Name: Pear Caramelized Onion and Brie Bites
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter; 1 large sweet onion (peeled and thinly sliced); 3 tablespoons brown sugar (packed); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed); 1/4 cup brie (cut into 24 small cubes); 1 Taylor's Gold pear (cored and chopped into 24 pieces)

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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!

pear caramelized onion and brie bites on a serving board with recipe name at the bottom

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.

small puff pastry squares pressed into the cups of a greased mini muffin tin

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.

back of a wooden spoon pressing down on par baked puff pastry squares

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.

puff pastry cups in a muffin tin topped with caramelized onion, pear, and 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.

mini muffin tin filled with pear caramelized onion and brie bites after baking

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.

pear caramelized onion and brie bites served on a wooden tray with pear slices

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.

close up of pear caramelized onion and brie bites on a serving tray lined with parchment paper

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!

pear caramelized onion and brie bites cut in half to show the layers inside

More Crowd-Pleasing Brie Dishes!

*This post was originally posted on 05/28/2014.