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I love baking Puff Pastry Pear Tarts upside down and flipping them to reveal a layer of honey-glazed pears. Each little tart has flaky, golden pastry underneath and thin pear slices on top with cinnamon sugar, thyme, and sliced almonds. One sheet of store-bought puff pastry makes all six. Pears are inexpensive and at their best in early fall, and these tarts make a pretty dessert to serve after dinner.
I am in love with cute little, easy desserts like these Puff Pastry Pear Tarts or my Easy Apple Tarts, which are very similar. Puff pastry makes anything look a little fancier, and slices of whole pear add an elegant feel. Your folks will think you worked a lot harder on this recipe than you actually did!
Testing results for pear tarts
- It is easier to assemble the tarts on torn parchment paper than on the baking sheet. There isn’t enough space on the baking sheet to crimp the edges closed.
- I found that if the pear slices are too thick, it’s difficult to get the puff pastry to cover everything. Slice the pears as thin as you can.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Puff pastry. One sheet of frozen store-bought puff pastry, thawed according to the box. Roll it lightly before cutting, to just under 1/4 inch. That’s thin enough to get six workable rectangles out of the sheet and still thick enough to puff.
Pears. Three small ones. Bartletts are the usual pick, and they slice cleanly, but any pear works fine. Ripeness matters more than variety. A pear that gives a little when you press near the stem will be sweet, and a rock-hard one won’t soften much in twenty minutes of baking. Skip anything soft enough to bruise under the knife, because those slices fall apart when you fan them.
Honey. Six tablespoons total, spooned onto the parchment before anything else. It’s the bottom layer during baking, so it pools under the fruit and thickens into a thin caramel by the time the tarts come out.
Light brown sugar and cinnamon. Three tablespoons of brown sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon, stirred together before adding. Mixing them first spreads the cinnamon evenly across all six tarts instead of clumping it on one or two.
Sliced almonds. Three tablespoons, scattered over the fruit. They sit against the parchment while the tarts bake and end up on top after you flip them.
Coarse sanding sugar. Optional to sprinkle on top before serving.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make puff pastry pear tarts
Here’s how to make these easy puff pastry pear tarts step by step.
- Tear a sheet of parchment into six rectangles and build each tart on its own piece: honey first, then fanned pear slices, then the cinnamon sugar, thyme, and almonds.
- Roll the thawed puff pastry lightly, cut it into six rectangles, and lay one over each pile of fruit, pressing the edges down with a fork to seal.
- Lift the tarts off the torn parchment onto a lined sheet pan, brush the tops with egg wash, and bake until deep golden brown.
- Let them cool on the pan until the syrup thickens, then flip each one over with a large spatula so the pears face up.
Variations
- Pecans instead of almonds. Chopped pecans toast the same way and give a richer flavor. Use the same three tablespoons.
- Maple syrup instead of honey. Swap it tablespoon for tablespoon.
- No herb at all. Leave the thyme out for a straight cinnamon and honey tart.
- Apples instead of pears. The assembly is identical. Slice them just as thin, since apples soften more slowly than pears do.
What to serve with pear tarts
These are the last course, so the real question is what comes before them. A fall supper built on Cider-Brined Pork Roast ends well with something honey-sweet and small, and if you want the pear to carry through the whole meal, start with my Arugula and Pear Salad.
For a dessert table instead of a plated course, set the tarts out next to Baked Brie With Figs and Honey and let people help themselves. The honey ties the two together, and the tarts are already portioned.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Puff Pastry Pear Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 3 small pears
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- coarse sanding sugar, optional
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Tear a second sheet of parchment into six equal rectangles and lay them out on the counter.
- Lightly roll 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed to about 5 millimeters thick, just under 1/4 inch, then cut it into six even rectangles. Return the rectangles to the refrigerator until needed.
- Slice 3 small pears very thin, discarding the cores and seeds.
- Spoon just under 6 tablespoons honey into the center of each torn parchment rectangle.
- Fan 3 to 4 pear slices over the honey on each rectangle.
- Stir 3 tablespoons light brown sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon together in a small bowl, then sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon over each pile of pears.
- Scatter a few thyme leaves and some 3 tablespoons sliced almonds over the fruit.
- Lay a chilled puff pastry rectangle over each pile and press the edges down with a fork to seal all the way around.
- Transfer the tarts from the torn parchment onto the prepared sheet pan.
- Whisk 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush it over the tops of the pastry.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until deep golden brown.
- Cool the tarts on the pan for about 10 minutes, then flip each one over with a large spatula so the pears face up. Sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar if using.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Make ahead. The tarts can be assembled on their parchment rectangles, covered, and refrigerated for a couple of hours before they go in the oven. Cold puff pastry puffs better than room-temperature pastry, so the wait works in your favor. Don’t assemble the night before, though, because the honey and sugar will draw liquid out of the pears and soften the pastry underneath.
Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. The pastry softens overnight, so warm the tarts for five to eight minutes in a 350-degree F oven to restore the crispness. Skip the microwave, which turns puff pastry chewy.
You can, but you’ll get a different dessert. Pie crust bakes flat and firm instead of rising into layers, so the tarts lose the height and flake that make them what they are. If pie crust is all you have, roll it a little thinner and expect a crisp, cookie-like base.
No. Pear skin is thin, and once the slices are cut very thin and baked, you won’t notice it. Leaving the skin on also helps the slices hold their shape while you fan them out. You can peel them if you prefer a smoother texture.
Usually, the pear slices were too thick for the pastry to seal properly. Press hard enough to see the tine marks flatten the pastry against the parchment, and check that the fruit pile sits low and flat before you cover it with pastry.
Standard puff pastry is made with wheat, so these aren’t gluten-free. Some store brands use oil rather than butter, which makes them dairy-free, so read the ingredient panel if that matters to you. The tarts also contain egg and almonds.
Yes. Two sheets of puff pastry and six small pears make twelve tarts. Use two sheet pans and bake them one at a time so the tarts have room to brown evenly, or rotate the pans halfway through if your oven holds both.
