Easy Peach Tarte Tatin (for beginners)
Peach tarte tatin is an easy peach tart recipe with only 5 ingredients. Beginners can whip it up in 30 minutes and look very accomplished with our step-by-step instructions and pictures.
Expect ooh’s and ah’s from the juicy, caramelized peaches nested in a crispy, buttery puff pastry crust.
This peach tarte tatin recipe is not an authentic recipe, but I’d bet it’s the simplest one. And I’m 100% sure it’s delicious.
Serve it with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche for a delicious weeknight or company dessert.
What is a tarte tatin?
A tarte tatin is essentially caramelized fruit (most often apples) baked upside down with a pastry crust. Once baked, you flip the tart so the crust is on the bottom and the glazed fruit on top.
Legend has it that two Tatin sisters (French hotel owners) discovered a mistake with an apple pie they were making. The “fix” they used created this French classic.
Difference between a classic tarte tatin and our peach tarte tatin recipe
There are many variations of tarte tatin – even the classic version. Here are a few of the key differences between the more classic versions and the one we are making.
- A classic tarte tatin is most often made with apples cut very thick. We’re using ripe, in-season fresh peaches sliced thinly.
- Authentic tarte tatin is made in a cast iron pan and has several steps. Peel the apples, cook them first in a caramel sauce on the stove, drain the apples, assemble, top with a crust, transfer to the oven to bake, then flip the tart over. The process takes an hour or more. Our peach tarte tatin is much quicker (30 minutes). Essentially, an upside-down pastry. Just assemble in a pie dish, bake and flip over.
- The pie crust in a classic version uses pie dough, shortbread dough, store-bought dough or even puff pastry. Our version uses pre-rolled puff pastry – a huge shortcut that is fantastic.
- Purists will always serve a tarte tatin warm. I agree that warm is better 🙂 but room temperature is ok too.
When it comes down to it, either version is essentially a simple, rustic apple or peach tart. If you prefer apples, try our puff pastry apple tart which uses the same easy method. Bananas are great too.
How to make peach tarte tatin the easy way
Puff Pastry FAQ
Puff pastry is a light and flaky pastry make from butter, salt, water and flour. It alternates layers of butter and dough. Several brands use butter alternatives.
Buy it frozen in the freezer section of most local grocery stores. Most brands will do fine, but if possible, get a brand that says ‘made with butter’ on the package for a richer taste.
Yes, it will take about 40-50 minutes to defrost on the counter but don’t let it sit there too long. Working with cold dough is much easier. It’s best to thaw the pastry dough overnight in the fridge if you can. The dough can be kept in the fridge for a day. If it does become too soft, sprinkle some flour on your work surface to prevent sticking. Or place it back in the fridge for a bit.
If the dough is not pre-rolled into two separate sheets, roll one sheet into a 14 x 14 inch square (35 x 35 cm) about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. Sprinkle a bit of flour on parchment or a cutting board before rolling out the dough to prevent sticking.
This is the most common complaint with a tarte tatin. Once the tart cools a bit, the juice from the fruit seeps into the crust to make it soggy. The fix is simple. Sprinkle the fruit with a small amount of flour before baking. It’s as simple as that.
Tailor to your Taste
Despite its simplicity, there are still a few variations and substitutes you can try.
- Fruit options: If you don’t like or have ripe peaches, try apples or bananas. You will need to sprinkle less flour on the apples and none on the bananas.
- Flavors: Instead of cinnamon, try nutmeg, allspice or a pinch of ground cloves.
- Garnish: Sprinkle with crushed toasted pecans or walnuts.
- Lower the calories: Use a little less butter and sugar. Don’t overdo it though, as you still want that caramelized taste and glaze. You’re not going to achieve a low cal dessert here!
- Gluten free: You can buy gluten free puff pastry, but I believe you will have to roll out the dough yourself. And replace the sprinkle of flour with gluten free flour.
Make Ahead
- Make the entire peach puff pastry tart a few hours ahead, let it sit on the counter, then warm and crisp it in a 350F/176.7C oven for about 5-7 minutes before serving.
- Alternatively, assemble the peach tart tatin a few hours ahead, then bake it while your guests are eating dinner.
Love puff pastry? Try one of these other yummy recipes
- super easy potato knishes
- vegetable strudel recipe
- skillet chicken pot pie (30 minutes)
- cheese twists
- knish recipe with root vegetable mash
- tomato tart with puff pastry
- beet and goat cheese appetizer
- cinnamon puff pastry rolls
And if you love peaches, check out these delicious peach recipes including apps, condiments, mains, sides, salads and desserts.
Peach Tarte Tatin (for beginners)
Ingredients
- 3 medium peaches (or 4 small), pits removed, sliced into thin wedges (about 1/4-1/3 inch thick/6-8mm) no need to peel
- 2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (57g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or a bit more if peaches are very juicy)
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, Note 1
- 1/2 pound puff pastry dough (one sheet), thawed (~230 g/8 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/204C.
- PREPARE PEACH FILLING: Spread softened butter on bottom and sides of an 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) pie dish. I used my fingers. Sprinkle on brown sugar to cover the bottom of the pan. Arrange peach slices, slightly overlapping, around the outer edge, then the inner edge, covering the entire bottom of the pie plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over peaches (or a bit less if peaches aren't too juicy) to help absorb the juices and avoid a soggy crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
- PREPARE PUFF PASTRY CRUST: The crust will start on the top and end up on the bottom when tart is inverted onto a plate. Unfold dough or roll to 1/8 inch/3.2mm. Cut out round piece of dough to fit pie dish. (I lay pie dish on top of dough and cut around it). You will have leftover dough. Don't fuss – you can trim it after. Place puff pastry dough on top of peaches and tuck the edges downward all around the inside edge of pie plate. No need to cut small slits in the dough.
- BAKE AND SERVE: Bake tart for 23 minutes or until crispy and deep golden brown. Remove from oven. Place a serving plate (slightly larger than the pie plate) over the pie dish. Using oven mitts if plate is hot, invert (flip over) the peach tarte tatin onto a plate. The caramelized peaches will slowly fall onto the baked crust. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
- Variations and substitutes
- Fruit options: If you don’t like or have peaches, use apples or bananas. You will need to sprinkle less flour on the apples and none on the bananas.
- Flavors: Instead of cinnamon, try nutmeg, allspice or a pinch of ground cloves.
- Garnish: Sprinkle with crushed toasted pecans or walnuts.
- Lower the calories: Use a little less butter and sugar. Don’t overdo it though, as you still want that caramelized taste and glaze. You’re not going to achieve a low cal dessert here!
- Gluten free: You can buy gluten free puff pastry, but I believe you will have to roll out the dough yourself. And replace the sprinkle of flour with gluten free flour.
- Number of Servings: The recipe is for one small 8-9 inch tart that would serve about 4-6 people. If you use a full package of puff pastry (2 sheets/rolls), you can make 3 full 8-9inch/20-23cm tarts. Use the left over puff pastry from two tarts to make the third.
- Make Ahead:
- Make the entire peach puff pastry tart a few hours ahead, let it sit on the counter, then warm and crisp it in a 350F/176.7C oven for about 5-7 minutes before serving.
- Alternatively, assemble the peach tart tatin a few hours ahead, then bake it while your guests are eating dinner.
I would like to make this but was wondering if there was a butter substitute I could use. I serve people who can’t have butter. Coconut oil or Margarine
( yuk).
There is no problem with using the substitutes you mentioned or even spray the pie pan with oil like Pam. More importantly, be sure the buy a puff pastry that is not made with butter – not quite as rich tasting, but still good.
I made this tarte tatin this afternoon as I had a crazy amount of peaches to use up and didn’t want to make chutney with all of them. It was so much easier and quicker to put together than using the traditional method and is absolutely delicious. Mine turned out looking pretty much like yours except my peaches weren’t quite so artistically arranged! I will definitely be trying some of your other recipes.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment Caty. So glad you liked it! A delicious way to use up peaches as you say. Hope you like some of our other recipes too.
Please spell it correctly Tarte Tatin then we’re likely to take your recipe more seriously
Tarte Titin is spelled correctly.
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
tarte Ta·tin
/ˌtärt taˈta[N]/
Learn to pronounce
noun
a type of upside-down apple tart consisting of pastry baked over slices of fruit arranged in caramelized sugar, served fruit side up after cooking.