Quick Summary: Heirloom tomatoes caramelized in butter and sugar, topped with puff pastry and flipped for a stunning summer dessert. Using tomatoes as a sweet dessert recipe surprises everyone who tries it. Only 5 ingredients, and even an imperfect flip tastes incredible. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 45 min | Serves: 8
Jump to: | RECIPE | How to Flip a Tarte Tatin | Key 5 Ingredients | Step by Step Directions | FAQ
This dessert surprises everyone. Tomatoes are fruits, after all, and when caramelized in butter and sugar, they become something magical: sweet with a hint of savory, their fresh tomato flavor somehow intact beneath the caramel.
The technique is simpler than it sounds. Spread butter and sugar in a skillet, arrange tomato slices, cook until caramelized, top with puff pastry, bake, and flip.
The flip is the only tricky part, and even imperfect flips taste incredible.
I use Opalka tomatoes, an heirloom Roma that’s meaty with few seeds but more flavorful than standard Romas. Any meaty heirloom variety works well here (heritage tomatoes, as they’re called in the UK, are the same thing). Standard Romas are fine if that’s what you have, though they’ll have less flavor.
The result is a unique summer dessert that will make you rethink what tomatoes can do.
How to Flip a Tarte Tatin?
There is really only one thing that is a bit tricky about this dessert, and that is the part where you flip the pan and the tart releases easily and comes out perfect.
I have made this recipe three times so far. One of the three was perfect, and the other two had a few tears in the crust.
Part of the reason the flip was difficult for me is that a cast iron skillet is heavy and doesn’t lend itself to easy flipping. I think next time I try this dessert I will use a lighter stainless steel pan.
The key is to make sure you have loosened the crust from the sides of the pan, as the caramelization can seep through and make the stick to the pan.
Tips for a clean flip:
- Use a lightweight pan. Cast iron is heavy and awkward. A lighter stainless steel skillet makes flipping easier.
- Loosen the edges. Run a knife around the sides before flipping. Caramel can seep under the pastry and stick.
- Move the tomatoes gently while cooking. This prevents them from sticking to the bottom.
- Work confidently. Place a large plate over the skillet, grip both firmly with oven mitts, and flip in one decisive motion.
- Don’t worry about imperfection. The caramel and pastry hide minor flaws. A few tears don’t affect the taste.
The 5 Key Ingredients:
The ingredient list is pretty simple: tomatoes, butter, sugar, puff pastry and vanilla.
- Tomatoes: Meaty varieties with few seeds work best. I use Opalka, an heirloom Roma. Standard Romas work but have less flavor. If using slicers, cut them thick.
- Butter: Room temperature, spread evenly over the bottom of the skillet. This creates the caramel base.
- Sugar: ¾ cup creates the caramel that coats the tomatoes and becomes the glossy topping after flipping.
- Puff pastry: Store-bought, thawed. No rolling needed. Just trim corners to make a rough 9-10 inch round.
- Vanilla: Drizzled over the caramelized tomatoes before adding the pastry. Adds subtle warmth.
Optional additions: A splash of balsamic vinegar deepens the flavor. Fresh thyme or other herbs add complexity.
How to Make a Tomato Tarte Tatin (Step by Step)
Follow these simple steps for a perfect Tomato Tatin (detailed directions are in the recipe card below):
FAQ
Yes. Blanch briefly in boiling water until skins loosen (30-60 seconds), then plunge into ice water. The skins slip off easily.
The caramel stuck. Gently move the tomatoes occasionally while cooking to prevent this. Loosen edges with a knife before flipping
Yes. Any oven-safe 9-inch skillet works. Lighter pans are easier to flip than heavy cast iron.
Dessert, though the sweet-savory quality works as either. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Best served the same day. The pastry softens if it sits too long. You can caramelize the tomatoes ahead and add the pastry just before baking
Meaty paste tomatoes (Romas, San Marzanos, Opalka) or thick-sliced beefsteaks. Avoid juicy varieties with lots of seeds.
Yes. Standard Roma or San Marzano tomatoes work well because they’re meaty with few seeds. The flavor won’t be quite as complex as with heirloom varieties, but the caramelization and butter do most of the heavy lifting. Avoid juicy slicer tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, as they release too much liquid.
Yes. The combination of butter, sugar, and caramelization transforms tomatoes into something genuinely sweet. Tomatoes are technically a fruit, and their natural acidity balances the caramel beautifully. Most people who try it for the first time are surprised at how well it works as a dessert. It also doubles as a striking appetizer or side dish if you reduce the sugar slightly.
No. The puff pastry and sugar make this a cheat day treat on the Slow Carb Diet, or a special occasion dessert for anyone eating low carb. It’s worth saving for those moments because the result is spectacular.
A tomato tart is baked upright with the crust on the bottom and tomatoes on top. A tarte tatin is baked upside down: the tomatoes caramelize in butter and sugar first, then get topped with pastry and flipped after baking. The tarte tatin method gives you the caramelized layer on top, which is what makes this version special.
Check out this collection of popular tomato recipes for a range of tomato recipes, from fresh salsas to slow cooked stews, to tomato martinis.
Caramelized Tomato Tarte Tatin
Equipment
- Slotted spoon With long handle
- large bowl For ice water
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. meaty tomatoes I used an heirloom Roma called Opalka. Romas work well due to being meaty with few seeds
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry half of 17.3-oz package, thawed, corners cut to make very rough 9-10-inch round
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme optional, can use any herb
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring large saucepan of water to boil and get a large bowl of ice water ready. With a sharp knife cut a shallow X in the blossom end of each tomato. Gently drop the tomatoes into the boiling water until skins begin to peel back (30-60 seconds). Using slotted spoon, transfer blanched tomatoes to bowl of ice water to cool quickly.2 lbs. meaty tomatoes
- Peel tomato skins off (see photo). Cut off end of tomato, slice tomatoes lengthwise into thick slices and remove the hard white core if there is one. Remove most of the seeds with your fingers.
- If the butter is soft enough, spread it over the bottom of a 9” ovenproof skillet as evenly as possible using a pastry brush. If it doesn’t spread well, let it melt very slowly in the pan over very low heat. Do not let it burn. Sprinkle 3/4 cups sugar over the butter. Arrange the tomatoes in concentric circles in the skillet, cutting off pieces of tomato here and there to fill in any gaps. Tomatoes should cover the entire skillet.3 Tbsp unsalted butter, 3/4 cup sugar
- Cook about 20-25 minutes over medium heat. The caramel will bubble up around the tomatoes and form a thick amber syrup, about 1/4 inch deep. Gently move the tomatoes around occasionally to prevent burning. The first time I made this I loosened the tomatoes as they cooked and it came out beautifully. The second time I just let them cook in the caramel and they stuck to the bottom when I inverted it. It was a mess (a tasty mess however).
- Remove skillet from heat and immediately drizzle vanilla and balsamic vinegar over tomatoes. Top with the pastry round. You can tuck the edges of the pastry in with a knife or just let the pastry lay on top of the tomatoes with about 1/2 inch ring of caramel exposed around the pan. When I tucked it in, the pastry puffed up and made a rounded tarte bottom rather than flat. Both ways work. Cut 2 or 3 slits in the pastry also1 tsp. pure vanilla extract, 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake until pastry is deep golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
- Cool tart in skillet 10 minutes. Cut around sides of skillet to loosen pastry. Place large plate over skillet and, using oven mitts as aid, hold skillet and platter firmly together and invert upside down. Allow tart to settle onto platter. Hit bottom of skillet several times with end of knife to loosen the tart also. Carefully lift off skillet. Rearrange any tomato halves that may have become dislodged.
- Garnish with herbs and serve tart warm or at room temperature.3 sprigs fresh thyme
Video
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