Apricot or Peach Tart in Puff Pastry (Even Singles)

This simple apricot or peach tart recipe is perfect for making a single tart—or for serving a crowd. Also great with apricots or pears.

It was quite by accident that I stumbled across the idea of making individual fruit tarts. One bountiful summer, I found myself with an enormous quantity of beautiful fresh apricots–and a package of puff pastry.

It was then the real brilliance of this technique hit–the ability to easily make a single tart. This is possible because a Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheet can be divided into six tart-sized pieces. Without. Even. Thawing.  

You see, each pastry sheet is folded in thirds like a business letter and will break (still frozen) along the seam after a slight scoring with a knife. Each third can then be cut in half for a piece that is perfectly sized for a single tart.

Then you pop what you don’t need back in the freezer and assemble the exact number you want.

Which means that you can be ALL ALONE and still have JUST ONE easy-peasy fruit tart, fresh from the oven.  (Or you can make all six–shhh.)

What is the origin of this peach tart?

This is loosely based on my French Pear Tart, one of my most popular recipes.  Although it has a different crust, the filling is essentially the same, a layer of fruit topped with a 3-ingredient sugar mixture.

The real magic is that as the fruit bakes, it releases juices which (mostly) dissolve the sugar topping and create a filling that is tasty, glossy, and beautiful.  Even better, it’s almost no work.

Now through trial and error, I learned that this works beautifully with pears, peaches and apricots (see FAQs for detail on that), so it’s a favorite when the summer harvest comes in!

Why You’ll Love This!

Flavorful.  Juicy sweet and fruity with a crunchy crust, this Peach Tart in Puff Pastry recipe is a taste and sensory delight!

Easy.  With a packaged pastry base, topped with sliced fruit and a 3-ingredient sugar topping, a homemade fruit tart doesn’t get much easier than this!

Versatile.  Make 1, make 6.  Make apricot tarts, make peach tarts (or even pear).  How good is that!

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (half of a17.6 ounce package).  This provides the base crust of the pastry.  You can use another puff pastry, but might have to adjust the sizing.
• Peaches or apricots (or pears).  This provides the fruity goodness.  You can use fresh or frozen.  If using frozen don’t thaw first.  Use small to medium peaches for the best slice size. and note that if you make apricot tarts, the smaller slice size can help you pack them a little tighter.
• Flour.  This helps thicken the topping.
• Sugar.  This sweetens the tart and provides volume for the topping.
• Butter.  This completes the topping mixture.  You could use margarine if you prefer.

Special Tools

• No special tools required!

Step by Step Directions

Cut the puff pastry into 6 pieces.  If needed, lightly roll it on parchment to even out the edges. 

Score partially through each puff pastry piece about 1/3 in from the edge on all four sides.  Make fork pricks in the center rectangle.  This, plus the weight of the peach or apricot slices will hold down the center but allow the sides to puff up.

Layer each tart bottom with slices of overlapping fruit keeping the outer 1/3 inch section clear.  

Top the fruit with the sugar mixture.  Try to keep it mostly on the fruit but it’s okay if you get a little on the outside crust.

Slide the parchment with the pastries onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes until there is bubbling syrup around the fruit and the pastry is golden.  Cool on a wire rack.  

How to Serve

An Apricot or Peach Tart would make a lovely light breakfast or breakfast side.  And a tray of pastries would be perfect on a buffet table.

And wouldn’t a nice fruit tart (or Grilled Peach Napoleon) make your coffee or tea break extra special? 

Now don’t tell, but my husband and I have been eating these for dessert a lot lately as I work to use up the last of my 2023 frozen peaches!  All good!

Tips & FAQs  

Can I use apples for this?  No, you need to use a fruit that is juicier. When they bake, the apples get dry, and the sugar sometimes even burns, since there’s not enough liquid released to dissolve it.  (Ask me how I know this.)

Do I need to peel the fruit?  I don’t peel the fruit myself, since I appreciate the extra nutrition, along with the reduced labor and waste.  But if fruit peels bother you (or your kids), feel free to peel it.  You may (or may not) need slightly more fruit in that case. 

Other peach tart recipes use an egg wash (brushing the edges with egg beaten with water)—why don’t you?  I used to use an egg wash on these, but as I’ve become a more experienced baker, I’ve learned you don’t always need it.  An egg wash will give you a shiny golden surface, but I think the edges of these look nice already, don’t you?  Plus, skipping is less work and I don’t waste the leftover egg!

Can I make a full sized tart?  Yes.  My full sized French Pear Tart recipe uses the same sugar topping as I use here (in fact I stole it from there), just a different crust.  You can use the crust in that recipe, or use a puff pastry crust instead.  That recipe has the proper topping amounts for a full-sized tart, so I recommend you check it out. 

Note that the sugar melting into the fruit technique that makes this so amazing doesn’t work if you create a big pile of fruit and sprinkle the sugar on the pile (ask me how I know this too), so be sure to use a single layer of fruit like the recipe calls for.   

Why don’t you use a glaze?  I don’t think that these need a drizzle of icing and you’d be amazed at how many calories a little bit of icing adds.  But if you’d like to add this, I have a nice basic recipe with my Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake (which actually DOES need the glaze!)

More Scrumptious Stone Fruit Recipes

• Cherry Stilton Crostata from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Dates with Mascarpone and Walnuts from Palatable Pastime
• Mango Habanero Chutney from Magical Ingredients
• Plum Crisp from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Stone Fruit Clafoutis from That Recipe

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Peach Tart in Puff Pastry

This simple apricot or peach tart recipe is perfect for making single tarts—or serving a crowd. It also works great with apricots or pears.

Author: Inger

5 from 1 vote

Print

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine International

Servings 6

Calories 175 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 sheet puff pastry a Pepperidge Farm 1.1 lb package contains two sheets
• 3 peaches approx. or 6-12 apricots, sliced, peeling not needed

Sugar Topping (see note for individual tart instructions)

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Mix together the sugar topping ingredients using a fork or your fingers until it looks like coarse sane.
• Cut puff pastry sheet into six tart-sized pieces. If needed, lightly roll it on parchment to even out the edges.
• Score partially through each puff pastry piece about 1/3 in from the edge on all four sides. Make fork pricks in the center rectangle. This, plus the weight of the peach or apricot slices will hold down the center but allow the sides to puff up.
• Layer with slices of overlapping fruit keeping the outer 1/3 inch section clear.
• Top the fruit with the sugar mixture. Try to keep it mostly on the fruit but it’s okay if you get a little on the outside crust.
• Slide the parchment with the pastries onto a cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes until there is bubbling syrup around the fruit and the pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

For a single tart, mix 1 teaspoon flour, 1 teaspoon butter and 1 Tablespoon sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Updated from the August 31, 2017 post.

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