Cherry Puff Pastry Tart

You can't go wrong with this cherry puff pastry tart! It is made with a store-bought puff pastry, a sweet, creamy filling, and bright-colored fresh cherries. The best part about this tart? You only need a few ingredients!

This cherry tart is a great way to show off how well it can play with summer flavors.

Cherry season is short enough. So why not take advantage of the season?

This tart is a quick weekday dessert or weekend party food - plus, you can whip it up in less than 15 minutes.

The real magic happens when you take a bite of its perfectly puff pastry crust filled with custard-like cream and topped off with sweet cherries that will melt in your mouth.

Indeed, you can find a cherry tart in the frozen food section of your supermarket.

But the great thing is that everything is better homemade, especially this delicious cherry dessert.

And if you love cherry hand pies (aka mini cherry pies) made with puff pastry dough, you will definitely love this cherry tart.

So what are you waiting for? Let's get started!

Why you should try this recipe

1. This tart recipe is one of the best cherry recipes.
2. It does not require a pizza cutter and a precise tart shaping. Forget about store-bought cherry pie filling, too. Everything is made with a 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 becomes soft quickly, making it challenging to work with.

Please, 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.

Please, make sure to pit them, but leave cherries whole. Please, 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 the 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: it has to be at least 36% fat content. Replace it with whipping cream if desired.

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

How to make cherry puff pastry tart

Preheat the oven to 380 degrees F/190 degrees C. Get ready a baking sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storage

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

You can also freeze the fully cooled cherry tart covered with plastic wrap tightly for up to 1 month.

To thaw, bring the tart to the refrigerator for 24 hours.

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 (the instruction is in FAQ section). This oval pastry ring equals 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 the puff-pastry dough out: don't stretch the dough. 
4. Replace fresh cherries with the frozen ones: don't thaw them.

Frequently asked questions

Love tarts? Try these next!

Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for my latest updates. If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below!

Print

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. All posted pictures are mine.