Strawberry Tarte Tatin. – Half Baked Harvest

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: 

Strawberry Caramel Muffins

Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies

Mini Blueberry Muffins

Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts

Blueberry Cherry Galette

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!