Caramelized Onion Feta Pastry Bites from Trader Joe’s are one of their most popular frozen appetizers (and most expensive) and they’re easy to make at home!
Caramelized Onion Feta Pastry Bites (Copycat)
Trader Joe’s Pastry Bites with Feta and Caramelized Onion are an addiction that is pretty darn hard to stop once you’ve tried them. Plus, they’re expensive which isn’t awesome when you need multiple boxes for a craving.
These Caramelized Onion Feta Pastry Bites are so inexpensive and easy to make that you’ll find yourself making them for all your dinner parties.
Best part ever? You can prep these ahead of time and freeze them. When you’re ready to serve them you just pop them into the mini muffin tins and bake.
Alternate flavor ideas:
- chopped ham and Swiss cheese instead of feta and onions.
- chopped salami and Provolone
- bacon and blue cheese
- cranberry sauce and brie
Want to freeze these Pastry Bites with Feta and Caramelized Onion?
Follow the directions up to right before you would put it into the oven. Freeze the bites for 2-3 hours then store in a ziploc bag. When ready to cook, put them into the muffin tins and bake for 20-22 minutes. Do not bake them without the mini muffin tins, the puff pastry will flatten into pancakes making a mess.
Want to make this into a slab? Add half the sour cream and keep the puff pastry in three large triangles. Score a rectangle shape a half inch from the border and fill with the feta mixture and top with onions. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Directions can be found here.
Here’s the store version/original before baking: 
Here’s the homemade version that looks more like their picture on the box before they are baked:
Looking for more appetizer recipes?
- Bacon Blue Cheese Caramelized Onion Tart
- Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Bites
- Bacon Brown Sugar Smokies
- Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pinwheels
Tools used in the making of these Caramelized Onion Feta Pastry Bites:
Mini Muffin Tin: Make sure you’re using the right size, these are perfect for a one bite appetizer.
Cast Iron Skillet: The perfect pan for caramelizing onions, a nice heavy bottomed even cooking pan.
Ingredients
- 1/2 box Puff Pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm)
- 2 yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 ounces feta cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice the yellow onions thinly and put them in a cast iron skillet with the butter on medium-low heat.
- Add salt and brown sugar and cook on low for 15-20 minutes until browned, stirring every few minutes.
- In a bowl whisk together the feta, butter, sour cream and eggs.
- Unfold the puff pastry rectangles and cut each three piece sheet into 30 squares.
- Spray the mini muffin tin with cooking spray and put the puff pastry squares into each well.
- Spoon in a scant tablespoon of cheese mixture into each well, then cover with a few pieces of onion.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Five stars because I have been searching for the recipe and finally found yours. I can hardly wait to try it as it sounds exactly like what I want. Some clarifications could be useful. I had to read through the comments to find what I was l questioning; i.e., the amount of onions would be 2/3 cup cooked, I think you said, and use one sheet of puff pastry unfolded and cut into 30 pieces. I, too, was wondering if I needed three sheets of pastry in layers, but you explained in comments. It would help to list it in the recipe as “one sheet of puff pastry unfolded and cut into 30 squares.” I like the recipe but not your website which is top and bottom in banners for title and ads that I can’t remove, the bottom one preventing me from signing into your site. Right now, I have about an inch of screen to write in.
Really appreciate this valuable feed back and will work on revising the wording on the recipe!
Thank you for trying the recipe and for the five stars!
Sounds so good. I have tomato basil feta, would that be ok ?
Thank You !
Sounds intriguing! How did it turn out?
I have used this recipe for years whenever I host an event – they are gone in minutes! Finally leaving a review to sing your praises because my friends associate these as my signature appetizer 🙂
This comment means a lot to me. Thank you Chelsey and thank you for the 5 stars!
I used a hand mixer for the sour cream, butter, feta, egg mixture. Is that okay you think?
That should work fine!
Very confused about two separate measurements of butter then the directions say “add butter” but never indicating which one to use.
The ingredients go in order of use, for the first two tablespoons add it to the onions. The second amount goes in with the mixture.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. I’ve made these three times and every time they are a ~hit~!!!
I freeze mine (after they are assembled) and pop them in the oven right before the parteee <3 The easiest recipe to make your friends think that you are an expert chef.
Also, I used this puff pastry recipe the most recent time I made them and they were the BEST they'd ever been!
https://www.dessertfortwo.com/15-minute-puff-pastry/
I have made this recipe exactly as described many times now and they never disappoint. For potlucks, game day eats or garden parties, these cheesy, creamy, savory sweet bites are always a hit! Thank you so much for the recipe. Please keep ’em coming!
Thanks for coming back to let me know, Lillian.
Is there another cheese I could substitute for feta cheese? I am having problems right now getting feta. I am in remote Alaska. When I did use feta the recipe was great. Thank you for the treats.
Oh, bummer! You can try goat cheese or even ricotta cheese as substitutes. Good luck!
If I already have caramelized onions on hand, how much would I use for this recipe?
About a 1/2 cup would be plenty!
I followed the recipe exactly as written except my mini muffin tins only made 24 instead of 30 tartlets. I froze them unbaked in the tins. I baked them right before I took them to a party and this worked out perfectly. They were a huge hit and were gobbled down within minutes!
So glad everyone loved them! I really appreciate the 5 star rating!
What does 3 ounces of feta look like? Is there another measure you can clarify? Maybe tablespoons? Just made the blueberry goat cheese ones. Have made several of your other recipes and always turn out great! Thanks!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. 3 ounces of feta would approximately be 3/4 cup worth.
These are wonderful!!! They are perfect even the frozen left overs are great.
So glad you enjoyed them, Lynn!
The Trader Joe’s ingredients say they use cream cheese. Is there a reason why you use sour cream? here is their posted ingredient list: INGREDIENTS
Puff pastry (enriched wheat flour (Wheat Flour, malted barley flour, ascorbic acid [vitamin c as dough conditioner], Niacin, Folic Acid, reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin), water, butter, salt), cream cheese (pasteurized cultured cream, milk, natural acids, salt, xanthan gum, carob bean gum, guar gum), onion, feta cheese (pasteurized milk, salt, cheese culture, enzymes), egg, sugar, unsalted butter [milk].
The reason I use sour cream instead is because cream cheese has very pronounced flavor and your bites will taste more like cream cheese than feta. Feta is so mild it can easily get lost and overpowered. You never know what type of cream cheese TJs is using (not like our store bought kind) and it’s not affecting the flavor profile as it would if we used it. Feel free to test it using cream cheese but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t taste like feta anymore. I stand by using sour cream for this recipe. I hope you enjoy them either way.
Recipe sounds wonderful!
Just to clarify, do I use 3 sheets of puff pastry total (1 on top of the other), then cut the block of puff pastry sheets into 30 squares?
Sorry for the confusion. The puff pastry sheet is originally folded into thirds. You’ll want to completely unfold it and cut it into 30 squares (total). I hope this clears it up for you.
These are my favorites at Trader Joe’s! Happy to have a homemade hack.
I subbed 3% fat plain yogurt for the sour cream, and subbed sharp cheeses I had on hand instead of the feta. Tasted delicious! Only next time I will halve the butter, as the dough was soaked even after doubling the baking time. Regardless, super excited to make these again with this tweak.
So glad you enjoyed them!
The sogginess you experienced was most likely from the substitution of 3% fat yogurt. Halving the butter may actually worsen the sogginess of the product. These types of substitutions rarely work well in recipes. Perhaps sticking to the recipe, and eating it in moderation would be a better choice.