Upside Down Apple Tarts with Sourdough Puff Pastry

I have a confession: I almost scrolled right past these. Upside down apple tarts have been all over my feed, and every version I saw started with a box of store-bought puff pastry. Then I remembered I had a batch of my own sourdough puff pastry sitting in the fridge, and I had to know what would happen.

What happened is the flakiest, most caramelized little apple tart I have ever pulled off a baking sheet. You build them upside down, right on the parchment: honey, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, a thin slice of apple, and a circle of pastry on top. The oven does the rest, and then you flip.

These use my homemade sourdough puff pastry, which means all of those buttery layers are ones you made yourself. If you already have a batch in the fridge or freezer, you are about 30 minutes away from dessert.

Once you make these once, you are going to start looking at every piece of fruit in your kitchen differently.

Why upside down tarts actually deserve your attention

The butter is the real star here. It is folded into every layer of the pastry, and then a thin pat goes down with the honey and brown sugar, so the apple is basically baking in its own little caramel. When you flip the tart over, all of that ends up on top, glossy and golden.

But the best part is how easy they are. There is no filling to cook, no pan to line, and no fussy shaping. You stack a few things on a baking sheet, lay the pastry over the top, and press the edges down.

And the sourdough puff pastry means these taste like something from a bakery case. I cannot think of a better reason to keep a batch in the freezer.

Ingredients and equipment

Here is everything you need so you can shop your pantry and set up before you start. I have listed both standard measurements and grams for everyone who likes to weigh.

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Ingredients (makes about 12 tarts):

• 1 batch homemade sourdough puff pastry, chilled
• ¼ cup (84g) honey, about 1 tsp (7g) per tart
• 4 Tbsp (57g) salted butter, cut into 12 thin pats
• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar, about 2 tsp (8g) per tart
• 1 Tbsp (8g) ground cinnamon, about ¼ tsp per tart
• 2 apples, sliced thin (I used Gala)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp (15g) water

Equipment:

• Mandoline (for thin, even apple slices)
• Round cookie cutter, a little bigger than your apple slices
• Rolling pin
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Paper towels
• Pastry brush (for the egg wash)
• Spatula (for the flip)

On the puff pastry

I am not going to write the whole pastry recipe out again here, because it has its own post with every step: Homemade Sourdough Puff Pastry. Make it a day or two ahead or pull a batch from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.

One batch gave me roughly 12 tarts, with a little pastry left over.

You could absolutely use store bought puff pastry here. But if you have ever wanted a reason to make your own, this is a good one. The pastry is most of what you taste.

Making the upside-down apple tarts

Step 1: Slice and dry the apples

Slice your apples thin, straight across, so you get round slices. I use a mandoline for this because it keeps every slice the same thickness, which means they all bake at the same rate. Pop out any seeds.

Lay the slices out and pat them dry with paper towels. Do not skip this. Apples hold a lot of water, and extra moisture is what keeps puff pastry from getting crisp.

Step 2: Cut the pastry and freeze

Roll out your chilled puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a round cookie cutter that is a little bigger than your apple slices, cut out your circles. Press straight down and pull up clean. Twisting the cutter seals the edges, and sealed edges will not puff.

Place the circles on a plate or small tray and pop them in the freezer while you assemble everything else. Cold pastry is the key to this entire recipe.

Step 3: Build the base

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

For each tart, work right on the parchment. Start with a swirl of honey, about 1 teaspoon. Set a thin pat of salted butter on top of the honey. Sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Leave some space between each one.

Step 4: Add the apple and the pastry

Lay one apple slice over each little pile. Pull the pastry circles from the freezer and place one over each apple.

Press the pastry down around the apple so it hugs the slice, but leave the very outer rim alone. That untouched edge is what puffs up into flaky layers.

Step 5: Egg wash

Whisk together the egg yolk and water. Brush the top of each pastry circle with the egg wash. This is what gives you that deep golden color.

Step 6: Bake until golden

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Go by the color, not the clock. Every oven runs a little differently, so pull them when the pastry is puffed and deeply golden.

Step 7: Flip

Let the tarts sit on the pan for a couple of minutes so the caramel can thicken, then slide a spatula under each one and flip it over. The apple side is now the top, shiny and caramelized.

Do not wait too long. Once the caramel cools completely, it will stick to the parchment.

A few more things

On the apples: I used Gala, but honestly it does not matter much. Use what you have. Just slice them thin and dry them well.

On the salted butter: A little salt against the honey and brown sugar keeps these from tasting flat. If you only have unsalted, add a tiny pinch of salt with the brown sugar.

On keeping things cold: If your pastry starts to feel soft or greasy at any point, put it back in the freezer for a few minutes. Cold pastry puffs. Warm pastry melts.

On the leftover pastry: Stack the scraps flat instead of balling them up so you keep the layers. Roll them out again for a few more tarts or twist them with cinnamon and sugar and bake them alongside.

On serving: These are best warm, the day they are made. A scoop of vanilla ice cream does not hurt.

Why these matter

There is something about making your own puff pastry that changes how you see a recipe like this. It is not a difficult skill. It is just flour, butter, your starter, and some patience. But once you have a batch in the fridge, a dessert that looks like it took all afternoon takes about half an hour.

Make these. Serve them warm. Watch people's faces when you tell them you made the pastry too.

Made this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out and which apple you used. Your rating helps other people find this recipe too.