An onion tart is a delicious, simple, and budget-friendly option for a healthy dinner. As the colder months settle in, it’s the perfect time to return to comfort food—and as the French, we’ve truly mastered this art.
With the arrival of colder weather, it is time to get back to comfort food, and as French, we have this category covered. Tart and quiches are coming back into my kitchen and since they are so easy to make, i guarantee you will love them to.
On the first brink of the milder morning, my mind rushes to classic bistro dishes. Something is warming and fulfilling to think of fall.
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Brainstorming thru all the French recipes I have enjoyed throughout the years, an onion tart stuck with me. I had plenty of sweet onions on hand. It was only fitting that this would be my first official fall dinner.
I remember my last trip to Paris, sitting on the bistro patio in the Quartier of Saint Germain and enjoying a massive slice of onion tart and green salad.
Perfect heart and stomach harmony.
Enjoyed for the main dinner or cut into smaller pieces for a quick, perfect appetizer, you will love this recipe.
In this Article
- Why you will love this recipe
- Origins of French Onion Tart
- What is the difference between a tart and a quiche
- The onions
- Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
- Equipment Needed
- Cooking tips and step by step to make this fabulous French Onion Tart recipe:
- Do I need to pre-bake the pie pastry?
- Pro Tips
- Nutmeg
- Variations and Substitutions
- Storing and Reheating
- What dishes can you enjoy with this French onion tart?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- If you enjoy this recipe, check out these flavorful recipes:
- Shop This Post
- VIDEO: COOK ALONG WITH ME
- French Onion Tart – The Old Vintage Way
Why you will love this recipe
The taste is fantastic – the caramelized onion will leave a sweet fragrance that is comforting and inviting at the same time.
Economical – with a few simple pantry ingredients, dinner is served, and you will not break the bank.
Can be prepared in advance—the onions can be caramelized ahead of time, even the night before. When you are ready to assemble your onion tart, bring it back to room temperature.
Party and dinner perfect – sliced into wedges for dinner or cut into small cubes, this tart will be your go-to for any occasion,
Origins of French Onion Tart
This savory tart originates from the Alsace region in France. Although it is a cousin to the famous quiche Lorraine, it is not as deep as your traditional quiche.
A quick anecdote is that the bakers used to bake this tart to test the ovens’ heat, and, depending on the time it took to bake it, the oven was hot enough for the bread to be baked.
What is the difference between a tart and a quiche
Before we continue further, I want to explain why I am calling this tart and not a quiche,
A tart can be either sweet or savory and may not contain a custard filling. Also, we use the term tart for pies filled with fruits.
A quiche is always savory and has a custard base, eggs, milk, or cream. If you wish, you can add more savory ingredients, such as ham, cheese, and vegetables.
This tart is super easy to make, using a store-bought pie shell. Thus, you have time to concentrate on the onions.
The onions
The star of this recipe. I know that two pounds of onions may sound so much, but when they are nicely cooked, you will wonder if you have enough of them.
I like and used sweet yellow onions for this recipe as I love its sweetness versus the more intense sharper flavor of the white onions.
This is a personal choice, of course, and if all you have on hand are white onions, save yourself a trip to the store and use them.
They can be used interchangeably, which is just a matter of preference.
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
Pie Crust: You can make your own, but when time is not on your side, our supermarkets have a great selection and the perfect replacement for the homemade.
Onions: I use sweet Vidalia yellow onions. However, white onions will do as well. I would not recommend using red onions. The flavor changes too much, turning this dish to the sweeter side.
Heavy Cream: when you combine it with the eggs and bake it, it will give you that wonderful custard that makes the tart.
No heavy cream on hand? Use whole milk; you want the richness of it mixed with a couple of tablespoons of all-purpose flour. The milk alone will not solidify as the heavy cream does when baking.
Eggs: Large eggs are used with this recipe. Add an extra egg if you have smaller or medium size eggs.
Emmenthal: the cheese of choice. Gruyere is a great replacement.
Nutmeg: The secret weapon of this dish. A dash gives that uplifting flavor to the eggs and the onions. You do not want to leave it out.
Equipment Needed
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Cooking tips and step by step to make this fabulous French Onion Tart recipe:
As with all my recipes, please gather all the ingredients before starting to cook.
One recommendation is to use a ceramic or metal dish to prepare this recipe. Glass will cook faster and tends to burn the crust.
Prepare the pie mold.
- Although your pie crust may already contain butter, spreading a thin layer of butter into your baking dish will prevent it from sticking to your container.
- With the help of a rolling pin, place the pie crust over the pie dish and push down the crust to mold to your pie dish. Set aside.
The onions are next
- Using a mandoline to slice your onions, not only saves you time, but it will guarantee that all your onion slices will be evenly sliced.
- Cook your onions at medium-high heat in a wide-bottom pan. If they start to turn brown around the edges, turn down the heat. You want them to sweat, releasing their natural juices and becoming translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour over hte onions and stir well. The flour needs to cook with the onions and become nuttier in taste.
- Add the heavy cream to the onion mixture and cook over low heat for two to three minutes.
The final steps and baking time
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The eggs need to be well mixed and fluffy.
Add the egg mixture to the onions and incorporate well.
Drop the egg-onion mixture into the pie crust, smooth the top, and add grated cheese over it.
Place the tart over a baking sheet and bake in the hot oven for about 20 minutes.
Emmenthal cheese is an optional part of this recipe. I love cheese, so I add it on any occasion I can. You can do without it if you do not have it on hand.
Do I need to pre-bake the pie pastry?
Some people recommend pre-baking the pie or puff pastry to avoid a soggy bottom.
The trick is to have your oven very hot when you place your caramelized onion tart. As a suggestion in the tips section, be sure to scatter the topping more thinly in the center of the puff pastry to avoid sogginess.
If you want to ensure that it will be crispier and cruncher, pre-bake it in the oven without topping for up to eight minutes. Using pie weights will keep the pie from expanding and breaking.
Proceed with the rest of the recipe as described below.
Pro Tips
- I always use parchment paper when I bake. It’s a habit, I know, but it removes all the worries about the pie base getting stuck to the pie dish.
- To avoid sogginess when backing, scatter the topping more thinly in the middle of your pastry.
- Have your oven fully heated before adding your tart for baking.
- One recommendation is to use a ceramic or metal dish to prepare this recipe. Glass will cook faster and tends to burn the crust.
- I placed the tart over a cookie sheet to put in the oven and bake. This prevents any spilling from making a mess in your oven.
- Slice all your onions with a mandoline, a must in my kitchen. You will love how perfect each slice will be and of course cook.
Nutmeg
As you can see, I have nutmeg in this recipe. Something is fantastic about it. It always uplifts the cream and egg mixture, giving a savory flavor to your dish. That musky nut flavor that marries well.
It originated in Africa and Eastern Indonesia. It is considered one of the earliest spices to be treaded.
I enjoy and always purchase the whole nutmeg. Storing it in a glass jar in a dark place will last longer than the powder counterpart. A small grate and you will enjoy this spice in so many dishes.
Variations and Substitutions
- Puff pastry can be a substitute for pie crust.
- Gruyère cheese is a perfect substitute for Emmenthal cheese.
- Vidalia onion are a fantastic substitute to yellow or white onions. I love the natural sweetness and how wonderful they taste once they are caramelized.
Storing and Reheating
- This tart stores beautifully. Please let it cool off before storing it for later enjoyment. Cover it with plastic or aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator.
- Let it return to room temperature before warming it up or eating it.
- If you use a ceramic dish, please do not put it from your refrigerator to your oven, as your container will break.
- Please place it in the oven for about 20 minutes to warm it up.
- Leftover cooked caramelized onions can be easily stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to one week or in the freezer in a freezer-safe plastic bag for two months.
What dishes can you enjoy with this French onion tart?
The best side with this caramelized tart is always vegetables, and salads are a must.
I recommend the all-time favorite Carrot Salad as well as the Butter Lettuce with Shallots Vinaigrette.
And for dessert, fresh fruits or an Apple Pie to stay in the French mood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make this ahead of time?
Yes, you can. You can enjoy this savory French Onion Tart that is slightly warm.
Or bring it back to room temperature if you have leftovers.
If you prepare it a bit warmer, preheat the oven to 320F. Cover with foil and seal the corner. This will let the steam stay and not dry out your onion tart.
Where does the tart come from?
The French word tarte is translated to mean either pir or tart, as both are mainly the same expect a pie usually covers the filling in pastry, while flans and tarts leave it open.
Is tart the same as a quiche?
The main difference is the ingredients. The tart filling is usually made of fruits, cream, fruits and usually is sweet. A quiche filling is usually made of eggs, cream, cheese, and vegetables and is always savory.
What kind of pan is best for quiche?
A springform pan allows you to showcase your quiche better once it is unmolded. This is especially true when your quiche is a bit deep. A tart pan is best for a quiche with less filling. Its removable bottom makes it easy to unmold.
If you enjoy this recipe, check out these flavorful recipes:
Caramelized garlic and Goat Cheese Tart – Simple and Savory
Caramelized Onion and Bacon Tart
Shop This Post
VIDEO: COOK ALONG WITH ME
French Onion Tart – The Old Vintage Way
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Spread a thin layer of butter on a 10-inch diameter pie pan. Roll out the pie crust over it and press the bottom border to fit the pie crust.
- Peel the onions and slice them thin by hand or with the help of a mandoline.
- In a wide bottom pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and cook at medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring once in a while. You want the onions to become translucent but not brown. Lower the heat if that happens.
- Add the two tablespoons of flour over the onions, mix well, and continue cooking for about 2 more minutes. It will look and feel thicker consistency.
- Add the heavy cream to the onion mixture. Mix well and cook at low heat for another 2 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk your eggs with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the egg mixture to the onion mixture. Mix well until the eggs and onion mixture is well incorporated.
- Drop the onion mixture into the pie crust. Smooth the top. Add the grated cheese over it, an optional step.
- Place the pie dish over a cookie sheet. Place in the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Pro Tips
- I always use parchment paper when I bake. It’s a habit, I know, but it removes all the worries about the pie base getting stuck to the pie dish.
- To avoid sogginess when backing, scatter the topping more thinly in the middle of your pastry.
- Have your oven fully heated before adding your tart for baking.
- One recommendation is to use a ceramic or metal dish to prepare this recipe. Glass will cook faster and tends to burn the crust.
- I placed the tart over a cookie sheet to put in the oven and bake. This prevents any spilling from making a mess in your oven.
- Slice all your onions with a mandoline, a must in my kitchen. You will love how perfect each slice will be and of course cook.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Quiches & Savory Tarts, Appetizers, Dinners, Sunday Night Dinner, Vegetables
- Cuisine: French
- Occasion: Mother’s Day, Fourth of July
- Type: Affordable Gourmet, Videos
Did you make this?
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Rob
Family loved it!!!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for your feedback, I am thrilled that all of you loved it. It is one of my favorites.
Bon Appetit!
Jess
Such a delicious recipe
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Sarah
Whipped this up for brunch with a friend with a simple green salad. Easy and delicious. I subed the cheese for what I had in the fridge (tasty) and it was still delicious!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
nancy
what a tasty onion tart that is super creamy… great that the onions weren’t overwhelming either
Shelby
Even my kiddos loved this french onion tart and I found it light but filling!
Giangi Townsend
I am so please, thank you!
Judith
This is such a tasty tart and is great for family meals.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Rosanna
Delicious! This tart was perfect for lunch with a crisp salad
Crystal
French onion is my husband’s favorite! I know he’s going to love this! Thanks!
Audrey
I used Gruyère and it turned out great