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Strawberry Tarte Tatin — a beautiful, upside-down strawberry tart that’s surprisingly easy to make and absolutely delicious! This French-inspired dessert bursts with fresh spring and summer strawberries, lightly sweetened with honey and brown sugar, and baked in one skillet with a buttery, flaky puff pastry crust. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of sea salt — the perfect way to celebrate berry season.
I’ve always loved a classic French Tarte Tatin. I started making them years ago — in fact, one of the first I shared on the site was a caramelized banana version, followed by a more traditional apple tarte, and even a savory tomato spin!
Traditionally, a Tarte Tatin features apples caramelized in butter and sugar, then topped with pastry and baked until golden. It’s simple, but so incredibly good — especially when puff pastry is involved!
So when I was trying to use up cartons of strawberries before heading to Florida a few weeks ago, I knew a strawberry version of this classic was in order.
Surprisingly, not everyone is familiar with a Tarte Tatin — but it’s really so straightforward: fruit (today we’re using strawberries!) is simmered down in a skillet, then topped with puff pastry and baked. Once out of the oven, the tart is flipped upside down and served warm with all those sweet, syrupy juices.
While apple is perfect for fall, this strawberry version is just right for spring and summer — especially Memorial Day weekend and beyond!
Here are the details
Ingredients
- fresh or frozen strawberries
- honey
- brown sugar – you can use just brown sugar if preferred
- arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- fresh lemon thyme leaves – optional, but I think it is a nice addition
- vanilla extract
- frozen puff pastry
- an egg
- coarse sugar – the egg and sugar are totally optional. I love making my crust sparkle, but it’s also not needed!
- vanilla ice cream, for serving – an absolute must (whipped cream is great too)
Special Tools
You will need an oven-safe skillet for this recipe. Nothing else!
Steps
Step 1: Cook the berries
In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, combine the strawberries with honey, brown sugar, arrowroot powder, thyme leaves, and a splash of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, until the berries release their juices and the mixture thickens slightly.
Step 2: Roll out the pastry
Thaw the puff pastry, then roll it out into a rectangle large enough to cover the skillet. Carefully place it over the berries, tucking in the corners. It may look rustic—don’t worry, it bakes up beautifully. If you’d like, brush the top with a beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar for extra shine and texture (optional).
Step 3: Bake
Place the skillet on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling juices. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is deeply golden. If it begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil to finish baking.
Step 4: Flip the tarte
Let the tarte rest in the skillet for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then carefully invert onto a serving plate. I know this sounds scary, but it’s going to work just fine! If any berries shift, gently nudge them back into place—no stress, it’s meant to be perfectly imperfect!
Step 5: Serve
Serve warm, ideally with scoops of vanilla ice cream right on top. The contrast of melty ice cream with juicy strawberries is perfection.
Looking for other homemade recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
Lastly, if you make this Strawberry Tarte Tatin, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Strawberry Tarte Tatin
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 240 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 5 cups strawberries, halved if large
- 2-4 tablespoons honey
- 2-4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg beaten (optional)
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
- vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425°F.2. In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, combine the strawberries, honey, brown sugar, arrowroot powder/cornstarch, thyme (if using), and 1 tablespoon of water. Set over medium-high heat. Bring to boil and cook 10 minutes, until the berries start to release their juices. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla. 3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Place the pastry over the strawberries and press down gently, tucking the sides of the pastry under the strawberries. If desired, brush the pastry with a beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place the skillet on a baking sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes, cover with foil for the last 5-10 minutes. I like a darker pastry!4. Let cool in the skillet for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Carefully invert the Tarte Tatin onto a serving plate. If any strawberries fall out of place, just tuck them back in. Serve warm, topped with ice cream. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on May 23, 2025
Is the lemon a typo and it’s supposed to be regular thyme? Just trying to get more info before I shop. I know it’s optional but would like to make your version as you intended. Thanks
Hi Ally,
Sorry, yes, it is just regular thyme:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
This was a disaster. So messy.
Sorry to hear this, Gina.
I noticed in your Instagram demonstration that you touched the steaming hot pan with just your fingers to flip it over. It seems like potentially you waited until it cooled off to be able to flip it, as there is no way anybody would be able to touch hot cast-iron with their bare hands. Is it easier to wait until it cools off to flip it out? Thank you, excited to make this but a little nervous, I’ve never made one before!!
Hi Renee,
Yes, you will want to wait at least 15 minutes before you flip your pan. I promise my skillet was not super hot when I was touching it:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
In your stories you said to sprinkle coarse sugar to make it sparkle, but it gets flipped upside down anyway so you don’t see it. Could you explain?
Hi Brenda,
I still feel like you can see it on the sides of the crust, but totally optional:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
You say lemon thyme in the top portion and regular thyme in the bottom. Which is it? Why are these things so frequently different? I would like to make a recipe without having to interview the author to get all of the details straight.
Hi Dan,
It’s just thyme:) Please let me know if you try this recipe, I hope you love it!! xx
Hi I’m unclear what temperature to bake this at. Why does it keep changing?
Hi Ren,
You are going to bake at 425F. I hope you love this recipe!
As written this does not work. Not sure what ingredient is wrong or left out, but this is not correct. If you follow this precisely you’ll end up with an herby strawberry soup sitting in a soggy shell that is burnt on the bottom.
I printed the recipe out this morning, and my tarte did not turn out… I came back and see that it has now been updated. How frustrating!!
Hi Wanda,
So sorry to hear this. What was wrong with your tarte? Please let me know how I can help! x
I baked at 325 and it was not done at all. I now see the recipe was updated…it is really frustrating that the recipes continue to have so many errors. It is a waste of people’s time & money. Please be more thorough.
Hi Stacey,
Sorry to hear this. The recipe instructions were correct with the 425F temp. You should be able to pop yours back in the oven to finish it off. xx
Also the recipe says to roll the puff pastry to a rectangle, but wouldn’t you want it to be a circle to match the skillet like it is in the picture? Or is to let the steam escape from the edges…?
Hi Amy,
I just roll into a rectangle and then tuck the corners into the skillet for a rustic look. I hope this helps! xx
Could I substitute some of the strawberries with rhubarb? Would I need to change the thickener amount?
Hi Amy,
I have never tested this recipe with rhubarb, but it sounds like a great idea! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
I baked this at 425 like the instructions say and it was incredibly burnt. Total waste of money & ingredients. Can you please give some insight?
Hi Rita,
Very sorry to hear this. I also baked at 425F. Did you peek at all while it was baking? All ovens do vary so I always recommend giving your baked goods a little check towards the end. xx
Which oven temp is correct, you have two listed.
Hi Diane,
You are going to bake at 425F. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
“brown sugar – you can use just brown sugar if preferred” – this a typo? Additionally, you have two different oven temps listed and then lemon thyme one place and just thyme in another. Can you please clarify?
Hi Megan,
You will bake this at 425F, use the brown sugar, and thyme is optional. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Good morning! One question, you wrote a bake time of 375F and then later say preheat oven to 450F. Can you clarify what is the correct temperature?
Hi Martha,
So sorry about that, the correct temp is 425F. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
You list two baking temps, 375 and 450. Which baking temp is correct?
Hi Naomi,
The correct temp is 425F. So sorry for any confusion, I hope you love this recipe! xx