Roasted Grapes with Sherry and Thyme

In just 25 minutes, this roasted grapes recipe transforms everyday fruit into a jammy, sweet-savory topping for burrata, toast, salads, roasted meat, and more.

A Simple Trick for Sweet, Jammy Grapes

I love simple tricks that make a meal feel special. Sometimes it’s finishing with flaky sea salt or bringing out a platter of rainbow carrots. Other times, it’s using a familiar ingredient in a completely new way. Roasted grapes are one of those tricks for me.

Raw grapes are crisp and refreshing, but 20 minutes in a hot oven transforms them. Their skins blister and begin to char, while the centers turn soft, juicy, and almost jammy. Sherry vinegar keeps their sweetness in balance, and fresh thyme adds a savory, aromatic note.

My favorite way to serve them is with creamy burrata and toast, spooning the warm pan juices over the cheese. They’re just as welcome on a cheese board, in a salad, with roasted meat, or alongside dessert.

This is also a useful way to rescue grapes that are a little past their prime. If they’re no longer crisp enough for snacking, I toss them onto a sheet pan and let the oven do the rest.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Roasted Grapes 

Grapes become beautifully sweet and jammy in the oven all on their own. Olive oil, sherry vinegar, and thyme push them in a more savory direction and make them especially versatile. Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Seedless table grapes: I like red grapes for their sweet-tart balance, but green, red, black, or a mixture will work. Remove the grapes from the stems for easy spooning, or leave them in small clusters for a more dramatic cheese-board presentation.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil adds richness and helps prevent the grapes from sticking to the pan. Use a flavorful extra virgin olive oil you enjoy.
• Sherry vinegar: This balances the grapes’ natural sweetness with welcome acidity and adds a complex, rounded flavor.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Salt heightens the grapes’ flavor, while freshly ground pepper reinforces the recipe’s savory side.
• Fresh thyme: Thyme perfumes the grapes as they roast. Fresh rosemary sprigs or sage leaves also pair well with their sweet flavor.

How to Make Roasted Grapes

These oven-roasted grapes take about five minutes to prepare, and you don’t even need a mixing bowl. Toss everything directly on a rimmed baking sheet, then let the oven do the work.

• Get ready. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Season the grapes. Add 3 cups (about 1 pound) seedless table grapes to the baking sheet. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
• Roast the grapes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the skins begin to burst and the grapes char in places. Spoon the grapes and their juices onto toast, cheese, roasted meat, or whatever else you have planned.

Tips for Roasting Grapes 

This recipe is simple, but a few details will give you the best texture and make the grapes easier to serve:

• Use seedless grapes. Any color will work, but seedless table grapes are the easiest to eat and spoon over other dishes.
• Choose a rimmed pan. The grapes release juice as they roast, so you’ll want a baking sheet with enough of an edge to contain it. A standard rimmed half-sheet pan is perfectly suitable.
• Look for blistering and charring. After about 20 minutes, some grapes should have burst while others still hold their shape. A little char gives them deeper flavor.
• Keep the pan juices. Spoon those sweet-tart juices over burrata, ricotta toast, salads, or roasted meat along with the grapes.
• Consider how you’ll serve them. Remove the stems when you want an easy topping or condiment. For a striking presentation on a cheese board, roast the grapes in small clusters and leave them on the vine.

Easy Roasted Grape Variations 

Take roasted grapes in a sweeter or more savory direction depending on how you plan to serve them:

• Change the grapes. Use red, green, black, or a mixture. Concord grapes also roast well, although they typically contain seeds.
• Try another herb. Replace the thyme with fresh rosemary sprigs or sage leaves. For a different aromatic note, try 1 teaspoon fennel seeds or anise seeds. If you don’t have fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, dried thyme, or herbes de Provence.
• Use a different vinegar. Balsamic vinegar lends rich sweetness, red wine vinegar tastes fruity and robust, and white wine vinegar keeps things light and bright. You can also replace the vinegar with lemon or orange juice, or finish the grapes with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
• Make them sweeter. If you plan to serve the grapes with dessert, add 1 tablespoon sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup before roasting.
• Add crunch. Finish the roasted grapes with chopped toasted walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts.

What to Serve with Roasted Grapes 

Roasted grapes can move easily from an appetizer to a side dish or dessert. Their concentrated sweetness pairs especially well with creamy cheese, peppery greens, earthy vegetables, and savory roasted meat.

• Serve them with cheese. My favorite option is a ball of creamy burrata with toasted bread or crackers. Spoon the grapes and their warm pan juices over the top. You can also add clusters of roasted grapes to a Mediterranean cheese board.
• Pile them onto toast. Spread toasted bread with whipped ricotta, goat cheese, or labneh (a thick, tangy strained yogurt), then spoon the grapes on top. For more topping combinations, see my ricotta toast recipe.
• Add them to a salad. I particularly like roasted grapes with peppery arugula, mozzarella, and pine nuts, using the pan drippings as part of the dressing. They can also add a sweet-savory element to this crunchy celery salad.
• Pair them with roasted meat. Spoon roasted grapes over chicken, pork, lamb, beef, or steak. They work beautifully alongside garlic herb-crusted rack of lamb or garlic Dijon chicken.
• Use them with roasted vegetables. Add the grapes to freshly roasted vegetables or use them to jazz up leftovers. Their sweetness is especially good with roasted cauliflower and roasted fennel.
• Try them in a complete dinner. If you like this combination, try my braised chicken thighs with grapes and fennel.
• Spoon them over dessert. Serve the warm grapes over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, or alongside a simple olive oil cake or yogurt cake.

More Ways to Use Roasted Grapes 

Appetizer and Mezze

How to Make the BEST Cheese Board: A Complete Guide

Meat and Poultry

Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe with Garlic and Herb Crust

Breakfast

Ricotta Toast with 6 Easy Ways to Top It

Dips and Condiments

Labneh