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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
This recipe has been in my radar for awhile and I was excited to make it
Decided that today was the day and for the first time read the comments, was more than a bit nervous hearing about the negative results
I made the tart anyway and it came out perfectly. Puff pastry was nice and crisp and when I flipped it over I was worried that juice would run all over the place
It didn’t. The strawberries were dark and jammy and tasted delicious
I left the skillet on the stove for probably about five minutes longer than the recipe called for before adding the pastry and getting it in the oven
Other than that followed the recipe as written
This was my first tart tatin. Great introduction and I’ll be making this again
Hi Brian! So glad you gave the recipe a try, and even happier it turned out so well for you! Love that the strawberries came out jammy and delicious, and sounds like the extra time on the stove was just the right touch. Thanks for sharing your experience! xT
I have been loving your recipes, this one did not turn out. Strawberry soup like the other reviews say! Sorry that I didn’t read all of the reviews before I try to make this one!
Hi Veronica,
Thanks so much for trying so many recipes! I’m so sorry to hear this one did not turn out for you, I appreciate you giving it a try!
This recipe was a mess and turned into strawberry soup. I don’t usually have issues with baking but this one did never came together like a tarte. Really an unfortunate waste of strawberries. Better off finding a different recipe.
Hi Kalie,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you! xx
Could you tell me what was updated with this recipe 3 days after it was published please?
Hi Tina,
It was probably just a spelling error, it wasn’t anything with the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This looked beautiful and easy. I love your recipes. This one did not come out. The liquid in the strawberries never thickened. Brand new corn starch. It was strawberry soup and not sweet even though I used the upper range amounts of brown sugar and honey. The puff pastry totally burnt and I couldn’t flip it because the strawberry broth was wouldn’t allow it. It just flat didn’t come out or even taste good put in a bowl and topped this vanilla ice cream.
Hi Jennifer,
Sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out for you, thanks for giving it a try! xx
I was just curious why you didn’t roll your pastry out on instagram. I am getting more into baking so was just curious the reasoning! 🙂 thanks!!
Hi Rachelle,
There was no reasoning, I just didn’t:) Either way, it’s not a big deal for this recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi T!
I want to make sure mine turns out as intended. The crust on your tart on stories looks burnt, how can I avoid this?? Maybe skip the course sugar? Let me know, I don’t want to waste ingredients! <3
Hi Sara,
I don’t feel as though the crust is burnt, but feel free to reduce your bake time slightly. Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope you love it! xx
Great flavor and super easy. I added a cup of Rhubarb and used max amount sugar/honey. Thanks!
Hey Mary,
Awesome! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it turned out well. Have the best week! x
mine came out soooo goopy and messy. I waited the 15 minutes like you said in the comments (honestly thank goodness I checked the comments otherwise I would have made sooo many mistakes like using lemon thyme) but it fell apart 🙁 my son LOVES strawberries and he threw a tantrum when he realized this was basically inedible for him and we don’t have any more strawberries for the rest of the week! My hubby enjoyed the bits that weren’t stuck to the pan at least…
Hi Jesebel,
Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Thanks for giving it a try. xx
I just wanted to check before I make this… On Instagram you didn’t roll out the puff pastry but the instructions here say to.
Hi Charlotte,
You can go ahead and roll the pastry:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx