Pear, Caramelized Onion, and Brie Bites are deliciously easy, up-scale appetizers that make every Hors D’ Oeuvres table look amazing!
Sweet with a touch of savory, Pear Caramelized Onion and Brie Bites are simple appetizers bursting with flavor that party guests can’t get enough of! Easily elevate your festive offerings with a plate of juicy pears, creamy brie, and buttery brown sugar caramelized onions, held in a puff pastry shell that all comes together for an irresistible pop-able bite!
Party Bites
Everyone loves Brie at a get-together, and including Brie on the Hors D’Oeuvers table always makes the party feel a little fancier. There are so many ways to serve brie, but one of my favorite ways is to make Pear, Caramelized Onion, and Brie Bites, which everyone raves about! Even people who aren’t fans of onions love the texture and flavor when mixed with sweet pears and creamy brie. Combining these ingredients into a flakey puff pastry shell makes these bites convenient, which is probably why I never have any leftovers! The simplicity and elegance of these bites make this my go-to party dish!
Fruit and brie is an unbeatable flavor combination so when you want to offer more beautiful varieties, go with crowd favorites Apricot Brie Bites and Cranberry Brie Cups!
Other Recipes to Serve with Pear, Caramelized Onion, and Brie Bites
- No party is complete without creamy and crave-able 1 Minute French Onion Dip– you may need to make a back-up bowl when the first one runs out, so it’s a good thing it’s quick to make!
- Perfect for guests of all ages, Rainbow Sherbet Punch is a party in a bowl, and everyone’s invited!
Ingredients
Onion: You will need a large sweet onion, such as a Vidalia or any sweet yellow onion, for these bites.
Brie: There can be a lot of options for brie at your local store, but for this recipe, any brie will work. When cutting the brie into cubes, it’s okay to leave the wax rind on, or you can cut it away, depending on what you like.
Pears: You must also pick a ripe pear to make these bites. D’Anjou, Bartletts, and Bosc pears can typically be found year-round or with your preferred pear.
Puff Pastry: Pick up a package of puff pastry to make these bites. Don’t forget to set the puff pastry out ahead of time to thaw.
Butter and Seasonings: To caramelize the onions, you will need butter, brown sugar, and a little salt.
How to Make Pear, Caramelized Onion, and Brie Bites
STEP ONE: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced onions, brown sugar, and salt. Stir and cook the onions until they soften and become translucent, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
STEP TWO: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into 36 small squares. Place a puff pastry square into each muffin well and then bake the pastry for 6 minutes.
STEP THREE: Remove the pastry from the oven and press the center of each pastry down with the end of a wooden spoon. Return the pastry to the oven to cook for another 6 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Remove the pastry from the oven and press down the center of each pastry again. Fill each pastry cup with a little caramelized onion, a slice of pear, and a cube of brie.
STEP FIVE: Cook the brie bites for another 3 minutes or until the brie is melted. Remove the bites from the oven and serve warm.
Tips for Success
- To prevent the puff pastry from cracking, allow it to thaw before making the brie bites. Thawed puff pastry is easier to unroll and cut.
- When choosing an onion, a sweet yellow onion is best, but you can also go with what you can find at the store. Caramelizing the onion with light brown sugar will make less sweet onions perfectly sweet as well.
- The rind on the brie is completely edible, so you can leave it on and eat it or cut it away when you cube it. The choice is yours.
What kind of brie should I use for this recipe?
There can be quite a variety of brie to choose from, depending on what store you go to. Thankfully, you really can’t go wrong when choosing brie for a yummy appetizer like these bites! A younger brie, aged about two years, is a common find that provides a creamy cheese that isn’t too runny and is excellent to use in a recipe like this, whereas an older brie would be ideal for serving with crackers as is. Another tip for using brie in this particular recipe is to pop the brie in the freezer for about 10 minutes before cutting it. Hardening the brie before slicing makes it easier to cube and will still melt well in the oven.
How do I store these Brie Bites?
If you are lucky and have a few Pear, Caramelized Onion, and Brie Bites left over, you can pop them into an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to three days. You can microwave them for 10-20 seconds at a time and warm them up again, or you can put them back into the mini muffin tin and bake them at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until warmed through. If you are planning to make a lot of different dishes for the party, you can caramelize the onions ahead of time and store them in the fridge a day or two ahead of time. When you’re ready to assemble the bites, follow the recipe as written and serve warm!
More Crowd-Pleasing Brie Dishes!
- Baked Brie
- Brown Sugar, Bacon & Brie Crescent Rolls
- Jalapeno Jelly Brie Puff Pastry
- Honey, Strawberry, and Brie Bruschetta
- Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Spicy Cranberries
*This post was originally posted on 05/28/2014.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 large sweet onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- ¼ cup brie cut into 24 small cubes
- 1 Taylor's Gold pear cored and chopped into 24 pieces
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the sliced onions, brown sugar, and salt. Stir and allow to cook until the onions begin to soften and become translucent. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Keep cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have caramelized.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the cups of a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and cut it into 36 even squares. Place one square into each mini muffin tin cup, pressing the dough down slightly.
- Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and poke down the center of each pastry with the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and poke down the center of each pastry again.
- Fill the pastry cups with a bit of caramelized onion, a piece of pear, and top with a piece of brie.
- Bake for another 3 minutes or until the brie is melted. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Christa Luke says
The photo gets me to makes these this weekend. And I the perfect party to go to this weekend, wine tasting!
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain says
These bites are going to be perfect for entertaining this summer!! Love the addition of brie.
Wendy | Around My Family Table says
These would be delicious for a party- can’t wait to try!
Christine from Cook the Story says
I just want to pop the whole platter full into my mouth, one after another!
Linda romer says
These pear caramelized onion brie bites. They look amazing and delicious.
Christine (Cook the Story) says
Aubrey,
These bites look and sound incredible. I love the flavor combination and how easy they are. (I also had my mind blown when I learned about the seasons on the other side of the world. I still find it hard to imagine Christmas in the summer!).
Becca from ItsYummi! says
These look SO delicious, Aubrey! Thanks so much for participating with us!