Viral TikTok Upside Down Puff Pastry Tarts Recipe

by Kayla Berman on June 8, 2023 0 comments

The newest TikTok food trend, Upside Down Puff Pastry Squares, are absolutely worth the social media hype! Made with buttery puff pastry, sweet honey, and both sweet & savory fillings … this viral recipe is versatile, fun to make, and impressive yet easy. This genius creation can be made with endless flavor combinations all wrapped up in the flakey, pastry crust too. It’s a must make appetizer recipe!

If you love goat cheese and the sound of these tarts, you have to check out my Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts Appetizer.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I am a charcuterie girl! Give me all the meats, cheeses, jams, honeys, fruits, nuts, olives, herbs, and more.

I am also a TikTok girl. I live for a food trend or recipe that goes viral! I just love when I see home cooks from all over the world making and creating their own versions of one thing. Like Strawberry Yogurt Clusters, Cottage Cheese Ice Cream, Chocolate Date Bark, or the Grinder Salad Sandwich.

Anyway – the newest social media food craze is these Upside Down Puff Pastry Squares!

They’re literally my dream come true … versatile and endless elements of a charcuterie board all wrapped up in a buttery, flaky pastry dough that has exploded in popularity on the internet.

It’s my perfect win-win-win scenario! Plus after trying them for myself and creating three separate variations, I absolutely understand the hype. My roommate said, and I quote, “they are unbelievably good.” They are also:

Delicious: The “unbelievably good” quote may have covered this bullet point, but I had to emphasize it again! These pastry squares are downright delicious. No matter what flavor combos you make! I am personally partial to the savory, cheesy ones.
Beautiful: These are an absolutely stunning recipe! I can’t say the same about all of my recipes, but I do love when it’s the case. Like with my Burrata Caprese Salad or Baja Shrimp Taco Bowl! Food just tastes better when it looks good. These would be fantastic at a dinner party or any event in which your trying to impress your guests with a show-stopping dish!
Customizable: There are endless, and I mean endless, flavor variations and customizations you can make to these trending tarts. Keep reading for all of my ideas!
Easy: Impressive, yet easy! That is my kind of recipe and that is what these pastries are. They look quite fancy, but are actually super simple to make. They are slightly time consuming, but well worth it and not difficult at all.

Ingredients

Simple ingredients combine to create big, elaborate flavors in these upside-down puff pastry treats! Here’s what you’ll need to grab from the grocery store:

Puff Pastry: These viral upside down pastry squares start with puff pastry! It is the one ingredient you truly need for this recipe, no matter which flavor combination you are creating. You’ll need one sheet of frozen store-bought puff pastry dough.
Egg: You’ll also need one egg whipped up into a simple egg wash. Brushing this on top of the puff pastry dough is what creates that golden top we all know and love.
Honey: All three of the flavor combinations here require a drizzle, dollop, or smear of honey to begin.
Prosciutto & Brie: For the first savory version here, add Italian dry-cured ham, prosciutto, and soft French cheese, Brie. This is always one of my favorite charcuterie pairings, and the combination is truly mouthwateringly delicious when wrapped up in a buttery, flaky pastry crust.
Cheddar, Shallot, & Thyme: The second savory tart variation calls for shredded cheddar cheese, thinly sliced shallot, and fresh thyme. The sweet, slightly sharp flavor of the shallot works wonderfully with the rich cheddar and woodsy, floral thyme. Perfection!
Apple & Cinnamon: I simply couldn’t pass up on an apple pie inspired tart here! For the one and only sweet version, you’ll simply need apple slices and warm cinnamon.

One of my favorite things about these tarts, is that although the ingredient combinations listed and described above are absolutely scrumptious – you can totally mix and match!

The use of minimal ingredients that are very compatible, means that you can swap elements in out for different creations. Perhaps a sweet apple and creamy brie pairing? Or a cheddar, prosciutto, and shallot trifecta! The options are truly endless.

cheddar cheese, shallots, and fresh thyme on a white table

apple slices and cinnamon on a white table

Equipment Needed

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How To Make Upside Down Puff Pastry

This upside down puff pastry hack is actually quite simple! There’s three basic steps…

You’ll add a dollop of honey to the baking sheet, layer on your sweet or savory fillings, and then cover it all with a blanket of puff pastry. Then bake to buttery, flakey, golden brown perfection!

Step 1: Heat oven. Set the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2: Prepare the sheet of puff pastry. Cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into 6 even rectangles. Cut it into 3 rectangles along the fold lines, then cut those in half.

Step 3: Line baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 4: Assemble the tarts. Make sure to space them out evenly…

Apple Cinnamon: First drizzle the honey on the parchment paper. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Next place the apple slices on top of the honey and cinnamon, making sure to keep them compact enough for the puff pastry rectangle to fit on top. Add the puff pastry on top of the apples. Repeat this for another tart.
Prosciutto & Brie: Again drizzle honey on the parchment paper. Layer one slice of prosciutto, then one slice of brie cheese on top. Add black pepper. Carefully place the puff pastry rectangle on top. Repeat this for another tart.
Cheddar, Shallot, & Thyme: Add a honey drizzle to the parchment paper. Next place the sliced shallots on top of the honey and then half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle a little fresh thyme too. Then carefully place the pastry rectangle on top. Repeat this for another tart.

prosciutto, honey, and brie cheese layered on a baking sheet

shallots, shredded cheddar, and thyme layered on a baking sheet

Step 5: Seal upside-down tarts. Once all of the upside-down puff pastry squares are assembled, gently press down on the edges of each one with a fork to seal and crimp them. Brush the top of each tart with a thin layer of egg wash.

Step 6: Bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

upside down puff pastry squares before baking

Step 7: Let pastries cool. Remove the puff pastry tarts from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before flipping over. Once cooled slightly, gently flip with a spatula.

Step 8: Serve and enjoy!

Optional Variations

As this recipe is a social media sensation, there are literally countless different versions and variations out there! For both savory and sweet honey pastries.

Although I chose to create these three delectable combinations, I have thought up some other ones I would love to try. Here are all my tasty tart ideas:

Pizza: Make a pizza puff pastry square by layering your favorite pizza sauce, melty shredded mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. Add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning too!
Caprese: I love caprese! It is quite obvious through my endless caprese salad variations: tortellini, burrata, and hasselback. I think the classic combo would work fabulous in one of these tarts, with or without honey. Layer a drizzle of balsamic glaze and/or a little olive oil with bright cherry tomatoes. Then once baked, add creamy stracciatella or rich mozzarella on top! Or a combination of the two … burrata.
Mediterranean Flare: Honey, red pepper, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, flavorful spices, fresh herbs … are you drooling yet??
Banana Nutella: I tried a nutella strawberry tart recipe when trying different variations, but it did not work out! The flavors were delicious, but it was an ooey-gooey, leaky, strawberry mess. I think because the strawberries, or any berries for that matter, have too much liquid. Banana slices would be a great option though as they do not! Plus I’m sure they would get beautifully caramelized.
Other Fruit: If you love the sweet flavor of these upside-down apple tarts try switching in some other fresh fruit. Preferably more sturdy ones, like stone fruits! Maybe peaches, cherries, or pears.
Sauces: Adding an extra smear of sauce to the savory tarts would be a total flavor explosion. I’m thinking pesto would be a fantastic option.
Meats: Love the prosciutto and brie variation here? Feel free to try out another meat option. Maybe salami or pepperoni. Or even use bacon!
Cheese: Cheese is probably the easiest element you can switch up here. You can use any and every cheese. I think parmesan cheese would be the next one I try! Or cream cheese. YUM.
Veggies: I’ve seen some beautiful and delicious looking versions of these puff pastry squares with vegetables included. Asparagus would pair wonderfully with the brie one here!
Classic Flavors: Now I’m not exactly sure how these would pan out, but trying some classic flavor combinations in these upside down tarts might just be my best idea yet. I’m thinking S’mores with some chocolate chips, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Or PB&J with creamy peanut butter and sweet jam. Holy delicious!
Hot Honey: If you like it hot, replace the regular honey used in these tarts with hot honey. A simple swap, but quite a scrumptious one!

Expert Tips

These viral tarts are very easy to make, but not entirely fool proof. However, I learned a few tips and tricks along the way that if followed will ensure you get the best results!

These tarts contain some ooey-gooey, drippy ingredients – like honey, brie cheese, and apples. Therefore, they ooze a bit when baking. You’ll want to ensure you space and spread out the tarts a bit, so that all the flavors don’t run together. This is especially true if you don’t want the sweet and savory versions to combine. Or if you’ve swapped in a high liquid percentage fruit, like strawberries.
Don’t skip the egg wash! This 5 minute step adds a little extra time, but the results are oh-so worth it. The egg wash is what creates that stunning, golden crust.
Once you remove the upside down puff pastries from the oven make sure you let them cool before flipping. Especially for the apple one! This allows for everything to set and stick together a bit.
Remove the puff pastry sheet from the freezer 30-40 minutes before you’re ready to get to work. This will allow it to completely thaw, plus you can prepare your filling ingredients in the meantime. It’s important that the dough thaws enough to be workable and spreadable! Once I cut the one sheet into six separate rectangles, I like to spread each smaller rectangle out a bit so that it will completely cover the filling components.
My oven took 20-25 minutes to bake these tarts, although as I approached 25 minutes some of the tarts with specific fillings began to burn slightly. Additionally, every oven is different so cooking times may vary. I have seen people say that these upside down pastries only require 10-15 minutes, so maybe check on yours at this point to see the status.
Parchment paper is an absolute must have. It makes sure the honey and other filling components don’t become a sticky mess on an un-lined baking sheet. It will also save you tons of time with clean up! No deep scrubbing required when your baking tray is protected.

When To Make & Serving Suggestions

Viral tarts are a fabulous appetizer option. They are fun, creative, customizable, and have a beautiful presentation! These tarts are also great to make for a fun activity with your friends, your kids, or your partner. It would be a fantastic date night activity!

If you are making this recipe in addition to a whole spread of appetizers – perhaps Baked Cream Cheese Salsa Dip, Whipped Ricotta Crostini, and Buffalo Chicken Flatbread – I recommend sticking to one flavor combination. Instead of making two tarts of each of the three different flavors, make six tarts of one flavor! This would lighten your hosting load.

If you’re making a whole spread, but are ready for a challenge or love spending lots of time in the kitchen – by all means go ahead and make all three. All three flavors, would also be great if you’re serving as a one and only appetizer at a dinner party. Then maybe follow up with my Pesto Butter Salmon for dinner and Air Fryer Peaches for dessert.

Lastly, if you want to spend quality time with your loves ones (or yourself … hello solo date night!) in the kitchen and have a fabulous dish to show for at the end of it, these upside down tarts are just the right thing.

FAQs

Who started this viral trend?

Upside down puff pastry squares are the latest and greatest food hack that has gone viral on TikTok! Honestly, all over all social media platforms.

The recipe developer, Lily Ghodrati, started the viral trend with her TikTok video of a caramelized honey and nectarine puff pastry. She also followed up with an onion, balsamic, and thyme version. Showcasing you can do both sweet and savory variations of this trend!

The first video – including the unique hack of adding the components to a baking sheet and topping with puff pastry along with the mouthwatering golden crust and aesthetic honey drizzle – attracted 3.4M likes and 58M views.

It sparked a social media sensation for good reason!

What is puff pastry?

Puff pastry, or pâte feuilletée, is a light and flaky pastry made from laminated dough.

“Laminating” refers to the painstaking process of rolling and folding the dough over and over until hundreds of layers are formed. It is time consuming and difficult, which is why most people simply buy frozen puff pastry from the grocery store.

Puff pastry can be used in both sweet and savory baked goods – like turnovers, palmiers, beef wellington, pinwheels, tarts, and more.

If you want more of this delightful dough, check out my Nutella Puff Pastries or Baked Brie Bites.

How to best store this recipe?

Leftovers of this recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep best for about 3 days!

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If you make this viral recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

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