Pear Tarte Tatin: Caramelized Pear Tarte Tatin Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 21, 2024 • 3 min read
A pear tarte tatin is an upside-down tart with caramelized pears and a buttery puff pastry crust.
Learn From the Best
What Is Pear Tarte Tatin?
Tarte tatin is a French upside-down tart that is typically made with apples. In pear tarte tatin, pears are caramelized in sugar and butter on the stovetop, then cooked in the oven beneath a layer of buttery puff pastry. Before serving, the baker flips the French dessert out of the pan to reveal a crown of glistening caramelized pears and a crispy, crackly crust.
3 Tips for Making Pear Tarte Tatin
Follow these tips to simplify the process of making pear tarte tatin:
- 1. Use store-bought puff pastry. Using store-bought frozen puff pastry makes this dessert super simple. Before you plan to cook, defrost the dough in the refrigerator, then roll it out onto a floured surface. Make the dough round—about one inch larger than the ovenproof skillet that you'll use to bake the pear tart.
- 2. Use firm pears. Tarte tatin is best with ripe yet firm pears that will hold their shape during baking. Try Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc pears that are ripe but still firm for a successful tart.
- 3. Style your tarte tatin. You can halve the fruit, or slice and arrange it in a circle. If you want to use slices instead of pear halves, arrange the pear slices in a circle using a rubber spatula after they've cooked in the butter mixture. Or, you can combine the two by arranging pear slices in a circle around a single pear half.
Caramelized Pear Tarte Tatin Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
40 mincook time
25 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Peel pears.
- 3
Heat a 9–inch cast-iron skillet (or ovenproof frying pan) over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- 4
Melt the butter, then add the sugar, salt and lemon juice.
- 5
Stir constantly to dissolve, until the mixture has thickened slightly to a loose syrup.
- 6
Reduce to medium heat if the butter begins to scorch or brown too quickly.
- 7
Add the pears, cut-side up.
- 8
Cook the mixture until the caramel sauce takes on an amber color, and the pears begin to soften slightly, about 10 more minutes.
- 9
Remove from heat.
- 10
Place the puff pastry dough over the top of the pan, using a spatula to gently tuck the edge of the pastry in.
- 11
Poke the dough’s surface a handful of times with a fork, or cut small slits with a knife, to allow air to escape.
- 12
Place the skillet on a baking sheet to catch any juices that bubble over, and bake until pastry is golden brown and crispy, rotating halfway through, about 25 minutes.
- 13
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before tackling the flip: First, run an offset spatula or a butter knife around the edges of the pastry dough to loosen.
- 14
Place a large serving plate—one that completely covers the width of the pan—across the top.
- 15
Throw on a pair of oven mitts and then, with one hand firmly holding the plate in place and the other with a good grip on the skillet’s handle, invert in one quick motion and place on a clean work surface.
- 16
Very carefully, lift the skillet away.
- 17
You may find a few pears have stuck to the pan; simply pop them back into place, and use the spatula to tidy everything up as needed.
- 18
Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or crème fraîche, if desired.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Dominique Ansel, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.