Cherry Puff Pastry Tart

Quick Summary: Cherry puff pastry tart is a rustic French tart made with a store-bought puff pastry base, an almond cream filling, and fresh cherries, baked until the pastry turns golden. It needs only a few ingredients and about 45 minutes.

What is a cherry puff pastry tart?

A cherry puff pastry tart is a rustic, free-form tart that uses a sheet of puff pastry as its base instead of a traditional shortcrust pastry. The pastry is shaped in a ring or mold, filled with a light almond cream, and topped with whole fresh cherries before baking.

Unlike a classic French cherry clafoutis or a lattice-topped cherry pie, this version keeps things simple: the flaky, buttery layers of the puff pastry do the work, so you skip rolling and blind-baking a homemade crust. The result is a light dessert that pairs the tartness of cherries with a soft, creamy filling.

Why you'll love this recipe

1. This tart recipe is one of the best cherry recipes.
2. It does not require a pizza cutter or precise tart shaping. Forget about store-bought cherry pie filling, too. Everything is made with minimal effort and is simplified!
3. Using a store-bought puff pastry is a lifesaver while making the tart. The only downside is that store-bought pastry may not be as airy (i.e., less flaky) as a homemade puff pastry, but if you need something quick, then it cannot be beaten.
4. This rustic cherry tart is a perfect balance between buttery and flaky pastry and sweet cherries.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Puff pastry: use a store-bought frozen puff pastry (pâte feuilletée in French) by Pepperidge Farm. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. You can also thaw the puff pastry on the countertop, but check it every 5 to 10 minutes; it softens quickly, making it challenging to work with. Follow Cathy Barrow's quick puff pastry recipe if you want to make homemade pastry dough.

• Cherries: the recipe calls for fresh cherries. You can use sweet or sour cherries to make the recipe. Make sure to pit them, but leave cherries whole. Read on how to pit cherries easily. It is a personal preference to use a cherry pitter or use a simpler technique with a bottle of wine and a wooden skewer. You can also replace fresh cherries with frozen ones when fresh fruits are out of season; no need to thaw them.

• Icing sugar: make it yourself or use store-bought powdered sugar.

• Almond flour: the recipe calls for almond flour or ground almonds.

• Eggs: use whole large eggs at room temperature.

• Lemon: make fresh lemon juice with a citrus juicer or use bottled 100% lemon juice. You can replace lemon juice with fresh lime juice if desired.

• Heavy cream: must have at least 36% fat. Replace it with whipping cream if desired.

• Almonds: use either slivered almonds or flaked almonds for this recipe.

Equipment

You need a few basic tools to make this cherry puff pastry tart.

• oval pastry ring holds the tart together as it bakes.
• rolling pin rolls the cold puff pastry to an even thickness.
• pastry brush
• parchment paper stops the dough from sticking.
• hand whisk blends the almond cream filling smoothly.

How to make cherry puff pastry tart

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 380°F (190°C). Get ready a baking sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper.

Step 2. Using a pastry brush, butter the baking parchment and sprinkle it with brown sugar. Place an oval pastry ring (see note #1) on parchment.

Step 3. Using a rolling pin, roll the thawed but still cold sheet of puff pastry on a work surface to ⅕-inch (5 mm) thick.

Step 4. Using your hands, bring the dough over the pastry ring. Then, gently press it into the mold.

Step 5. Cut off any excess pastry with a sharp knife. Prick the bottom with a fork (photo 1). Refrigerate while making the filling cream.

Step 6. To make the filling, mix eggs, cream, almond flour, sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl with a hand whisk (photo 2).

Step 7. Pour the preparation over the puff pastry sheet and divide the pitted cherries over it. Sprinkle with slivered almonds (photo 3).

Step 8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the edges of the pastry become golden brown.

Step 9. Let it cool, then remove the tart from the ring/mold and cut it into pieces with a sharp knife (photo 4). 

Step 10. Serve it plain or sprinkled with icing sugar. Or accompany it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Expert tips

1. Use one of the authentic pastry rings (perforated or non-perforated), 0.75-inch (about 2 cm) high, or make it yourself (instructions are in the FAQ section). This oval pastry ring is equivalent to an 8-inch (20 cm) round pastry ring.
2. Make sure that the butter puff pastry is thawed but cold. If it becomes warm and soft, bring it to the freezer for 5 minutes. 
3. Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry dough; don't stretch it. 
4. Replace fresh cherries with the frozen ones: don't thaw them.

Recipe variations

This cherry puff pastry tart is easy to adapt. Here are a few ways to change it up:

• Cream cheese filling: swap the almond cream for a sweetened cream cheese mixture to make a cherry-Danish-style tart.
• Other fruit: replace the cherries with plums, apricots, or berries when they are in season.
• Frozen cherries: use them straight from the freezer, no need to thaw.
• Extra flavor: add a splash of kirsch or almond extract to the filling, or scatter more slivered almonds on top for crunch.

Storing & freezing

This cherry tart is best eaten on the day it is made. To store leftovers, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

You can also freeze the fully cooled cherry tart, tightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1 month. To thaw, refrigerate the tart for 24 hours.

Recipe FAQ

What is a pastry ring?
A pastry ring is a baking tool used to shape pastry and hold it together during baking or assembly. Pastry rings come in four different shapes: round, oval, square, and triangular. The height of pastry rings varies from 0.75 inch (about 2 cm) to 1.75 inches (4.5 cm) and higher.

What's the difference between perforated and non-perforated pastry rings?
Unlike non-perforated pastry rings, perforated rings ensure perfect heat conduction for the pastry, resulting in golden edges and crisp crusts.

How to make a pastry ring yourself?
To make a pastry ring, cut a strip of cardboard approximately 2 inches (5 cm) wide and long enough for your preparation. Then adjust it with a metal paper clip to get a circle. Next, cover your cardboard ring with aluminum foil to strengthen it. When your preparation is ready, you can create a bottom of the ring with aluminum foil to avoid leaks. Finally, once your pastry is baked, just cut out the cardboard circle with a pair of scissors.

Can you make this tart with frozen cherries?
Yes, absolutely. Use frozen cherries: no need to thaw them.

How many calories are in cherry puff pastry tart?
One serving of this cherry puff pastry tart has about 448 calories, based on 4 to 6 servings per tart.

Love tarts? Try these next!

• Cherry Crumb Pie
• Cherry Pizza (Cherry Dessert Pizza)
• Peach and Blueberry Galette
• Puff Pastry Peach Galette
• French Plum Frangipane Tart
• French Fig Tart
• Tarte aux Fraises (French Strawberry Tart)
• French Caramel Apple Tart
• Browse all Pies & Tarts recipes.

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was originally published on June 24, 2021. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.