TikTok is a treasure trove for easy snack recipes and unexpected food combinations, and the platform’s latest food hack is a culinary masterpiece: the upside-down puff pastry. TikTok’s solution to seemingly difficult appetizers and desserts, the puff-pastry treats are your choice of savory or sweet filling, topped with pastry dough. From apples and honey to feta and tomatoes, the flavor pairings can be as versatile as you want depending on the ingredients in your pantry. Also, the Instagram-worthy snacks basically require zero culinary skills to re-create.
Content creator Lily Ghodrati first popularized the upside-down puff-pastry hack in April when she shared a TikTok video of her caramelized honey and nectarine pastries. The dessert quickly racked up millions of views and inspired hundreds of variations from at-home chefs who have swapped the fillings for everything from fig and cheese to hot honey and jalapeño. Regardless of the flavor profile, the process of making the treats is easy to follow.
Begin by preparing your toppings. Bacon, strawberries, onion, gruyere, pears, mushrooms — your fridge leftovers are the limit. Then, simply stack your ingredients in small piles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and top each with squares of store-bought puff-pastry dough. Make sure to press down the edges of the dough to keep the flavors locked in. Finally, brush the uncooked pastries with egg wash and pop them in the oven until the dough is flaky and crisp.
Unless you forget to pull them out of the oven in time, the finished product is usually an aesthetic masterpiece that’s just as delicious as it is photo-worthy. Plus, you can dress them up with toppings including fresh herbs, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a drizzle of hot honey, sliced prosciutto, spoonfuls of pesto, or crumbled cheddar.
Whether you’re looking to host a cottagecore dinner party or impress your friends at the next potluck picnic, check out a few of our favorite upside-down puff-pastry recipes ahead.
Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Caramelized-Honey and Nectarine Tarts
Ingredients: Honey, sliced nectarines, puff-pastry dough, egg wash, powdered sugar (optional)
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Cheesy Tomato Pesto Tarts
Ingredients: Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, pesto, puff-pastry dough, stracciatella cheese, basil (optional), olive oil (optional)
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish Tarts
Ingredients: honey, frozen blueberries, cream cheese, puff-pastry dough, egg wash, sugar
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Jalapeño Cheese Tarts
Ingredients: hot honey, jalapeños, bacon crumbles, Parmesan, cheddar, puff-pastry dough, egg wash
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Fig and Honey Tarts
Ingredients: honey, red-chili flakes, fig slices, goat cheese, puff-pastry dough, egg wash
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Onion Tarts
Ingredients: olive oil, balsamic glaze, thyme, shallots, puff-pastry dough, feta (optional)
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Strawberry Tarts
Ingredients: honey, strawberry slices, puff-pastry dough, egg wash, powdered sugar (optional)
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Honey Apple Tarts
Ingredients: honey, apple slices, puff-pastry dough, egg wash
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Banana Nutella Tarts
Ingredients: brown sugar, banana slices, Nutella, puff-pastry dough, egg wash, powdered sugar (optional)
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Upside-Down Puff Pastry Honey, Bacon, and Cheese Tarts
Ingredients: honey, bacon, mozzarella cheese, puff-pastry dough, egg wash
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Beet Tarts
Ingredients: olive oil, balsamic glaze, thyme, beet slices, salt, pepper, puff-pastry dough, egg wash, arugala (optional), crumbled feta (optional)
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Caprese Tarts
Ingredients: Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, ricotta-basil mixture, puff-pastry dough, egg wash, balsamic glaze (optional)
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Turon Banana Tarts
Ingredients: honey, jackfruit slices, banana slices, sugar, cinnamon, puff-pastry dough, egg wash
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Hot Honey, Apple, and Gouda Tarts
Ingredients: hot honey, apple slices, sliced gouda, puff-pastry dough, egg wash
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Upside-Down Puff-Pastry Chicken-and-Pesto Pizza Tarts
Ingredients: Parmesan, chicken, mozzarella, pesto, puff-pastry dough, egg wash
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