Cherry Puff Pastry Tart

All The Reasons To Try Cherry Puff Pastry

It's a really, really low-effort recipe

Needs no equipment, just a whisk and a bowl

This is a deliciously creamy, luscious dessert packed with a mouthful of cherries in lighter-than-air layers

What Is A Danish Pastry? 

A Danish is very similar to a puff pastry, where each morsel is accompanied by shards of pastry flying like confetti. Danish pastries are made with laminated dough, meaning butter is folded into the dough over and over again.

They are a staple of every bakery and breakfast spread in hotels (and one I always pick up when vacationing) all over the world. However, they are a specialty of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, where they're called wienerbrød, meaning Viennese bread.

Recipe Ingredients

Puff pastry: Store-bought pastry makes life so much easier. But by all means, use homemade pastry dough if you have a good recipe for it.

Fruit: This recipe works with any fruit. I’ve already tried it with strawberries. Plums, peaches, raspberries, or even ready-made pie filling (if you can get your hands on a good one) will do. You can even try a homemade strawberry chia jam or an easy strawberry filling like I did for my strawberry turnovers.

Egg: If you want, you can add a yolk to the cream cheese mixture. It’s up to you. Just remember to not use the whole egg, just the yolk.

How To Make Cherry Puff Pastry Tarts

Step 1: Begin with the compote. Cook pitted cherries in water with some sugar and vanilla extract for 15 to 20 minutes on low heat till the water evaporates and the fruit is soft and cooked through.

Step 2: Splash a teaspoon of lemon juice on the thickened compote and turn off the heat. As an option, you can add rum, whiskey, or brandy to it. I didn’t. If you do, let the compote cool a bit before you whisk the booze in.

Step 3: While the compote cools completely, combine softened cream cheese with icing sugar and lemon juice. If you love that bright lemony flavor, include lemon zest too. Park the mixture in the fridge.

Step 4: Roll out the puff pastry into a 10 by 14-inch rectangle. Although, in hindsight, a square would have been ideal.

Step 5: Divide the rolled dough into 8 equal pieces and fold over the corners (about half an inch). You may need to wet the pastry slightly with water and press it down to make the folds stick.

Step 6: Spoon the cream cheese mixture right in the center of the cherry tart. Depending upon the size of your puff pastry, one and a half to 2 tablespoons should be enough. Don’t spread it.

Step 7: Seat a spoon of the cherry compote right in the middle of the cream cheese. It’s perfectly, perfectly, perfectly all right if the juices run wild. A cherry danish with puff pastry is meant to look rustic. Repeat the steps for all the other tarts.

Step 8: Carefully brush the half-inch border of the pastry (not loaded with cherries and cream cheese) with egg wash (1 egg beaten in little water).

Step 9: Sprinkle sugar (optional) and then, with a fork, press the edges.

Final step: Bake till paper-thin layers puff like magic, delicately crisp and golden. At the 15-minute mark, check the cherry puff pastry tarts for the compote filling. If (only if) you feel like adding more, spoon some in and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

How To Serve Cherry Puff Pastry Tart

Right out of the oven, the cherry puff pastry is, well, puffy, around the edges. It settles into the flaky, buttery layers as it cools, making it look very much like a Danish. Just a bit more rustic.

It’s a fantastic (and quick) cherry dessert to have as-is. But I’m not going to judge if you enjoy it with a scoop of ice cream.

Yes, these cherry tarts are best the day they are made. So, eat them fresh. But my family and I love them cold, and since they keep well in the refrigerator, the recipe is right up our alley.

For those who love danishes and puff pastries warm, plonk them in a preheated oven for just a few minutes. Don’t use a microwave, as it’ll make the pastry soggy and completely spoil the texture.

More Cherry Desserts

Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this cherry puff pastry tart as much as we do!