The perfect summer appetizer is bite-sized Tomato Tarts made with Puff Pastry! They’re easy to make, are a great way to use up vine-ripe summer tomatoes and are endlessly versatile. Play around with different flavor combos and keep the puff pastry tarts coming all summer!
I spent a month last year developing tons of different puff pastry tart recipes. Many of which went viral on social media including this strawberry shortcake-inspired puff pastry. Through my testing I’ve collected a handful of tips and tricks for making the best tarts using puff pastry. I’ll share all of those tips throughout this article, but before we dive into the recipe, we need to talk about the beauty of puff pastry.
Homemade puff pastry is a bear to make. But store-bought? It’s the ultimate shortcut that’s just as good as homemade. Aside from being incredibly convenient, it’s also forgiving and versatile. While I don’t recommend weighing the pastry down with tons of moisture and weight, it does do a good job of puffing even in the toughest of environments. So feel free to play around! The results will likely surprise you.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
- Tomatoes: you’ll need a couple vine-ripe tomatoes. Make sure they are on the larger end but not so massive that they won’t fit on a 3-inch pastry round.
- Puff pastry: my favorite brand of puff pastry is Pepperidge Farm. Look for it in the freezer section near the pie shells and phyllo dough.
- Fresh goat cheese: also labeled as Chevre. Make sure it’s at room temperature for easy spreading.
- Shallot: just a few slices per tart adds a savory aromatic note. You can substitute with thin slices of red onion.
- Thyme: I prefer and recommend using fresh here. You can also use dried. If you are using dried thyme, sprinkle it over the cheese instead of the tomatoes (so it doesn’t burn during baking).
- Egg: used as an egg wash to brush over the pastry. This creates a nice shiny pastry.
- Honey: this is optional, but I like to make a spicy honey to drizzle over the tarts.
- Chili crisp: for the hot honey, I like to use chili crisp because it adds more flavor and texture than just red pepper flakes or cayenne. You can, of course, use those instead, but start with just a ½ a teaspoon of pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon of cayenne.
- Flaky sea salt: this adds a crunchy, salty finish that brings everything together.
How to Make Tomato Tarts with Puff Pastry
- Slice the tomatoes then drain them on a few layers of paper towels to soak up any excess moisture.
- Cut the puff pastry into rounds and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Great goat cheese onto each round.
- Top goat cheese with two slices of shallot.
- Place a tomato slice on each tart dough and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
- Brushed edges of pastry with egg wash.
- Bake until pastries are puffed and golden brown.
- Drizzle baked pastries with chili-crisp honey then sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and serve immediately.
Puff Pastry Tips
- Don’t roll out the puff pastry: it’s tempting to roll out the dough so you can get more servings out of each sheet. But for the best lift and crispness, I recommend using the puff pastry as-is.
- Don’t let it get too warm: if it gets too warm it will be hard to work with. You can always pop it back in the fridge or freezer to firm up before continuing to work with it. In a pinch, use a bit of flour to keep the soft dough from sticking to the counter.
- Bake it at a high temp: 400ºF or 425ºF is what you should be baking puff pastry at. The high heat encourages lift and will adequately brown the pastry. If you bake at a lower temperature the fat will likely melt out and a tall puff won’t be achieved.
Variations
- Pizza Seasoning: give the tarts a bit of a pizza makeover by using dried oregano, dried thyme and crushed red pepper flakes. Finish with fresh basil and flaky sea salt.
- Greek: swap out the goat cheese for feta and add capers or olives to the tarts. Skip the type and use fresh oregano.
- Caprese: swap the goat cheese our for shredded whole milk mozzarella and finish the tarts with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a bit of fresh basil.
How to Serve
These tarts are the perfect appetizer for dinner parties, cocktails parties or summer get-togethers. You can also serve them as a side dish alongside a fresh Cream of Corn Soup, Chimichurri Chicken or Crab Salad.
Tomato Recipes to Try Next
- Tomato Salad with Frizzled Shallot Oil
- Tomato Watermelon Orzo Salad
- Burrata Caprese
- Tomato Florentine Soup
Summer Salads
Simple Tomato Salad with Frizzled Shallot Oil
Summer Salads
Watermelon Tomato Orzo Salad Recipe
Side Salad
Burrata Caprese Salad
Soups, Stews & Chilis
30-Minute Tomato Florentine Soup
Puff Pastry Tomato Tarts
Description
The perfect summer appetizer is bite-sized Tomato Tarts with Puff Pastry! Featuring creamy goat cheese, shallots, herby thyme and vine-ripe tomatoes. Finish with a hot honey and you've got the perfect appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes
- 1 (17-ounce) package puff pastry, thawed
- 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili crisp
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes about ⅛ inch thick then arrange on a double layer of paper towels. Press a double layer of paper towels over top to soak up excess liquid. Set aside while you prepare remaining ingredients.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unfold puff pastry and using a 3 ¼-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 2 rounds; transfer to baking sheets.
- Spread 2 teaspoons goat cheese onto each round, leaving an ⅛-inch boarder around edge of dough.
- Arrange two slices of shallot over goat cheese. Place 1 slice of tomato on each tart dough and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
- In a small bow, beat egg and a splash of water until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush edges of puff pastry dough with egg wash.
- Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until puffed and golden brown around the edges, about 25 minutes, rotating top to bottom and front to back halfway through.
- Meanwhile, combine honey and chili crisp in a small bowl; add a splash of water to thin the sauce.
- Drizzle honey sauce over tarts and sprinkle with flaky sea salt; serve immediately.
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Equipment
Notes
Don’t roll out the puff pastry: it’s tempting to roll out the dough so you can get more servings out of each sheet. But for the best lift and crispness, I recommend using the puff pastry as-is.
Don’t let it get too warm: if it gets too warm it will be hard to work with. You can always pop it back in the fridge or freezer to firm up before continuing to work with it. In a pinch, use a bit of flour to keep the soft dough from sticking to the counter.
Bake it at a high temp: 400ºF or 425ºF is what you should be baking puff pastry at. The high heat encourages lift and will adequately brown the pastry. If you bake at a lower temperature the fat will likely melt out and a tall puff won’t be achieved.
Chili Crisp: my favorite brands of Chili Crisp are Momofuku and Fly by Jing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tartCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 107mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 5g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!
I’ve never used chili crisp before. Is there a brand you recommend? Thanks.
Yes! I like Fly by Jing or Momofuku. Enjoy!