Quick Summary: Heirloom tomatoes caramelized in butter and sugar, topped with puff pastry and flipped for a stunning dessert. Sweet with a hint of savory. Only 5 ingredients. The surprise factor of tomatoes as dessert delights every time. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 45 min | Serves: 8
Jump to: | RECIPE | How to perfect the flip | 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 tomato works.
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.
For a detailed guide and journal for growing tomatoes, check out my Tomato Workbook on Amazon for $11.99.
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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