This sweet and savory crostini appetizer recipe with caramelized onion, fig jam, and blue cheese is easy to make, full of flavor, and the perfect, festive bite for a party.
If you’re ever at a loss for what type of appetizer to make, know that you can never go wrong with crostini. I’ve got a few crostini recipes on my blog that always come back to for easy entertaining, like my caramelized onion and mushroom crostini, roasted grape and whipped goat cheese crostini, and melted mozzarella caprese crostini toasts. These caramelized onion and fig jam crostini with blue cheese totally hit the spot. Toasty baguette rounds get topped with jammy caramelized onion—the perfect companion to sweet fig preserves, and blue cheese swoops in for a sharp, tangy, creamy punch. A sprinkling of fresh rosemary lends complementary aromatics, some color, and a festive flare.
These sweet and savory crostini are perfect for your holiday entertaining, but could really be made any time of year. Caramelized onions are so easy to make and such a great way to add major flavor to dishes.
What’s in this Caramelized Onion and Fig Jam Crostini
This crostini is full of amazing sweet and savory notes thanks to little ingredients that bring big flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- butter
- vidalia onion
- kosher salt
- balsamic vinegar
- baguette
- fig preserves
- blue cheese
- fresh rosemary
- freshly ground black pepper
How to Make Caramelized Onion and Fig Jam Crostini
These crostini are so simple to make, especially if you’ve already caramelized your onion (which I do recommend doing in advance if you can—that way, these will only take around 10 minutes).
Here’s how to make them:
Caramelize your onions until nice and jammy. Add the olive oil to a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Cook the onions for 5 minutes or until they start to soften, stirring so they don’t crisp or brown in spots. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and continue to cook for about an hour, stirring the onions every 10-15 minutes or so. The onions will reduce and become more golden as they cook, giving off a rich nutty aroma.
Add the balsamic vinegar in the last 10 minutes of cooking. The balsamic vinegar adds a jammy sweetness.
Top and bake. Arrange the baguette slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Spread about 1 teaspoon of fig jam on each baguette round, then top with some caramelized onion and a little bit of crumbled blue cheese. Place in a 400°F oven to toast for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, then top with some fresh rosemary and a couple of grinds of black pepper.
Caramelized Onion Crostini with Fig Jam and Blue Cheese
This sweet and savory crostini appetizer recipe with caramelized onion, fig jam, and blue cheese is easy to make, full of flavor, and the perfect, festive bite for a party.
CourseAppetizer
CuisineAmerican
Keywordcrostini
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour
Servings20 crostini
Calories99kcal
Ingredients
- ▢1 large vidalia onion ,(about 12 oz), peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- ▢2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ▢¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- ▢1 baguette , sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- ▢⅓ cup fig preserves
- ▢1 baguette
- ▢¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ▢2 sprigs fresh rosemary , torn or roughly chopped
- ▢freshly ground black pepper , for serving
Instructions
- Caramelize your onion. Add the olive oil to a large cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Cook the onions for 5 minutes or until they start to soften, stirring so they don’t crisp or brown in spots. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and continue to cook for about 1 hour, stirring the onions every 10-15 minutes or so.
The onions will reduce and become more golden and jammy as they cook, giving off a rich nutty aroma. If the onions look like they’re beginning to burn or crisp, stir in a splash of water or broth and scrape the caramelized fond from the bottom of the pan for the onions to absorb.
- Add the balsamic vinegar in the last 10 minutes of cooking then remove from the heat.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange the baguette slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil.
- Spread 1-2 teaspoons of fig jam on each baguette round, then top with a pile of caramelized onion and a chunks of blue cheese. Place in the oven to toast for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with fresh rosemary and a couple of grinds of black pepper.
Nutrition
Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg