Fresh Cherry Tart Puff Pastry (Easy to Make Recipe)

Summer is the season for sweet cherries. This cherry puff pastry tart is the perfect dessert for a special occasion that is easy to make and delicious. 

We’ve all heard the legend of George Washington chopping down his father’s beloved cherry tree.

Yes it’s a myth!

Trust me – if George Washington had tasted these deliciously sweet cherries he would’ve never chopped down his father’ tree.

He probably would’ve eaten all the tart cherries off the tree.

Yes, they are that good!

There are so many varieties of sweet cherries like Bing, Sweetheart and Rainier.

They’re all good and good for you.

Can I use sour cherries?

For this recipe stick to the sweet variety. The kind you can eat immediately. Sour cherries are really tart and require cooking them down with a simple syrup. Save the sour cherries for cherry pie filling.

Is this rustic cherry tart a healthy dessert?

Yes…this delicious cherry dessert is a great alternative to a regular tart cherry pie.

It’s low in sugar and uses balsamic vinegar to bring out the sweetness of the pitted cherries.

Cherries are high in potassium, melatonin and loaded with antioxidants.

And when you gobble down 20 cherries at a time, like I typically do, there’s no guilt.

That’s a serving size of less than 100 calories. It’s the perfect snack!

For this dessert, I adapted it from my balsamic strawberry toasted crostini recipe.

I swapped out sweet cherries for the strawberries and spread the ricotta honey mixture on a store-bought baked puff pastry instead of French bread.

When you macerate cherries in balsamic vinegar and honey for about a half an hour the result is amazing.

These sweet cherries are exploding in flavor.

The cherry juice is sweet and tart and absolutely delicious.

The vinegar really brings out the sweetness of this stone fruit.

This cherry ricotta tart recipe is an quick weekday dessert or is great to take to a weekend party because it can be served at room temperature.

It can be made triangularly, in a tart pan or individually in mini tart squares.

The best part is that there is no need to make the crust ahead of time.

No rolling pin or food processor is necessary.

I always keep a puff pastry in the freezer during the summer months.

I love topping this crisp, flaky crust with any kind of summer fruit.

Alternatively, you can use a premade tart shell or pie crust if puff pastry dough is unavailable at the grocery.

Just bake it according to the package directions first and let it cool.

I can usually find what I need in the freezer aisle in the dessert section with the ice cream and frozen fresh fruits.

Variations

• Substitute mascarpone cream cheese in place of ricotta.
• Instead of cherries, try peaches, nectarines or figs.
• Garnish with fresh basil, lemon zest or mint.
• Swap out the honey for coconut syrup or agave when mixing the ricotta mixture. Just use one teaspoon since it is much sweeter than honey.

More delicious dessert recipes

• APPLE STRAWBERRY GALETTE
• THE BEST HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE BANANA PUDDING PIE RECIPE
• GLAZED RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT POUND CAKE RECIPE
• THE BEST KENTUCKY DERBY CHOCOLATE BOURBON PECAN PIE
• EASY AND DELICIOUS LEMON BARS WITH GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

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