Stop the presses. These French Onion Tartlets are theee appetizer for any of your party needs. Whether it’s for holiday gatherings or dinner parties or extravagant soirees or even weddings, these poppable savory bites are perfect for all occasions.
You guys — are we cool to talk about Thanksgiving yet? I mean, it is literally the biggest social eating occasion of the year, and I know we all love to hang out and eat. It’s our thing. Ergo, Thanksgiving is totally our thing, so it’s totally OK to talk about it already (it’s November and there are Christmas trees in all the stores already, for Pete’s sake! Give me two weeks and Mariah Carey Christmas will be playing on my Pandora radio).
That’s my line of reasoning anyway to talk to you about these bomb French Onion Tartlets that I need you to add immediately to that Thanksgiving menu I know you’ve already totally planned (ahem). Bonus points if you decide to make them ahead of time, you know, for the research.
The Story Behind These French Onion Tartlets
The inspiration for these little bites o’ bliss came from a wedding we attended last weekend in Milwaukee for one of my dearest childhood friends. She and her husband had their reception at the original Pabst brewery that’s now turned into a gorgeous venue and for hors d’oeuvres, they had bacon-wrapped shrimp (YUS), brat shots (a shot of beer with a slice of bratwurst and a spoonful of sauerkraut on a stick, so clever) and what I can only presume were French onion tartlets. They were served in flaky phyllo cups and filled with a creamy caramelized onion mixture and I about grabbed the entire tray from the waiter to eat them in the corner all by myself. But then I thought better of that idea and decided to recreate them at home ASAP. And here we are.
How to Make French Onion Tartlets
These savory mini tarts couldn’t be simpler, thanks to Athens Foods’ flaky, buttery mini fillo shells that are already made and baked and ready to fill. The hardest part is having the patience to let the onions for the filling caramelize to the nth degree, and trust me, they need to — it’s what makes these tarts sing (metaphorically). Plus, your kitchen will smell amazing. Your clothes maybe not so much, and people may question your hygiene, but you can just give them one of these tartlets and they’ll forgive all ills.
The best part, as I mentioned earlier, is that they would be perfect for a Thanksgiving appetizer, and while my particular family is always hellbent on featuring deviled eggs with capers and dill, the spinach dip in a Hawaiian bread bowl and the block of cream cheese with a slather of jam on top as our appetizers of choice, I think I can sneak these onto the table and win them over with something new. They’ll play nicely with the cream cheese block, for sure.
Mariah Carey Christmas radio, I’m coming for you.
French Onion Tartlets
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped, medium
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves, fresh, picked from stem
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped, fresh
- 30 mini fillo dough shells,
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. In medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onions and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes until softened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook onions 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add fresh thyme leaves.
- Cook yet another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown and very caramelized. Add white wine and continue to cook 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese, egg and parsley until well combined.
- Place fillo shells on rimmed baking sheet. Fill each shell with a scant tablespoon onion mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until shells are lightly golden and filling is lightly browned on top. Serve warm.
Notes
- Find the mini fillo shells in the freezer section at your grocery store.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Disclosure: I received compensation from Athens Foods for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.
That’s quite a journey to how the French onion tarlets came to be. Will give it a try very soon.
Is there a substitute for white wine. I hate to buy and I don’t drink but want to make these.
Sound good.
Ps girl said she used parmesan cheese instead of cream, I like both wld it hurt to add a little to cream cheese.
Thxs so much and an answer as soon as possible wld help b4 I make soon. Happy Thanksgiving
Sam, You can leave out the white wine or swap it for chicken broth. You can also add Parmesan cheese to the cream cheese if you like that flavor. Enjoy!
These were scrumptious and the timing spot on. A huge hit!
Hi ! What can I use as a substitute for eggs?
Mehar — Great question! My best suggestion is a flax seed egg: https://www.thekitchn.com/egg-substitutes-in-baking-try-95072
These are amazing!1 I topped with some shredded cheese before baking. Everyone raved about them, and five people ate the entire recipe!! These are my new go-to recipe for parties!
Jess, Adding cheese sounds perfect! Thanks so much!
Okay these are amaaaazing. I never leave comments on recipes, but wanted you to know how much we loved this recipe (and made it for two different Christmas gatherings this year). The one edit we made was to add more salt than we otherwise would have guessed with the “to taste” direction. We also added a bit (probably 1 tsp) of garlic powder (at the salt and pepper step), and a sprinkling of cayenne as well. Those two additions made them a little more salty and punched with flavor, with a very mild heat at the end. So, so good!
Lindsi, Thank you SO much! Love the addition of cayenne — yum!
I’m bringing these to a thanksgiving celebration. Is it better to cook them ahead of time and rewarm them or should I fill them, transport them for 45 minutes then bake them at the house I’m going to??
Betsy, So sorry to get back to you late! I hope you were able to make this work for you. For future reference — I would bake them just before serving, since the phyllo shells might get soggy if they sit too long.
Do you think you make these the night before?
Lauren, Many apologies for not being able to respond sooner! I would recommend making this just before serving, however, you can make the filling the night before and then fill the phyllo shells and bake the next day.
Hello! Do these need to be served warm or could I make these ahead? I need something for a fancy tailgate party so everything needs to be made ahead & transported. These would be amazing with our beef tenderloin but I need to be sure they’re kept at a safe temp.
Kristine, Sounds fun! You can make these up to a few hours ahead, but beyond that the shells may get soggy. You could make the filling up to one day ahead of time and store it in the fridge, then fill and bake right before taking them with you to the party. Hope that helps!