Pear Tarte Tatin

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This Pear Tarte Tatin is a stunning take on the classic French upside-down tart, apple tarte Tatin. Caramelized pears melt into a rich, buttery sauce beneath layers of flaky puff pastry that bake to a perfect golden crust. It’s a timeless dessert that feels both rustic and refined.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Calories: 528kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

5-6 Pears
1 tablespoon Lemon juice freshly squeezed
150 g Granulated sugar
60 g Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Lemon juice freshly squeezed
¼ teaspoon Salt
1 pack Puff pastry store-bought or homemade

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Peel, core, and cut the pears in half. Drizzle them with freshly squeezed lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), no fan.
Set a heavy, ovenproof skillet or tarte Tatin pan (9-inch / 23 cm) over medium heat. Add the sugar, butter, and lemon juice, and cook slowly until the mixture becomes a light golden caramel. If the butter separates from the sugar, whisk gently until it combines again. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the salt.
Place the pear halves cut-side up in the caramel, packing them tightly since they will shrink during baking. Add more pears as needed to create a full, even layer.
Place the pan with the pears in the oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes. Check the texture — they should be partially baked at this stage. Allow them to cool to room temperature before adding the pastry on top. If the pears release too much liquid, gently spoon out the excess. The pears should remain moist with caramel underneath, but not be submerged in liquid.
Roll out the chilled dough into a circle about 11–12 inches (28–30 cm) wide, just large enough to cover the pears and tuck around the edges of the skillet. Use a fork to prick the dough all over before laying it on top of the pears.
Lay the puff pastry over the pears, gently tucking the edges down around the fruit. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry turns golden brown and crisp.
Allow the tart to rest for 15 minutes. Before inverting it onto a serving plate, check for any excess liquid in the pan and carefully spoon it out if needed. Don’t discard it. Once cooled, it will thicken into a rich caramel you can brush over the pears for a glossy finish.
Then, while the tart is still warm, gently flip it onto a serving plate to keep the caramel from hardening.
Slice and serve warm, with whipped chantilly, or vanilla ice cream.
Store leftover tarte Tatin covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Rewarm slices gently in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 10 minutes before serving to bring back the caramel’s shine and crisp up the pastry slightly.
Tarte Tatin is best enjoyed fresh, but you can freeze it if needed. Wrap the cooled tart tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 325°F (160°C) oven until warmed through. Keep in mind that the pastry may lose some of its crispness after freezing.

Notes

Use a type of pear that is both firm and crisp, without turning mushy e.g., Bosch, Anjou, Bartlett. It is better if they are roughly the same size and more on the smaller side to be able to fit them tightly.
The simplest and most reliable method is to cook the sugar and butter together with a splash of lemon juice until you get a very light caramel. Don’t push it too far; the caramel will continue to deepen in the oven, and starting too dark can leave you with a bitter taste.
Pears shrink significantly while cooking therefore you have to pack the skillet very tightly.
Baking the fruit before adding the puff pastry not only helps reduce shrinkage but also prevents the pastry from turning soggy.
After prebaking, if the pears have released too much juice, spoon it out so you’re left with just moist pears sitting in caramel, not watery sauce.
Puff pastry softens quickly at room temperature. Roll it out while still chilled and only place it over the pears once they’ve cooled slightly. Never cover the hot pears, or the pastry will melt before baking.
Once the tart is fully baked, let it rest for a few minutes before flipping. If there’s still too much caramel in the pan, spoon some out first; this keeps the serving plate neat. As the sauce cools, it thickens into a rich caramel that you can brush over the pears for a glossy finish.
You can flavor the tarte tatin by adding ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract.

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