Roasted Grapes Phyllo Cup Appetizers

These roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers will delight your guests with their sweet and savory combination of roasted grapes, thyme, blue cheese, and walnuts. 

They’re incredibly easy to whip up in just a few minutes, and since grapes are available year-round, they’re an ideal appetizer for the holidays or a summer cocktail party.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

This is one of my favorite light and healthy Thanksgiving appetizer recipes. But no matter what time of the year, you’ll make this recipe over and over again because:

  • The ingredients are so easy to find or keep on hand. 
  • It’s super simple to pull together and basically foolproof. 
  • Grapes and blue cheese are always a perfect combo, and this recipe is a fun twist on fresh grapes and cheese. I love the sweet and savory mix of flavors.
  • Phyllo cups are a perfect bite-sized appetizer. There’s no cutting or plate and fork needed. 
A serving board with roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers. A plate of appetizers is in the background.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers.  I’ve listed a few substitutions and variations in the section below.

Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.

Ingredients needed to make roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers.

Fresh grapes. I recommend black or red grapes because they’re naturally sweeter than green grapes. They also look pretty in the phyllo cups. Make sure they’re seedless.

Blue cheese. Each cup gets a small crumble, so you don’t need much. Gorgonzola Dolce is a good choice because it’s smooth and melts nicely, but any good-quality blue cheese will work. Check out this recipe for blue cheese vinaigrette for an overview of the different flavor profiles of various types of blue cheese. 

Mini phyllo cups (or shells). These are available near the puffed pastry and frozen pie crust in the grocery freezer section. 

Substitutions and Variations

For a dairy-free option, you can omit the cheese. Phyllo dough is dairy-free.

Swap chopped pecans or pistachios for the walnuts. If you’re nut-free, you can also leave out the nuts.

This recipe calls for a teaspoon of honey, but if your grapes are very sweet, you can easily omit it.

I like the mild flavor of fresh thyme here, but you can also substitute a pinch (about â…› teaspoon) of dried thyme. Crumble it in your fingers before adding it to the pan.

Try these variations:

  • Instead of grapes, substitute a peeled, chopped apple or pear. 
  • Instead of sauteed fruit, fill each cup with two teaspoons of fresh cranberry orange relish.
  • Add a pinch of cinnamon or allspice to the fruit.
  • Garnish the baked phyllo cups with a thin slice of fresh lemon or orange zest.

Step By Step Instructions

These roasted grapes phyllo cups come together in a few quick steps:

First, Pan roast your grapes. Add olive oil to a hot skillet and saute the grapes and thyme for about 10 minutes or until they are soft and golden. 

Steps 1 and 2 to make roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers.

Second, line a baking pan with the mini phyllo cups and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Third, smash about half the roasted grapes to release their juice. Leave the rest whole.

Steps 3 and 4 to make roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers.

Fourth, fill each mini phyllo cup with some smashed grapes, one whole grape, and some juice. Add a sprinkle of chopped walnuts and blue cheese to each cup. Bake them for 6-8 minutes.

Serve these mini phyllo cups warm or at room temperature. Arrange them on a platter or cheese board.

A serving board with roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers. A plate of appetizers with fresh grapes is in the background.

Expert Tips

To prep this appetizer ahead, saute your grapes and refrigerate them until you’re ready to fill the phyllo cups. Once baked, the phyllo cups will start to soften after about two hours, so don't bake them until you're ready to serve.

You can use the leftover blue cheese on a cheese board or a fig and arugula salad with blue cheese.

You can also freeze blue cheese to use in another recipe. Many recipes (like my blue cheese vinaigrette salad dressing) call for just a few ounces of blue cheese, and I always have leftover cheese. I keep it in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for future recipes. 

Keep a few extra boxes of mini phyllo cups in your freezer. They’ll keep frozen for months, and you can fill them with so many sweet or savory fillings, so they’re ideal for a quick, easy appetizer.

What to Serve With Roasted Grapes Phyllo Cups

These mini phyllo cups appetizers are a lovely addition to a cheese platter or charcuterie board. Pair them with:

Recipe FAQs

Is phyllo dough the same as puff pastry?

They’re both paper-thin sheets of pastry dough that bake up crisp. But phyllo dough is made with flour, oil, and vinegar. It’s relatively low in fat. Puff pastry has butter or shortening incorporated in between the layers of dough. It’s much higher in fat.

Can you freeze leftover roasted grapes phyllo cups?

I don't recommend freezing these because they'll be soggy when reheated.

Other Related Easy Appetizers

It's always smart to have easy appetizer recipes on hand. If you like this recipe, try these other party appetizers.

Recipe

A serving board with roasted grapes phyllo cup appetizers. A plate of appetizers with fresh grapes is in the background.

Roasted Grapes Phyllo Cup Appetizers

An easy appetizer that's perfect for holiday entertaining
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Diet: Lower Carb, Heart Healthy, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 15 pieces
Calories: 59kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups black or red grapes rinsed and dried
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 15 Mini Phyllo Shells
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 3 Tablespoons walnuts toasted and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey optional
  • 2 oz good quality blue cheese crumbled

Instructions

  • Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, grapes, and thyme leaves. Make sure the grapes are dry or they will splatter.
  • Saute grapes for 7-10 minutes or until they are softened. Add the honey.
  • While the grapes roast in the pan, preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Spread the phyllo cups on a baking pan.
  • Remove the grapes from heat. Mash about half of the grapes to release some juice, but leave the rest whole.
  • Place 1 teaspoon of grapes (one whole grape plus some crushed) with juice in each phyllo cup. Add a few crumbles of blue cheese and a sprinkle of walnuts to each cup.
  • Bake the filled phyllo cups for 6-8 minutes until the shells are golden and the cheese starts to melt.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Look for mini phyllo cups in the freezer section of most grocery stores near the desserts.
Nutrition information is for one piece.
You can prep the grapes ahead but don't fill or bake the phyllo cups until close to serving time.

Nutrition

Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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One Comment

  1. I see a common theme among ReDuxers as in most of of us (including me) love grapes but have never cooked with them before! Love seeing all these new ways to enjoy grapes and these tartlets look delish 🙂

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