Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Tart (Printable)

Flaky tart with sweet onions and tangy goat cheese for a savory treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1 sheet (8.8 oz) ready-rolled puff pastry or homemade shortcrust pastry

→ Caramelized Onions

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
04 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
05 - 1 teaspoon sugar
06 - ½ teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

→ Filling

08 - 5.3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - ½ cup heavy cream
11 - ¼ cup whole milk
12 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Garnish (optional)

14 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley
15 - Freshly cracked black pepper

# Step-by-step Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 9-inch tart pan with pastry, trim excess dough, and prick base with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes until softened. Add butter, sugar, salt, and thyme; stir occasionally until onions are golden and caramelized, about 20–25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, black pepper, and salt until smooth.
04 - Evenly spread caramelized onions over chilled pastry shell. Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese atop onions.
05 - Carefully pour the egg mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 25–30 minutes until set and lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
06 - Sprinkle with fresh chives or parsley and additional cracked black pepper if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The onions transform into silky, jammy ribbons with a sweetness that feels almost indulgent.
  • It looks fancy enough for guests but comes together with mostly pantry staples and minimal effort.
  • You can serve it warm, cold, or at room temperature, which means less stress and more flexibility.
  • The contrast between tangy goat cheese and caramelized onions is the kind of flavor pairing that just works every single time.
02 -
  • Don't crank up the heat to speed up the onions—they'll burn instead of caramelize, and you'll lose all that deep, sweet flavor.
  • Let the onions cool slightly before adding them to the tart or the heat can scramble the custard before it even hits the oven.
  • If your pastry puffs up during baking, gently press it back down with the back of a spoon—it happens, and it's an easy fix.
03 -
  • Use a mandoline to slice the onions evenly and thinly, which helps them cook at the same rate and caramelize beautifully.
  • Blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes with parchment and pie weights if you want an extra crisp bottom crust.
  • Taste the onions as they cook and adjust the salt or add a splash of balsamic vinegar in the last few minutes for a deeper, more complex flavor.
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