Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Gruyère Phyllo Cups

Caramelized onion filo bites on a green plate.

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Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Gruyère Phyllo Cups

Flaky, ultra-crispy phyllo cups filled with bacon, caramelized onions, and melty Gruyère? Yes, please! These gorgeous little bites are everything you want in an appetizer. Easy to prep ahead and bake straight from the fridge, they're perfect for holiday entertaining.

I've popped my favorite shortcut for making caramelized onions in an Instant Pot in less than 10 minutes in the notes of the recipe, if you want to try it out.

Prep Time20

Cook Time12

Total Time32

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: canapes, caramelized onion bites, phyllo cups

Servings: cups

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Equipment

Mini muffin pan

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions (optional, or use caramelized onion relish) -

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

For the cups -

3 sheets of phyllo pastry (filo)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices bacon chopped
3 ½ oz Gruyère cheese, cut into small cubes (100g)
Fresh rosemary to serve

Instructions

Caramelize the onions (skip this step if you're using caramelized onion relish). Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, then cook, stirring often, until they're soft and deeply golden. This will take at least 25 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Heat your oven and prepare your muffin pan. Set your oven to 375°F (180°C fan) and grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan with butter or oil (oil spray makes this easy).
Prepare the phyllo (filo). Lay one sheet of pastry on a wooden board or flat surface. Brush all over with olive oil, then lay another sheet of pastry on top. Brush with olive oil again, then lay the third sheet of filo on top. Keep your pastry covered with a damp kitchen towel while you're working to prevent it from drying out. Slice the pastry into small squares. I like to slice a test square first before cutting them all, just to make sure they are the right size for the muffin pan.
Assemble the bites.
Gently press the pastry squares into your muffin pan to form little cups; they should easily fold in. Spoon a little of the caramelized onions (or relish) into each cup. Add a few pieces of chopped bacon, then top with a cube of Gruyère.
Bake the cups. Transfer the muffin pan to the oven, and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the pastry looks golden and glorious, the bacon is cooked through and crispy, and the cheese is bubbling.
Garnish and serve. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the cups cool slightly in the pan before gently removing them (they should pop out easily). Arrange them on a serving platter, then sprinkle with the fresh rosemary. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

HOW TO MAKE CARAMELIZED ONIONS IN AN INSTANT POT: This is my go-to hack; it's so incredibly quick and easy. Just add your sliced onions, salt, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to your Instant Pot, mix, then seal and cook at high pressure for five minutes. Use the quick release, then cook, stirring, on 'saute' mode for a couple of minutes, until the onions look golden and sticky.

MAKE AHEAD: You can assemble the bites up to a day ahead of time, and keep them covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake them. Make sure you cover them well, as the phyllo dough will dry out very quickly when it's exposed to air.

INGREDIENT NOTES: Swap the Gruyère for Comte, Emmental, a sharp cheddar, mozzarella, creamy blue cheese, or brie. Really, any will work, so go for your favorite. Swap the bacon for crumbled sausage meat, or chorizo, or use chopped sun-dried tomatoes or olives for a vegetarian version.

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