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Onion Tart Recipe with Caramelized Onion and Cheese

  • Español
Portions: 6 portions

Calories: 567kcal

Are you a fan of French onion soup and savory tarts? If so, then you'll absolutely love this onion tart: a rustic crust filled with creamy, gently sweet caramelized onions, and topped with abundant melted strong cheese.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Preparation

French onion tart.

Onion tart.

Why I ❤️ it

Let's share a slice of this marvelous onion tart made with caramelized onions and with a cheese crust. If you love French onion soup, you'll love this rustic, easy-to-make tart.

The result is a crispy crust filled with a creamy, gentle onion filling, with the sweet flavors of slow, gentle caramelization, topped with the contrasting taste of sharp cheeses. This is a new favorite in your tart recipe list, perfect for your dinner party or brunch.

Rustic French onion tart recipe

This free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, and I receive a small commission when you purchase, at no cost to you. Thank you!

Learn how to make this gruyere and caramelized onion tart. The result is a crispy crust filled with a creamy, gentle onion, topped with sharp cheeses.

Course: Dinner, Lunch
Inspiration: French, Fusion
Category: caramelized onion tart, French onion tart, gruyere onion tart, onion puff pastry tart
Author: Clara Gonzalez

Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Utensils and tools

  • Mixing bowl
    Food processor
  • Plastic film
  • 12-inch skillet with lid [25 centimeters]
  • 10-inch tart pan [20 centimeters]
  • Parchment paper
  • Pie weights (or dry beans, or any dry pulses)
French onion tart.
French onion tart.

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 1¾ cup whole-wheat flour
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup cold water (may not need all)

For the filling

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 pounds of white onion, [1.4 kilogram], halved and sliced thinly
  • ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves (or dry if you don't have fresh)
  • ½ cup of cooking sherry
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt, (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of grated Gruyère cheese
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Mix ingredients for the crust

In a mixing bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Pour the mix into the food processor.

Pour in melted butter and egg, and pulse to incorporate. Midway stop and scrape the sides with a spatula moving the flour from the sides to the middle. If the dough is too dry, add cold water by the tablespoon until the dough just forms a ball but is not soggy or sticky.

Step 2: Make the dough

Pour onto the counter and knead the dough lightly until it is smooth (about 1 minute).

Wrap it in plastic film and let it rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

Step 3: Sautee the onions

Heat the oil over medium-low heat in the skillet. Add the onions and thyme and stir until the onions are coated with oil. Cover and cook over for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Step 4: Caramelize the onions

Add the sherry, and simmer until the sherry has mostly evaporated. Cover and simmer over low heat for another 25-30 minutes or until the onions have turned caramel brown and are very tender.

Season with garlic salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Step 5: Add the flour

Increase heat to medium-high heat and add flour, sprinkling and mixing until all the onions are lightly coated with flour. Remove from the heat.

Caramelized onions.
Caramelized onions.

Let it rest until the onion mixture has cooled to room temperature.

Step 6: Preheat the oven

Heat oven to 350 ºF [175 ºC].

Step 7: Forme the crust

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you have a circle big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan.

Cover the tart pan with the dough and tidy up the sides using any excess dough. Poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, and place the pie weights or dry beans on the parchment paper.

Step 8: Bake the pie

Bake the pie crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Fill the pie crust with the onion mixture, and top with the cheeses.

Step 9: Melt the cheese

Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Top tips

  • If you don't have garlic salt, mix ½ tablespoon of regular with ½ tablespoon of garlic powder.
  • Whole wheat dough is very fragile and not elastic like regular dough; I've found that the best way to spread it is between two plastic film pieces. There's going to be some patching too. Don't worry too much; that's why I called it "rustic."
  • If you want the trick on how to caramelize onions: it takes time. Do not try to rush it, do not try to increase the heat to cook it faster, and do not add sugar to it.

Variations

You can make this French onion soup-inspired onion tart with puff pastry for a different and entirely marvelous variation. Instead of making the crust as directed, revert the order of the ingredientes by placing the onions in the pan, followed by the cheese, and topped with a circle of puff pastry, which you'll then bake until the puff pastry is baked.

For a vegan or vegetarian onion tart version, use your favorite cheese substitute (I've found some pretty good vegan ones), or skip the cheese entirely. The onion is sublime in itself. Use your preferred butter substitute for the crust. I have done it with vegetable oil too.

Serving suggestions

This onion tart goes great with your favorite green salad if you serve it for dinner or brunch.

You can also try this leek and squash quiche if you're looking for another similar casserole for your meal.

French onion tart.
Watermelon limeade cocktail

Nutritional information

Calories: 567kcal - Carbohydrates: 50g - Protein: 17g - Fat: 33g - Saturated Fat: 9g - Cholesterol: 36mg - Sodium: 1788mg - Potassium: 526mg - Fiber: 8g - Sugar: 11g - Vitamin A: 335IU - Vitamin C: 16.7mg - Calcium: 379mg - Iron: 2.1mg

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FAQs

Can you freeze a homemade tart?

This homemade tart can be frozen. Thaw overnight, and reheat over medium heat in the oven.

Do onions last longer in the fridge or on the counter?

While onion storage depends on your particular climate, onions do best stored in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated place. A hanging wire basket is a good place to store them.

Is tart a dessert?

Some tarts are desserts, others are savory dishes. A tart is simply a dough baked and then filled with either savory or sweet filling.

Print card

This is just a printer-friendly summary, some useful details are found in the recipe above.

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Gruyere and Caramelized Onion Tart

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

  • 1¾ cup whole-wheat flour
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup cold water may not need all

FOR THE FILLING

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 pounds of white onion [1.4 kilogram], halved and sliced thinly
  • ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves or dry if you don't have fresh
  • ½ cup of cooking sherry
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly-cracked, or ground
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of grated Gruyère cheese
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar

Instructions

Step 1: Mix ingredients for the crust

  • In a mixing bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Pour the mix into the food processor.
    Pour in melted butter and egg, and pulse to incorporate. Midway stop and scrape the sides with a spatula moving the flour from the sides to the middle. If the dough is too dry, add cold water by the tablespoon until the dough just forms a ball but is not soggy or sticky.

Step 2: Make the dough

  • Pour onto the counter and knead the dough lightly until it is smooth (about 1 minute).
    Wrap in plastic film and let it rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

Step 3: Saute the onions

  • Heat the oil over medium-low heat in the skillet. Add the onions and thyme and stir until the onions are coated with oil. Cover and simmer over for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Step 4: Caramelized the onions

  • Add the sherry, and simmer until the sherry has mostly evaporated. Cover and simmer over low heat for another 25-30 minutes, or until the onions have turned caramel brown and are very tender.
    Season with garlic salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Step 5: Add the flour

  • Increase heat to medium-high heat and add flour, sprinkling, and mixing until all the onions are lightly coated with flour. Remove from the heat.
    Let it rest until the onion mixture has cooled to room temperature.

Step 6: Preheat the oven

  • Heat oven to 350 ºF [175 ºC].

Step 7: Forme the crust

  • Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you have a circle big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan.
    Cover the tart pan with the dough and tidy up the sides using any excess dough. Poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, and place the pie weights or dry beans on the parchment paper.

Step 8: Bake the pie

  • Bake the pie crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
    Fill the pie crust with the onion mixture, and top with the cheeses.

Step 9: Melt the cheese

  • Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
    Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Notes

If you don't have garlic salt mix ½ tablespoon of regular with ½ tablespoon of garlic powder.
You can make this French onion tart with puff pastry for a different and entirely marvelous variation. Instead of making the crust as directed, just bake a circle of puff pastry (unweighed) on the bottom of the tart pan.
Whole wheat dough is very fragile, and not at all elastic like regular dough, I've found that the best way to spread it is doing it between two plastic film pieces. There's going to be some patching too. Don't worry too much, that's why I called it "rustic".

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal

Publicado por Tia Clara - Oct 1, 2013

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  1. Sonia

    July 15, 2014 at 3:53 pm

    Will be trying your zucchini boat recipe tonight! Lost my recipe, but it is very similar.

    Reply
  2. Dina

    October 13, 2013 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    I love your recipes! 😀

    Reply
  3. Nami | Just One Cookbook

    October 04, 2013 at 4:12 am

    I absolutely love caramelized onion and how wonderful to find out that we can make a savory tart with it! This is such a nice treat for me (even it's not sweet). 🙂

    Reply
  4. Suzanne Perazzini

    October 03, 2013 at 4:02 pm

    Wouldn't that be such fun! It would be very difficult for me to get together with most of my fellow bloggers because I live so far away but the idea is a great one.
    I used to love onion tarts and especially with a good load of cheese and the cheese is still fine but since the discovery of onion being my enemy, I have had to forego such pleasures. Life is tough.

    Reply
  5. Kelly @ Inspired Edibles

    October 03, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    Your photos are so beautiful (love the dishware and utensils) and this tart looks exceptional. Nothing quite like caramelized onion. What a delight!

    Reply
    • Tia Clara

      October 11, 2013 at 12:20 pm

      Thanks, Kelly. It was every bit as good as it looks. I made three in a week, you know, just to make sure. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Tía Clara! I have been a recipe developer, and recipe writer for 20+ years, and here I share my easy recipes you'll love.

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