of fresh thyme. These fun tarts are the perfect summertime appetizer or light dinner. Flaky puff pastry dough topped with caramelized onions, two kinds of cheese, fresh thyme, basil, and balsamic cherry tomatoes. Once baked, the pastry dough turns golden brown and the tomatoes burst, turning sweet and delicious. You just can’t beat these easy tarts!
I know it’s Thursday and all, but my gosh I wish it was Friday. Normally the days of the week really do not matter to me at all. In general, I pretty much enjoy every day of the week. Because (for the most part), I truly love what I do. I love creating new recipes, I love styling food, and I love photographing each recipe for you all to see. And of course, my favorite part is interacting with you all through comments, emails, and Instagram. It’s the greatest job, and even just writing these sentences out has me feeling so much better. Sometimes you just have to remember the good, so you can push all the negative out. Easier said than done.
If you didn’t already guess, Tuesday was a stressful day. But today I am thankful that I have this incredibly delicious, and oh easy recipe to share. It’s a good one that I have been dying to share for weeks now.
Typically, I get ideas for new seasonal recipes weeks and weeks before the season actually starts. So by the time I’m ready to share the recipe with you all, I’m usually overly excited. I mean, I’ve been keeping the recipe all to myself, I’m dying to share it!
The good news is that summer is so close. Which means tomatoes have started to arrive. Which means it’s tomato tart season!
YESS!
What I love about tart recipes is that they are truly the easiest. I usually use my favorite store-bought puff pastry and then just layer on my toppings. Puff pastry is one of those store-bought items that I find so much easier to just pick up at the store versus making it at home. I know some might argue this, but I live by store-bought puff pastry. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to use to whip up quick and delicious recipes.
Bottom line here? Keep your freezer stocked with puff pastry. OK? Great. Moving on.
To start, you’ll need to caramelize some onions, which is really simple. Just cook up some onions along with the tiniest amount of honey until the onions turn deep golden in color. The honey helps to caramelize the onion faster, giving them a rich color and flavor. While caramelizing the onions is an additional step, it’s so worth it. The caramelized onions make this tart.
While the onions are cooking away, start preparing the pastry. All you need to do is roll the pastry out and cut it into 4 squares. Very easy.
Now, toss those sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes with some balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil.
Layer the onions over the pastry squares, add a mix of cheddar and Havarti cheese, and then pile on the tomatoes. You may worry that there are too many tomatoes for the amount of dough, but don’t stress. The tomatoes burst and break down in the oven. They are so delicious!
Finish each pastry square off with a sprinkle of everything bagel spice. My favorite seasoning blend to mix with summer tomatoes. And then bake!
As this bakes, the tomatoes slowly roast, the cheese melts, and the pastries become flaky. SO GOOD.
And…your kitchen will indeed smell amazing! Like the flavors of summer…again, just SO GOOD.
Make these tarts as an easy dinner to pair with a simple side salad, or serve them up as an appetizer for your next gathering. Either way, these are going to be loved by all. My hope is that they’ll become a staple in your kitchen for the next few months.
If you make these Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Tomato Tarts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Tomato Tarts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 egg, beaten
- everything bagel spice, for sprinkling
- fresh chopped chives
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and honey and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes or until the onions are golden and caramelized. Add the garlic, and thyme, cook another minute. Remove from the heat.3. In a bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil, crushed red pepper, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 4. Lay the pastry sheet flat on a clean, floured surface. Gently roll the sheets out to stretch slightly. Cut each sheet into 4 squares and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Evenly top each square with onions, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Top with both kinds of cheese and then mound the tomatoes over the cheese, pressing them into the cheese to adhere slightly (see above photo). 5. Fold the edges of the pastry inward to enclose the tomatoes. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with everything spice. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the tomatoes burst. Top with fresh thyme and chives.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Delicious!!
Thank you Ineke! xTieghan
I love every recipe of yours that I try – and this one is no exception! This recipe is SO simple and so good. The fresh thyme and everything bagel seasoning really takes this to the next level. Super simple and we all loved it. My Dad wasn’t expecting a lot from these and devoured his saying “this is really good, really.” Again, delicious and it was made even better with how easy and quick it was to make (and barely got any dishes dirty in the process!).
Amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you all, Melissa! Thank you! xTieghan
I have made these a few times. My mom is crazy for them. They freeze so well too. Deliciousness. My mouth waters just writing this.
Thank you so much Laurie! xTieghan
This one is a keeper! Loved everything about it — next time I think I will double up on the carmelized onion, which makes everything delicious. I discovered I had grape (not cherry) tomatoes, but it turned out great anyway. The Everything spice is a nice finish. I love your recipes!
Thank you so much Jane! I am really glad you enjoyed this one!! xTieghan
Omg deliciousness. Made it with edible flowers for the first go around (photo on IG @wander_work_repeat). Will make tomorrow and serve with a fried egg on top.
Love that! Thank you so much Meredith! xTieghan
So so good!!!
Thank you so much Nadia! xTieghan
Just made this – it was incredible!! Couldn’t wait to try it…burned the top of my mouth…but so good.
Thank you for such delicious and beautiful recipes!! I love cooking from your recipes.
Oh no!! I hope you are okay! I am SO glad you loved this recipe though, Arnaz!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This was so delicious! My daughter loved it – she called it fancy pizza.
Ooo lala haha! I am glad you both enjoyed this recipe, Amy! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I made these last night for an appetizer and they were so delicious! Instead of havarti I used provolone and ADD FRESH BURRATA!! to the top after they come out of the oven.. absolute game changer. Most delicious thing I’ve made in a really long time (maybe ever?)
Yes!! So happy to hear that Aly! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing!
Could you make it hours ahead ready to put in the oven or will the pastry go soggy?
Hi!! Yes, that works really well! The pastry should hold up just fine for a few hours in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Could you make and bake these and then freeze them and warm them up to use later?
Hi! Yes, that works very well. I would rewarm them from frozen in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Just made these and they are delicious! Super quick and easy, perfect to make for company.
Agreed! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Karina! Thank you! xTieghan
I plan to make this as an appetizer for 10. I’m using pre-rolled puff pastry sheets.
What is the approximate dimension of your puff pastry squares? I think I’ll use 2 sheets.
These look so good….love all your recipes.
Hey Sandra! I am sorry but I don’t have the dimensions. If you are doubling the recipe, 2 sheets will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This is the perfect summer dish! Light, flavorful, filling and absolutely beautiful! (I added arugula to the top of mine and love, love, loved it!)
Love to hear that Ali! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this recipe more caprese style (ricotta smeared on the bottom and fresh mozzarella for cheeses) and added an arugula salad for the top. The recipe was great! I would recommend halving the tomatoes because they shoot out very hot liquid after coming out of the oven! Overall though, super delicious and light! Perfect for summer
Thank you so much Skyler!! So happy to hear that you loved this recipe! xTieghan