Have you ever tried roasted tomatoes? Specifically slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, the best of all roasted tomatoes? If not, you have really been missing out! Last summer, our garden produced more cherry tomatoes than we could eat fresh, so I roasted several batches over the weekends.
You might be thinking that it’s hard to beat fresh cherry tomatoes (and I agree), but roasted cherry tomatoes are even nicer. The flavors and textures condense in the oven, yielding spectacularly sweet-tart, rich tomato flavor.
Once roasted, these tomatoes keep in the refrigerator for over a week, so this is a great way to preserve tomatoes a little longer. Commenters report that these tomatoes freeze wonderfully for winter time, too—Chris says you can pull them out of the freezer bag and add them to salads!
Honestly, I eat these tomatoes like candy. I have to stop myself from eating them all straight off the pan. Unlike most other roasted veggies, which I typically serve as a side dish, these roasted tomatoes are the perfect addition to many summer meals. They’ll turn a simple pasta with basil into a highly memorable dinner.
You’ll be happy to hear that roasting these cherry tomatoes require a much lower temperature than normal (just 250 degrees Fahrenheit). While they do require a couple of hours in the oven, you can throw these in the oven on a hot day without overheating your kitchen.
Tomato lovers, gardeners and weekend meal preppers, this roasted tomato recipe is for you!
Watch How to Make Roasted Tomatoes
Uses for Roasted Tomatoes
Try scattering roasted cherry tomatoes on any of the following:
- Eggs
- Pasta
- Pizzas
- Quesadillas and tacos
- Salads with greens, herbs or whole grains
- Toasts or crackers spread with cream cheese, goat cheese or mashed avocado
Roasted tomatoes go particularly well with these Mediterranean flavors:
- Basil
- Bell peppers, especially roasted
- Feta, goat cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan
- Olives and capers
- Zucchini and yellow squash
More Cherry Tomato Recipes to Try
- Baked Feta Dip with Cherry Tomatoes
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Chunky Avocado Salsa
- Cucumber Tomato Salad with Greek Dressing
- Layered Panzanella
Please let me know how your roasted tomatoes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Roasted Tomatoes
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
These slow-roasted cherry tomatoes are completely irresistible on salads, pizzas, eggs, toasts and more. Make this simple recipe with your surplus tomatoes! Recipe yields about 2 cups roasted tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 pints (4 cups) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the tomatoes from sticking.
- Toss the tomatoes with the oil and salt on the parchment paper, then arrange the tomatoes so the cut sides are all facing up.
- Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 ½ hours, until the tomatoes are shrunken and shriveled and not too wet or squishy. Exact timing will depend on their size and your preferences.
- Let the tomatoes cool, then use as desired. Leftover tomatoes will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 week or longer. Or, freeze them for up to 6 months.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
rosalie
Please advise. Easy good recipe. Keeping the oven on for so long seems too long. Can you advise a shorter time, higher temp? Thank you
Kate
Hi Rosalie, good question. The temperature and timing shown in the recipe yields the best results based on my experiments. If you crank up the temperature, the tomatoes will probably bubble over and turn mushy, rather than shrivel and condense. It’s a nice, easy recipe for weekends at home!
Judy Benedict
I have lots of organic heirloom regular size tomatoes right now. Can I roast these the same way, or do you not suggest roasting them?
Kate
Hi Judy, I tried with larger tomatoes and they don’t behave quite the same way. They need to spend much more time in the oven (I think regular-size tomatoes would need all day!) and the results weren’t as nice. I also tried roasting halved, larger tomatoes at high heat (425 degrees) and they were good, but not amazing. You might have better luck cooking down the tomatoes on the stove, letting them cool completely and freezing in jars for winter time (be sure to leave some extra room in the jar for expansion, and tighten only once fully frozen).
Chris W.
I totally agree with roasting cherry tomatoes. Because we end up with so many tomatoes overall, when I freeze them, I roast them first and then they take up only half the room and get an even better flavor concentration. This way I have some all winter long for soups, sauces, etc. If you have a dehydrator, try thin slices in that – talk about candy! I also use them in salad. You can just keep them in the freezer in a zip top bag and munch away!
Kate
Such great tips! Thank you, Chris! I’m going to add your freezer tips to the post. Love the dehydrator suggestion—our new oven has a dehydrator setting that I need to play with. I tried dehydrating slices of strawberries last year, and those were so nice!
Meredith
They also freeze well for winter delight.
Kate
Love that idea! Thank you, Meredith!
Monir Hodges
This is a great recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Monir!
Judy
I agree these are like candy…. So very good straight or on anything at all.
Kate
Right?! I can’t get enough.
Barry Williams
Has anyone tried freezing the roasted tomatoes?
Kate
Hi Barry! I haven’t, but Meredith reports that they freeze well for the winter. I can’t wait to try that!
Stephanie
I love this! How is it best to reheat them once youve stored in the fridge?
Kate
That’s a good question! They are nice chilled or at room temperature, and you could gently reheat them at a reasonable temperature in the oven or just briefly in the microwave.
Chris W.
When I replied about roasting cherry tomatoes I forgot to tell how I roast whole ones. What I do is chunk them up, no need to peel them unless you desire. Then I put them on a big sheet pan and roast them at 425 for about 30-45 minutes. It all depends upon how juicy they are. I like to roast them until they have a nice color to them but not browned. Hope this helps answer some of the questions about roasting whole ones.
LL
Are roasted tomatoes KETO friendly?
Kate
I’m not a Keto expert so I don’t have direction, sorry!
Jay R
Thanx for meking want to quit my keto diet. I’ll be looking forward to trying these.
Jennifer
This recipe looks and sounds delicious! I normally don’t enjoy tomatoes on their own, so anything I can do to punch up the flavor would be awesome! I also liked your ideas about what to use these tomatoes on. I am hoping that I will enjoy them so much that I’ll be eating them like candy just like you! Thanks!
Kate
I love it! I hope you enjoy them, Jennifer.
M Stoo
Fantastic, easy and delicious.
Kate
Thank you! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Carmen garcia
Dear Cookie and Kate
I love your recipes! They have helped me follow my good intentions on a plant based diet. I am 67 and my friends just look at me like I’m a Martian….
The best is the Roasted tomatoes because you can add them to so many other things and even freeze them! Thank you!
Kate
You’re so kind! I’m delighted you are enjoying my recipes and this roasted tomatoes.
Carmen Garcia
Dear Kate,
Your book was my Christmas present to all my 3 children!
Kuddos for your excellent work, keep at it, many need you knowledge and enthusiasm!
Carmen
Kate
That’s so fun! Thank you for your support, Carmen.
Larry
These are great! You are right, they taste like candy!
I lightly sprinkled some herbs de Provence on top right before placing into the oven.
Going to do another large batch today, as we have the TMT (too much tomato) problem right now.
Kate
I’m glad you love them, Larry! I appreciate your review.
Sarah Pluck
I made these this afternoon and they really are like candy! I’ve never thought about roasting them at such a low temperature but I’m glad I did. I’m going to make some kind of salad with goat cheese and these tomatoes for dinner and I’m pretty excited. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Sarah! I’m glad you enjoyed them. I appreciate your review.
Janine Barclay
I think these would be great in a salad but how do you make a pasta with them? Do you just make sauce as you normally would and add a few in?
Kate
Sure! I would add it more as a topping or right before serving mix in. Let me know what you think!
Mike K.
These are flavor bombs and very delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I added them to sandwiches tonight. What pasta could best use these as an ingredient?
Kate
They would be delicious on sandwiches! A long pasta or short could be nice.
Dell Causseaux
When I saw this recipe, I thought nothing could be better than raw cherry tomatoes with a little salt and pepper! I was wrong!!!! I had just a few tomatoes and thought I would give this recipe a try. It is absolutely delicious!!! Now I’m headed to the market so I can make these slow roasted tomatoes again!!! So very good!!! Thanks Kate!!!!!
Kate
You’re welcome! These are so good. I’m glad you agree!
Patti
Just made these today and they are incredibly tasty! I will be using this recipe over and over again. Thank you
Kate
Hooray! I’m delighted you loved it.
Jordan
This was so easy, and so tasty! I got a carton of very mediocre cherry tomatoes from the grocery, but roasting them made them delicious!
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Jordan! Since you loved them so much, I would welcome a star review. Thank you!
Jordan
Accidentally skipped the star review part. These roasted tomatoes deserve it!
Kate
Thank you, Jordan!! :)
Aviva
I made this and used in your zoodles recipe! Was insane delicious! My husband (a true meat eater and pasta lover) loved the zoodles and said the tomatoes were what made the dish and I’d have to agree.
Kate
That’s great, Aviva! Thank you for your review.
BJ
Nice idea. I usually just toss mine in the grill while I’m cooking up some steaks or add them to my kabobs.
Denise
Thank you for yummy recipe for roasted cherry tomatoes. Is there an advantage to cooking the tomatoes on such a low temperature of 250 degrees taking almost two hours? Instead of for example roasting them at 400 or 350 degrees?
Thank you.
Denise
Kate
Hi! Low and slow gets you the best result. It dries them out vs making them burst, if that makes sense?
Stephanie
Delicious! I’ve been growing tomatoes forever and can’t believe I’ve never tried this before. The cherry tomatoes are abundant this year and this recipe is the bomb! I had some on pizza the other night and mixed some in with my pesto pasta. So delicious, I’m making more as I type and will freeze them as suggested so I can enjoy in the winter. Low and slow is the key !
Kate
Hooray! Sounds delicious, Stephanie. Thank you for taking the time to review.
Regan
I tossed these tomatoes with your roasted spaghetti squash, drizzled olive oil all over, and topped with Parmesan cheese. So easy and delicious! Thank you for your amazing recipes!!
Kate
That sounds delicious, Regan! I appreciate your review.
Renee
Do you think it would turn out if there were two baking sheets in the oven at the same time?
Kate
You could try it. Let me know what you think!