Jar of caramelized onion jam with a spoonful over brie and fresh thyme

AmericanSpreads

Caramelized Onion Jam with Midnight Caramelized Onion Balsamic

Sweet, savory caramelized onion jam for brie, burgers, cheese boards and the turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving. The onions cook down slowly in Vine & Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil, our Signature Estate blend of Greek olive oils co-milled with sweet leek, tomato and basil, so a gentle savory sweetness is there from the start. Then Midnight Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic goes in with a little brown sugar and thyme. This Modena dark balsamic already tastes like onions cooked low and slow, so it deepens the color and flavor and turns the pan glossy and jammy. Five ingredients, mostly hands-off time, and you have two jars: one for your table and one to give.

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Servings

16

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

55 minutes

Calories

80

Author

Kristina DeRolf

Cook Mode

Ingredients

3 pounds yellow onions (about 4 large), halved and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons Vine & Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup Midnight Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic
4 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
Up to ¼ cup water, as needed

Directions

Heat the Vine & Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and stir to coat. The pot will be full; the onions shrink fast.
Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onions are soft and have released their juices.
Uncover, turn the heat to medium-low and cook 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown. If they start to stick or brown too fast, add a tablespoon of water and scrape the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the brown sugar, Midnight Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic and thyme. Simmer, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes, until thick and jammy and a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that slowly fills in.
Pull out the thyme stems. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed. Let cool, then spoon into two clean 8-ounce jars. It thickens more as it cools.

Article: Caramelized Onion Jam with Midnight Caramelized Onion Balsamic

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Caramelized onion jam with Midnight Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic and Vine & Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Nov 6, 2026Dips and Spreads

Caramelized Onion Jam with Midnight Caramelized Onion Balsamic

Name: Caramelized Onion Jam with Midnight Caramelized Onion Balsamic
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 pounds yellow onions (about 4 large), halved and thinly sliced; 3 tablespoons Vine & Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar; ⅓ cup Midnight Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic; 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme); Up to ¼ cup water, as needed

A jar of homemade onion jam is one of those things that makes a cheese board look like you planned it for days. It takes about an hour, most of it hands-off, and you end up with two jars: one to keep and one to give away.

The secret is the balsamic. Midnight Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic already tastes like onions cooked low and slow, so it deepens the flavor and color and turns the pot glossy and jammy at the end. The onions start in Vine & Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which brings a gentle savory sweetness from the first stir.

Ways to Use It
Spoon it over a wedge of warm brie, spread it on a burger, tuck it into a grilled cheese or pile it on the turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving. It is just as good next to sharp cheddar and crackers on a holiday board.

Give a Jar
Tie a jar to a small bottle of the balsamic with a ribbon and a wedge of brie, and you have a hostess gift people actually use. It is a refrigerator jam, so add "keep refrigerated" to the tag. It keeps up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Shop the bottles: Midnight Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic and Vine & Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Written by Kristina DeRolf

Kristina DeRolf, CRNA

Founder of The Outward Olive and a practicing nurse anesthetist since 2012. Kristina selects every olive oil and balsamic we carry and writes about olive oil, wellness, and gathering well.

More about Kristina