The peach tarte Tatin, made with puff pastry, features caramelized peaches and a buttery, flaky crust for a perfect, easy dessert. The tart is easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and brings out the sweet, juicy flavor of ripe peaches. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.
This French-style peach tarte Tatin recipe is quick and easy to make because it uses puff pastry instead of traditional dough and skips the step of cooking the fruit first. Just layer the peaches and cover them with the pastry in a cast iron skillet. The result is a delicious dessert with a sweet caramel layer and a crisp, light pastry.
Make some Blueberry Tarts or Strawberry Turnovers using puff pastry, too.
Ingredients: 6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes
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What is Tarte Tatin?
A tarte Tatin is a traditional French dessert. It is an upside-down fruit tart made by caramelizing fruit, traditionally apples, with sugar and butter, then covering it with pastry and baking it. After baking, the tart is flipped over so the golden, caramelized fruit is on top and the crispy, buttery puff pastry crust is on the bottom.
Today’s peach version is easier and faster to make because it uses store-bought puff pastry instead of homemade shortcrust pastry and doesn’t require pre-cooking the peaches before adding them to the pan. Check out this easy Brioche French Toast Casserole, too.
Recipe ingredients
Fresh peaches: Choose ripe but still firm peaches. They shouldn’t be too soft, as overly soft peaches can release too much juice and make the pastry soggy. Yellow or white peaches or nectarines are all fine. You can also use canned peaches. Drain them well and pat them dry with a paper towel.
Puff pastry: I used a pre-rolled puff pastry sheet from the grocery store's refrigerator section. Frozen pastry works well, too, but it needs time to thaw. Follow the package instructions to defrost it; if it's in a block, roll it out before using it.
Ingredients for the caramel: Granulated sugar, water, butter, and some spices. The spices are optional, but I recommend using them for extra flavor.
See the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient quantities.
How to make peach tarte tatin?
Step #1: Halve and stone fruits. Set aside.
Step #2: Combine sugar and water in the skillet. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Step #3: Simmer on medium-low heat until the sugar turns golden. Watch closely to avoid letting it become too dark or burn.
Step #4: Add the butter and spices, then stir gently for 2 minutes until the mixture turns smooth and silky. It may look grainy initially, but keep stirring until it fully blends.
Step #5: Place the halved peaches, cut side up, into the skillet.
Step #6: Place the dough on top of the peaches and fold the edges down, tucking the fruit in as you go around. Make a few small slits in the pastry using a small sharp knife.
Step #7: Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until the pie crust is golden brown. Let it stand for 10 minutes before inverting it.
Step 8: Place a slightly larger serving plate on top of the tarte Tatin. Using oven mitts, carefully flip the pan over so that the tart falls onto the plate.
Tips
Puff pastry: If you have a block of puff pastry, thaw it, then roll it into a circle about 11 inches (28 cm) in diameter. If your pastry is already rolled into a rectangle, trim it to make a rough 11-inch (28 cm) circle. This will make it easier to tuck the pastry underneath the peaches.
Buy an extra peach to ensure you have enough, especially if the ones you get are smaller than mine, so that you can fill the skillet appropriately. Use ripe but firm peaches to avoid the excess juices making the pastry soggy. If the peaches are too soft, they can release too much liquid.
Allow the tarte Tatin to rest shortly before inverting. This will allow the caramel to set slightly and make it easier to invert and slice.
Recipe FAQs
A cast-iron skillet works best. Use a pan that is 9 to 10 inches (23-24 cm) wide and at least 1 ¾ inches (4 ½ cm) tall to hold the caramel, peaches, and crust without spilling over. Avoid nonstick pans; go for a good-quality steel or cast iron skillet.
A common problem with tarte Tatin is a soggy crust as it cools. This usually happens if the caramel wasn't reduced enough before adding the pastry or if the peaches were too soft. To avoid this, use ripe but firm peaches and reduce the caramel properly.
Serve and store
Peach tart tatin is best served immediately while still warm.
However, you can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days. The pastry will not be crispy anymore but will still taste great.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that will start to melt lightly on top of the warm dessert, with crème fraîche mixed with a bit of brown sugar, with freshly whipped cream, vanilla custard, or vanilla sauce.
More quick desserts
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📖 Recipe
Peach Tarte Tatin
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet 9-10 inches/ 23-24 cm diameter
- Oven mittens
Ingredients
- 4 peaches Note 1
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g
- ½ cup water 125 ml
- 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter 50 g
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of cardamom
- 1 sheet puff pastry about 9 oz/ 250 g, Notes 2, 3
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 180°C.
- Peaches: Halve them and carefully remove the stove. Place the peaches aside.4 peaches
- Dissolve sugar: Place the cast iron pan on the stovetop. Add sugar and water and stir on medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved.½ cup granulated sugar / 100 g + ½ cup water / 125 ml
- Caramelize sugar: Simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar is golden; be careful not to let it get too dark or burn.
- Make the caramel: Add the butter and spices, then stir gently but continuously for another 2 minutes until the mixture reaches a smooth caramel consistency. At first, it may look grainy as the butter separates, but keep stirring until it becomes smooth and silky.3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon + pinch of cardamom
- Assemble tarte tatin: Place the peach halves, cut side up, into the pan with the caramelized sugar. If the pastry is rolled into a circle, lay it over the peaches and fold the edges down, tucking the fruit in as you go around. If your pastry is rolled into a rectangle, trim it lightly to get a rough circle slightly larger than the pan, about 11 inches/ 28 cm. If your pastry is not already rolled, roll it into an 11-inch/ 28 cm circle, too.1 sheet puff pastry
- Make a few small slits in the pastry using a small sharp knife.
- Bake the peach tarte for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove it from the oven and let it stand for about 10 minutes.
- Invert tarte tatin: Set a serving plate a bit larger than your pie dish on top of the tarte Tatin. Use oven mitts to grab the pan (super hot!) and flip it over carefully, letting the tart fall onto the plate. Serve warm with ice cream, custard, vanilla sauce, or whipped cream.
Notes
- Peaches: I suggest buying one extra peach to ensure you have enough, especially if the ones you buy are smaller than mine. You can also use nectarines or canned peaches. Drain canned peaches well and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Puff pastry: You can use pre-made puff pastry from the grocery store's refrigerator section. Frozen puff pastry sheets work well, too - follow the package instructions to defrost them.
- Rolling pastry: If you have a block of puff pastry, thaw it first and then roll it out into a circle slightly larger than the diameter of your pan. This will allow you to tuck the pastry underneath the peaches easily.
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