These caramelized onion and goat cheese tartlets have crisp pastry, tender onions, warm goat cheese, and a little drizzle of honey. Add rosemary or thyme, and you have a lovely French appetizer made from just a handful of ingredients.
If there's goat cheese, honey, and pastry in my kitchen, there's a good chance these tartlets are about to happen. The first bite is why I keep coming back: crisp pastry, soft onions, creamy goat cheese, and just enough honey to make you notice it. It's a combination I loved making in France and still love making here.
I love serving these as a starter with a green salad or setting them out while everyone gathers around the table. Everyone gets their own tartlet, so there's no awkward moment when someone cuts the last slice a little too generously. It's also a very polite way of making sure nobody asks for a bite of mine.
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Ingredients You'll Need
Pie dough: In France, I use pâte brisée. In the U.S., look for ready-made rolled pie dough in the refrigerated or freezer section. It comes rolled up, so you can unroll it and cut circles to fit your tartlet pans. Choose an unsweetened dough, and if you find one made with real butter, even better. I use tartlet pans that measure 9.9 cm (about 4 inches) across the top, 7.6 cm (3 inches) across the base, and 1.9 cm (¾ inch) deep. If your pans are wider, you may need a second sheet of pie dough.
Onions: Red onions give the tartlets their beautiful color. Yellow onions work too. Would I turn down a tartlet because its onions weren't dressed for the occasion? Absolutely not. Do I enjoy how fancy the red ones look? Very much.
Goat cheese: A French bûche de chèvre, such as Soignon, has a soft white rind and a creamy interior that melts beautifully as it bakes. In the U.S., look for Bûcheron or another soft-ripened goat cheese with an edible white rind if you want a similar result. A plain fresh goat cheese log works too; it will taste a little tangier and soften differently, but the tartlets will still be extremely delicious.
Honey: A small drizzle balances the goat cheese and onions. You want to taste it without turning the tartlets into dessert.
Rosemary or thyme: Both are lovely here. Fresh herbs add a little color, but dried herbs work when that's what you have.
You'll also need a little oil for cooking the onions and a spoonful of sugar to help them become tender and lightly caramelized. Grated Parmesan or Gruyère is optional if you'd like to add it before baking.
How to Make Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tartlets
These tartlets are easy to put together. Here's how to make them, step by step.
Cook the onions
Slice the onions into rings and cook them gently in a little oil. Add the sugar and water, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender and lightly caramelized.
Cut the dough
Use a bowl to cut four circles slightly larger than your tartlet pans.
Line the pans
Press the dough into the greased pans and prick the bottoms with a fork.
Add the onions and cheese
Divide the onions among the shells and top each with a slice of goat cheese.
Finish the toppings
Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with rosemary or thyme. Add Parmesan or Gruyère if using.
Bake
Bake at 180°C (360°F) for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese has softened. Let the tartlets cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pans.
Which Goat Cheese Should You Use?
If you can find a soft-ripened goat cheese with a white rind, use it. That's closest to the French bûche de chèvre I originally made these with, and it gives you a lovely creamy topping.
The fresh goat cheese logs sold in most U.S. grocery stores are easier to find and work well in this recipe. Just expect a different texture: fresh chèvre stays a little more distinct on top instead of melting like the rind-ripened cheese. There's no need to hunt down a specialty cheese before you can make dinner.
And if you enjoy goat cheese with honey, you might also like my roasted figs with goat cheese and honey. For another cheese appetizer to share, try my Camembert with figs, honey, and nuts.
Tips for the Best Tartlets
Cook the onions gently. Give them time to soften and develop a little color without burning. They'll continue cooking in the oven.
Cut the pastry to fit your pans. The circles need to cover both the bottoms and sides. Depending on the size of your pans and pastry sheet, you may need to use a second sheet or gather and reroll the scraps.
Go easy on the honey. You can always add another tiny drizzle when serving if you want more sweetness.
Serve them warm. That's when the pastry is crisp and the goat cheese is at its creamiest.
Whether you serve them as an appetizer or make them your lunch with a salad, I hope you enjoy every bite.
If you make them, leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating would mean the world to me. And if you tell me which goat cheese you used, I'll be especially curious!
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Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tartlets with Honey
Ingredients
- 4 red onions or yellow onions
- Oil for cooking the onions
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 sheet ready-made rolled pie dough use a second sheet if your tartlet pans are larger and you cannot cut all 4 circles from one
- 4 slices of goat cheese log
- Honey for drizzling
- Fresh or dried rosemary or thyme to taste
- Grated Parmesan or Gruyère optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
- Peel the onions and cut them into rings. Separate the rings and cook them gently in a little oil over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sugar and water. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, until the water has been absorbed and the onions are tender.
- Meanwhile, use a bowl to cut 4 circles from the pie dough, each slightly larger than your tartlet pans. Fit the dough into the greased pans and prick the bottoms with a fork.
- Cover the bottom of each tartlet with a layer of onions. Add a slice of goat cheese, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with rosemary or thyme. Add Parmesan or Gruyère if desired.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and the goat cheese has softened. Let the tartlets cool just long enough to remove them from the pans, then serve while the cheese is warm and creamy and the crust is still crisp.
Notes
- Pan size: This recipe makes 4 tartlets using pans that measure 9.9 cm (about 4 inches) across the top, 7.6 cm (3 inches) across the base, and 1.9 cm (¾ inch) deep. Larger pans may require a second sheet of rolled pie dough.
