What if you could create stunning, flaky, and absolutely delicious bakery-worthy fruit pastries in your own kitchen using just three simple ingredients? Get ready to discover the magic of store-bought puff pastry with these incredibly easy and elegant Peach Tartlets with Apricot Glaze.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s your new secret weapon for impressive, last-minute desserts. We’ll show you how to take a sheet of buttery puff pastry and turn it into golden, individual tartlets, topped with sweet, tender peaches and a beautiful, glossy apricot glaze. These beautiful pastries look like they took hours to prepare, but they can be ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes. They are the perfect treat for a summer brunch, an afternoon tea, or a light and elegant dessert.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: Bakery-Worthy Pastries Made Easy
What makes these Peach Tartlets so brilliant is their use of store-bought frozen puff pastry, the ultimate kitchen shortcut for achieving hundreds of flaky, buttery layers with zero effort. The simple combination of fresh, seasonal peaches and a sweet, tangy apricot preserve creates a classic, sophisticated flavor profile. The final, shiny glaze makes these little pastries look like they came straight from a French patisserie window.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 18 tartlets |
The Essential Ingredients for These Elegant Tartlets
This impressive dessert relies on three simple, powerhouse ingredients.
- Frozen Puff Pastry: This is the magic ingredient and the ultimate kitchen shortcut! Puff pastry is a laminated dough made with hundreds of paper-thin, alternating layers of dough and butter. When it bakes, the water in the butter creates steam, pushing the layers apart and creating an incredibly light, airy, and flaky texture. Using a high-quality, all-butter frozen puff pastry will give you the best, most delicious result.
- Fresh Peaches: The sweet, juicy star of our tartlets. For the best flavor and appearance, you want to use fresh, ripe, yet still firm peaches. This will ensure they hold their shape when sliced thinly and become perfectly tender, not mushy, during baking.
- Apricot Preserves: This classic fruit preserve does double duty in our recipe. A small dab underneath the peaches adds a layer of sweet, tangy flavor and helps the fruit adhere to the pastry. Then, it’s thinned with a little water to create a beautiful, glossy glaze that is brushed on at the end, giving the tartlets a professional, bakery-worthy shine.
Pro Tutorial: The Easiest Way to Peel Peaches
For the most elegant presentation, peeling your peaches is recommended. The “blanching” method is quick and easy!
- Prep: Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water.
- Score: Gently cut a shallow “X” on the bottom of each peach.
- Blanch: Carefully lower the peaches into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds.
- Shock: Immediately transfer the peaches to the ice water to stop the cooking.
- Peel: Once cool, the skins will slip right off with your fingers!
Step-by-Step to Perfect Peach Tartlets
Follow these simple, detailed steps to create these stunning and delicious pastries.
Step 1: Prepare the Puff Pastry Squares
First, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make sure your frozen puff pastry is properly thawed.
Pro Tip: The best way to thaw puff pastry is in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. This keeps the butter layers inside the dough cold and distinct, which is the secret to achieving the maximum “puff” in the oven.
Gently unfold your sheets of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sheet into nine equal, 3-inch squares. Place the squares a few inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
Step 2: Assemble the Tartlets
Dab a small amount (about 1/2 teaspoon) of the apricot preserves into the very center of each puff pastry square.
Next, artfully arrange about 3 thin slices of a peeled peach over the preserves in the center of each square. You can fan them out slightly for a beautiful look. Be sure to leave a slim, 1/4-inch border of bare pastry exposed around the edges. This is important so the edges can puff up and create a beautiful, rustic “crust.”
Spoon another small amount of the apricot preserves over the top of the peach slices.
Step 3: Bake to Golden Perfection
Bake the tartlets, one baking sheet at a time, in the preheated oven until the puff pastry turns a beautiful light golden color and begins to puff up, which should take about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Glaze and Finish
While the tartlets are in their initial bake, you can prepare the final glaze. In a small bowl, thin the remaining apricot preserves with the 2 teaspoons of hot water. Stir until you have a smooth, brushable glaze.
Carefully remove the partially baked tartlets from the oven. Using a pastry brush, gently spoon and brush some of the thinned apricot glaze over each tartlet, covering the peaches and the pastry.
Return the glazed tartlets to the oven and bake for about 2 more minutes. This final bake is the secret to setting the glaze, making it incredibly shiny, and ensuring the tartlets are a deep, perfect golden brown.
Repeat the baking and glazing process with the second baking sheet. Let the finished tartlets cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before serving. They are at their absolute best when served warm.
The Easiest Stunning 3-Ingredient Peach Tartlets
An easy and elegant recipe for individual peach tartlets made with store-bought frozen puff pastry. Squares of puff pastry are dabbed with apricot preserves, topped with fanned, thinly sliced fresh peaches, and then baked until golden and puffed. The tartlets are finished with a warm glaze made from thinned apricot preserves, which is brushed on before a final brief bake, giving them a beautiful shine.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 54 minutes (includes cooling time)
- Yield: 18 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 (17.3 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
- ¾ cup apricot preserves, divided
- 2 peaches – peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut each sheet of thawed puff pastry into nine 3-inch squares.
- Dab a small amount of apricot preserves into the center of each pastry square.
- Arrange about 3 slices of peach in a fan shape over the preserves on each square, leaving a small border of pastry exposed.
- Spoon another small amount of apricot preserves over the top of the peach slices.
- Bake in the preheated oven, one baking sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes, until the puff pastry turns golden.
- While the first sheet bakes, make the glaze by thinning the remaining apricot preserves with 2 teaspoons of hot water in a small bowl.
- Spoon some of the prepared glaze over each baked tartlet.
- Return the glazed tartlets to the oven and bake for about 2 more minutes, until they are golden brown and glossy.
- Repeat the baking and glazing process with the second baking sheet.
- Let the tartlets cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Using store-bought puff pastry is a key shortcut that makes this impressive dessert very easy to prepare.
- Baking the tartlets one sheet at a time helps ensure they bake evenly.
- The final glaze and bake gives the tartlets a professional, patisserie-style finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tartlet
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Puff pastry desserts are famous for being at their flaky, crispy peak when they are fresh from the oven.
- Best Served Fresh: These tartlets are truly at their most delicious within a few hours of being baked.
- Storage: If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Reheating: To bring back some of the crispiness, you can reheat the tartlets in a 350°F oven or an air fryer for 3-5 minutes, until they are warmed through and the pastry has crisped up again.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This simple and elegant tartlet recipe is a fantastic base for all sorts of delicious fruit pastries.
- Use a Different Stone Fruit: This recipe is absolutely fantastic with other thinly sliced stone fruits that are in season. Try it with fresh nectarines (no peeling needed!), apricots, plums, or even sweet cherries.
- Add a Creamy Base: For a richer, more dessert-like tartlet, you can spread a very thin layer of a creamy cheese on the pastry squares before you add the fruit. A thin layer of mascarpone cheese, softened cream cheese, or goat cheese would be delicious.
- Add a Sprinkle of Spice or Nuts: For a lovely, warm spice note, you can sprinkle the peaches with a tiny pinch of ground cinnamon or cardamom before baking. For a nutty crunch, you can top the finished, glazed tartlets with a sprinkle of toasted, sliced almonds.
Enjoy Your Elegant, Bakery-Style Treat!
You’ve just created a stunning, delicate, and incredibly delicious dessert that looks like it took hours of painstaking work at a fancy bakery. These Peach Tartlets are a perfect example of how a few simple, high-quality ingredients can be transformed into something truly special and impressive. They are the perfect, elegant treat for any occasion.
We hope you enjoy every last, flaky, buttery, and fruity bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy but impressive dessert!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the best way to thaw frozen puff pastry?
The absolute best way to thaw frozen puff pastry is slowly, in the refrigerator, for at least 4 hours or overnight. This keeps the delicate layers of butter inside the dough cold and solid. If you thaw it too quickly at room temperature or in the microwave, the butter can melt and leak out, which will prevent your pastry from puffing up into those beautiful, distinct layers
Q2: My puff pastry didn’t puff up very much. What went wrong?
A lack of “puff” is usually due to the butter in the dough getting too warm before it hits the hot oven. Be sure to work with your thawed puff pastry while it is still cold. Also, ensure your oven is fully preheated to a high temperature (400°F for this recipe). The initial blast of high heat is what creates the steam from the butter layers, which is what makes the pastry puff up.
Q3: Do I absolutely have to peel the peaches?
You don’t have to, but it is highly recommended for the most elegant and pleasant texture. Peach skins can sometimes become a bit tough or curly during baking. Since these are delicate tartlets, the soft texture of a peeled peach is much nicer. The blanching method makes peeling incredibly fast and easy.
Q4: Can I make these tartlets ahead of time for a party?
Because puff pastry is at its absolute best when it is fresh, warm, and flaky from the oven, these are not an ideal make-ahead dessert. However, you can do all of the prep work in advance: thaw the pastry, peel and slice the peaches (keep them in a little lemon water to prevent browning), and have your preserves ready. Then, the final assembly and baking will only take about 15 minutes right before your guests arrive.
Q5: Why are apricot preserves the classic choice for a glaze?
Apricot preserves are the go-to glaze for professional pastry chefs for a few key reasons. They have a relatively neutral, pale orange color that doesn’t overpower the color of the fresh fruit. They also have a perfect, balanced sweet-tart flavor that complements most fruits beautifully. Finally, when strained and thinned, they create a beautiful, clear, and glossy shine.