These caramelized onion puff pastry bites are the perfect appetizer for the holiday season! They are great for entertaining.
They are made with buttery and flaky puff pastry, and filled with a savory herb and cheese filling…then topped with fragrant caramelized onions. You won’t be able to put them down, they taste so amazing!
This recipe uses store-bought puff pastry shells for convenience (I mean, holidays are hectic!), and can easily be doubled or even tripled as needed.
I think you’re going to love these beautiful caramelized onion puff pastry bites! They are perfect this time of year to impress your guests. With so many fun holiday parties and gatherings, this onion appetizer will definitely be a hit!
I always love the convenience and ease of store-bought puff pastry, which I use to make so many recipes including my Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers, Puff Pastry Apple Tarts, or even an entire Beef Pot Pie.
For today’s caramelized onion puff pastry bites recipe, I use ready-to-bake pre-cut frozen puff pastry shells (more on this below), which makes this recipe even quicker and easier! No need to cut the dough or anything.
These puff pastry onion bites are so buttery, flaky, and crunchy. The filling is made with ricotta cheese and sour cream, mixed with roasted garlic and fresh herbs. The finishing touch is the caramelized onions, which have so much depth of flavor. Truly the perfect bite!
While onions do take some time to caramelize, the results are so worth it. You will be so glad you did because this provides so much depth in flavor. You can even do this ahead of time.
Looking for more savory holiday appetizers? Try these Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs and Caprese Skewers. So good!
Why I love making these caramelized onion puff pastry bites:
- Fun appetizer! This bite-sized appetizer is a crowd pleaser, which is great for holiday entertaining!
- So convenient and easy: We use ready-to-bake, pre-cut puff pastry shells.
- So delicious: Buttery, flaky pastry shells filled with creamy herb cheese and topped with sweet caramelized onions — every bite is delicious!
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A Note on Puff Pastry Shells
For this recipe, I use store-bought, ready-to-bake puff pastry shells. These are basically pre-cut puff pastry into rounds, so all you have to do is pop them in the oven and bake.
I’d recommend Pepperidge Farm’s shells. A 10-ounce box comes with 6 shells. They are about 2.5 inches round and will expand slightly when baked. So, not exactly tiny, but a good size to savor each bite. But any brand will work just fine!
If you can’t find pre-made pastry shells, you can make your own using puff pastry sheets. Simply roll out the dough and cut rounds with a cookie cutter. Then, press a smaller cutter into the center of each round without cutting all the way through. This creates a border that will puff up, leaving a well for your filling. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few basic ingredients to make these fun caramelized onion puff pastry bites. Below are a few notes from recipe testing, and as always, quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
- Store-bought puff pastry shells: I like to use Pepperidge Farm’s brand. These come in a box of 6 shells, so use as many as needed. If you can’t find it, you can always buy puff pastry sheets and cut rounds.
- Roasted garlic head: Adds amazing fragrant flavor to the filling. You can roast it the day before.
- Unsalted butter: Adds flavor and aids in the onion caramelization process.
- Yellow onions: The best onions for classic caramelized onions.
- Beef broth: Just a splash to release the brown bits from the onions.
- Ricotta cheese and sour cream: The base for the filling. The ricotta is creamy and light, and the sour cream adds a touch of tanginess and a smooth texture.
- Olive oil: Used in the filling to help blend ingredients together.
- Parsley and chives: For the filling. Finely chopped. Use fresh herbs only.
- Egg whisked with heavy cream for the egg wash.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Honey for drizzling at the end.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
I’ll show you the detailed process for how to make these delicious caramelized onion puff pastry bites! Follow along to see how simply they are made.
Step 1 | Roast the garlic
To roast garlic, cut the top off to expose the cloves. Set it on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic tightly in the foil and place it on a sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cloves are soft and caramelized. You can do this 2-3 days ahead.
Step 2 | Caramelize the onions
Caramelizing onions takes a good 45 minutes. The key to depth of flavor is not rushing the process. It may seem like a lot of onions at first, but they will greatly reduce once caramelized.
Melt the butter in a large pan. Over medium-high heat, cook the onions for about 5 minutes giving them a generous pinch of salt. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking for another 40 minutes until caramelized. Let them cook undisturbed only stirring occasionally. Towards the end, or as needed, add a splash of beef broth to release the brown bites.
Step 3 | Bake the puff pastry shells
Whisk an egg with about 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to make an egg wash. Brush the edges of the shells with it. Bake according to package instructions, until puffed up and golden brown.
Let it cool slightly. Then, use a paring knife to cut around the center and gently press down to create room for the filling.
Step 4 | Make the filling
In a food processor, combine the ricotta, sour cream, olive oil and roasted garlic cloves (squeeze them out). Process until smooth then transfer to a bowl. Mix in the fresh chopped chives and parsley. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Then, transfer to a large Ziploc or piping bag, and snip off the corner of the bag. We’ll use this to pipe the filling into the baked shells.
Step 5 | Assemble
Pipe the filling into the baked puff pastry shells. Then, top with the caramelized onions.
To finish, garnish with chives and finish with a drizzle with honey. I swear, these onion puff pastry bites are SO GOOD!
More Holiday Appetizer Ideas
Here are some of my favorite holiday appetizers! I promise, everyone will love them and keep coming back for more.
- Pepperoni Pizza Rolls – savory, cheesy, and fluffy!
- Mini Spinach Quiches – these are so cute!
- Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs – these are super popular.
- Avocado Deviled Eggs – I mean, who doesn’t love deviled eggs?!
- Mac and Cheese Bites – a family favorite!
- Fingerling Potato Bruschetta – such a fun twist on regular bruschetta.
Recipe FAQs
Yellow onions are the best to use because they are slightly sweet and caramelize very well. I wouldn’t use red onions (too strong) or white onions (doesn’t have sweetness).
You need to bake the puff pastry shells before filling them. I’d recommend letting them cool down before assembling. Bake according to package directions.
You can prep the components ahead. The filling can be made up to 2 days in advance and the onions can be caramelized ahead. Same with the roasted garlic head. Keep refrigerated and bring back to room temperature before using. I do not recommend baking the pastry shells ahead, as they will not be as flaky the next day.
Tips for Success
- I use ready-to-bake puff pastry shells for ease and convenience. They are pre-cut into rounds, so all you need to do is pop them in the oven. I use Pepperidge Farm brand, but any will work.
- If you cannot find the puff pastry shells, make your own using puff pastry sheets. Start by rolling out a puff pastry sheet and cut out rounds with a cookie cutter. Then, using a smaller cookie cutter, press down without cutting all the way through. This will create a border which will puff up and create the center for the filling.
- Cook caramelized onions slowly. This process takes 40-45 minutes. Don’t rush this process. If needed, you can do this the day before.
- The roasted garlic can also be made the day before. Same with the ricotta filling.
- Wait for the shells to cool down before adding the filling. Otherwise, they can get soggy.
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Caramelized Onion Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce box puff pastry shells - see notes
- 1 whole head garlic
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large yellow onions - thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons beef broth - to deglaze, as needed
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives - plus more for garnish
- 1 egg - for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream - for egg wash
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Honey for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Roast the garlic: Slice off the top off the garlic head to expose the cloves. Set it on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly with the foil and place it on a sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, caramelize the onions: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan. Over medium-high heat, cook the onions for 5 minutes with a generous pinch of salt. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue cooking the onions for another 40-45 minutes until caramelized. Let them cook mainly undisturbed so they get that deep color caramelization, and don’t rush the process. Tip: Add a splash of beef broth as needed to deglaze the brown bites.
- Make the egg wash: Whisk the egg with heavy cream.
- Bake the puff pastry shells: Brush the edges of the puff pastry shells with the egg wash. Bake according to package directions at 400 degrees F, until puffed up and golden brown. It usually takes 18-20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Make the filling: In a food processor, combine the ricotta, sour cream, olive oil, and the roasted garlic (only the cloves, squeezed out). Process for a few seconds until smooth. Then, transfer to a bowl and mix in the chopped chives and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large Ziploc or piping bag, and snip off the corner of the bag. We’ll use the bag to pipe the filling into the shells.
- Assemble: One by one, pipe the prepared filling into the baked puff pastry shells. Then, top with the caramelized onions. Garnish with chives on top, and finish with a few drizzles of honey. Enjoy!
Notes
- I use Pepperidge Farm brand ready-to-bake puff pastry shells. A 10-ounce box comes with 6 shells.
- Feel free to double or triple the recipe.
- Let onions caramelize undisturbed for 40-45 minutes. Don’t rush the process by increasing the heat. If they look like they are starting to burn, splash some broth into the pan to deglaze.
- Prep ahead: The onions can be caramelized the day before. The garlic can be roasted in advance.
- Storage: Place baked shells in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. They won’t be as flaky though.
- You can also use phyllo shells.
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