This upside down pear tart with puff pastry crust is inspired by the simple fruit tarts found in Paris bakeries. If you love Upside Down Apple Tart (tarte tatin), try this pear version next!
For an easy fall dessert, make this rustic pear tart.
The next time you’re tempted to bake with apples, change it up and make a pear dessert like Pear Crisp, Baked Pears, or today’s easy upside down pear tart.
I’ve always thought it was a little unfair that apples receive so much attention when pears are crisp, juicy, and delicious too.
You’ll love their mellow, lightly floral flavor and celebrating a type of autumn produce you might have previously overlooked.
This tart recipe is inspired by the puff pastry tarts I’ve tasted in bakeries all over France. They just use a few seasonal ingredients, but turn into something spectacular in the oven!
About this Easy Pear Tart
What makes this recipe unique is that it bakes upside-down.
You arrange pats of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a grid, arrange pear slices on top of them in rows, then lay the puff pastry on top to bake.
After the tart comes out of the oven, give it a flip to reveal your masterpiece!
I adore this upside-down puff pastry method (and even use it for savory recipes like Onion Tart).
It’s easy to execute, looks super impressive, and because the pastry bakes on top of the fruit instead of underneath it, it stays crisp, instead of turning soggy underneath the pears.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Pears. Use firm pears that hold their shape during baking, like Anjou or Bosc. I do not recommend Bartletts. They’re delicious to eat, but they’ll break down during cooking.
- Puff Pastry. Look for an all-butter puff pastry and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Honey, Brown Sugar, and Butter. These caramelize with the pears to create the lightly sweet, caramelized pear topping.
- Cinnamon. While the French don’t put much cinnamon in their desserts, I love it here both for the flavor and to add some color to the tart after it’s baked.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your pears are fairly firm. If they are overripe, they won’t slice cleanly.
- Cut the pears ⅛-inch (or thinner). The easiest way is with a mandoline. It’s one of those gadgets you find yourself using more often than you’d think.
- No need to peel. The pear skins are thin and tender. You won’t notice them after baking.
More Easy Fall Desserts
Pear Tart
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Ingredients
- 4 to 6 tablespoons honey
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter sliced into 6 even pieces
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon plus additional for serving
- ½ to 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt
- 3 to 5 firm Anjou or Bosc pears sliced 1/8 inch thick -I do not recommend Bartlett as they don’t hold their shape well in baking
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed according to package directions
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water to create an egg wash
- Cinnamon optional for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drizzle the honey onto the parchment in 6 evenly spaced squiggly puddles so that you have 2 rows of 3. I draw a straight line that is about 2 inches long, then snake the honey back and forth over the line in an “S” shape (see video). Place a pat of butter in the center of each.
- Sprinkle each pat of butter with a pinch each of brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Fan the pear slices over the butter in a line so that you create 3 long columns side by side. Start with the right or left side, fanning the pears over 3 pats of butter. Tuck the slices snugly against each other so no parchment peeks through (they'll rise up and over the butter pats). For the side columns, face cut edges towards or away from you.
- Once you’ve finished the first column, complete the middle column, nestling the pears between the 2 columns of butter so they are directly on the parchment. For this column, face the pears left and/or right.
- Complete the final column, arranging the pears over the remaining pats. They should form a rectangle that’s about 8×10 inches.
- Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle that’s about 2 inches larger than the pears (approximately 10×12 inches). Cover the pears with the pastry like a blanket. Use the tines of a fork to crimp all the way around the edges of the pastry to create a border.
- Brush the pastry lightly and evenly with the egg wash. Dab up any pools of extra egg wash with a paper towel.
- Bake the pear tart for 25 to 30 minutes on the center rack, until the pastry is deeply golden and puffed.
- Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Set a large cutting board over the pan and, in a single, confident motion, flip it over. Lift away the pan and peel off the parchment. Dust with cinnamon. Slice into squares of desired size.
