Soft, sweet, and bathed in a buttery brown sugar glaze - these baked onions are the ultimate side dish for any vegan feast.
Let's talk about onions for a minute. Usually, they're the unsung heroes hiding out in the background - chopped, sautéed, and forgotten about. But not today. Today, onions take center stage, get all gussied up in a glossy glaze, and come strutting out of the oven like they own the dinner table.
These Glazed Baked Onions are pure comfort food, with just enough elegance to make them holiday-worthy. They are especially perfect for Thanksgiving!
These Glazed Baked Onions are:
- A total glow-up for the humble onion.
- Sweet, buttery, and gloriously simple.
- A perfect plant-based side dish for the holidays or any cozy meal.
- Oven-roasted to soft, caramelized perfection.
- Naturally vegan and easy to make gluten-free too.
And if you're here planning your holiday menu, don't forget to check out our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Onions: Large yellow onions work best here. You want them big and round, so they hold up in the oven and soak up all that glaze. My personal favorite are Vidalia Onions!
- Vegan Butter: Adds richness and helps create that luscious glaze. I am a fan of the Earth's Best Buttery Sticks for this type of dish. If you're not vegan, regular butter works here too.
- Brown Sugar: The star of the glaze - gives it that warm, molasses-y sweetness. Light or dark, either is fine.
- Salt & Pepper: Simple seasoning, balances the sweetness beautifully.
- Water: Just enough to help the glaze form while the onions roast.
Helpful Tips
Don't peel too much: Just remove the papery outer layers of the onions and trim the ends slightly - you want them to stay intact when baked.
Score the tops: A shallow cross-cut on top of each onion helps the glaze seep into the onions while they bake.
Roast covered, then uncovered: Start with foil covering the baking dish to steam and soften the onions, then uncover to let them caramelize.
Baste as you go: Spoon that buttery glaze over the onions occasionally as they bake, for maximum flavor and that pretty shine.
Easy Variations
- Add herbs: A sprig of thyme or rosemary tucked into the baking dish adds a savory, aromatic note.
- Spice it up: A pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika in the glaze gives a little extra kick.
- Maple twist: Swap brown sugar for maple syrup for a deeper, woodsy sweetness.
- Make it Bite Sized: Try this with small pearl onions or even shallots for a bite-sized take that's great for appetizers or tapas-style meals.
More Vegan Recipes
If you love these baked onions, be sure to check out these other delicious recipes:
Photos were taken by Hannah Kaminsky.
Recipe
Glazed Baked Onions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable broth homemade or store bought
- ¼ cup maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- ⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 large onions sweet variety, such as Vidalia
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- fresh rosemary sprigs optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Combine all the ingredients except the onions and breadcrumbs in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until all are smoothly blended. Remove from the heat.
- Peel the outer skin from the onions, and cut them in half crosswise. Cut a thin sliver from the bottom of each onion half, so that they'll stand steadily in a baking dish.
- Arrange the 12 onions halves in a shallow baking dish and pour the mixture from the saucepan evenly over them.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the onions are tender when pierced with a fork. Once or twice during this time, spoon some of the liquid from the bottom of the baking dish over the onions.
- Sprinkle the onions with breadcrumbs and bake, uncovered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Serve at once or keep warm until needed.
Erin says
Very sweet! I made these with all the ingredients shown and let me tell you, they came out great! I highly recommend this recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Also, my mom said that they go well with cornbread stuffing. Great recipe; thanks Nava!
Jennifer Frisch says
Whole family loved this addition to Christmas Eve dinner menu.