Made with a flaky puff pastry crust, savory cheese filling, and the finest fresh tomatoes, these savory tomato tarts with puff pastry are the most delicious appetizer for your next dinner party!

puff pastry tarts with cheese and tomatoes on a white plate

This quick tomato tart recipe is so easy, thanks to a little frozen puff pastry! As it rises in the hot oven, the cream cheese and ripe tomatoes meld into the most delicious savory filling.

This recipe is my new favorite thing, and once you try one of these tomato tartlets, you'll be reaching for another!

What is a Tomato Tart?

A tomato tart is typically a savory dish similar to a pie or tart. Instead of incorporating fresh peaches or plums, use heirloom tomatoes or your favorite juicy tomatoes.

Many tomato tart recipes also incorporate a layer of a seasoned cheese filling, which keeps the

juice of the tomatoes from softening the tart crust. For this cherry tomato tart puff pastry, I prefer to mix cream cheese and Parmesan for a creamy, tangy bite.

Make this tomato tart with puff pastry, or use your favorite pie crust. No matter which tomatoes or crust you choose, tomato tartlets are such a wonderful way to celebrate the flavors of the season!

Ingredients Needed for Puff Pastry Tomato Tarts

Puff pastry: A little store-bought puff pastry makes the perfect tart shells! You'll need to let it soften in the fridge, then use a sharp knife to cut the sheet of puff pastry into small rectangles for your mini puff pastry tarts.
Cream cheese: Let the cream cheese warm up to room temperature before adding your seasonings.
Parmesan cheese: Shredded parmesan cheese adds a nice salty, savory flavor to this tomato tart with puff pastry.
Italian seasoning: To season your cheese filling, add Italian seasoning, and let the flavors mingle before baking.
Roma tomato: Roma tomatoes have less moisture than regular slicing tomatoes, so your tomato puff pastry tarts will have tons of rich tomato flavor.
Cherry tomatoes: For extra flavor and a beautiful appearance, add some halved cherry tomatoes to your tomato puff pastry tartlets.
Olive oil: Add a drizzle of high-quality olive oil over each tart before it bakes for a heavenly, saucy texture.
Salt & pepper: Be sure to season your baked tomato tart with kosher salt or flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fresh herbs: Garnish with slices of fresh basil, oregano, or thyme for a stunning presentation.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.

2. Slice the tomato and sprinkle them with salt and pepper

puff pastry rectangles on a cookie sheet

3. Roll out the pastry and slice into 6 rectangles

mini tomato puff pastry tarts on a sheet tray with cheese spread and tomatoes on top.

4. Spread the cheese onto each pastry and top with the salted tomato halves.

tomato tarts on a sheet tray topped with cheese, tomatoes, and olive oil.

5. Drizzle with olive oil

6. Bake according to the puff pastry package instructions until golden brown.

Substitutions

Instead of Roma tomatoes, you can use a variety of tomatoes (grape tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, etc).
Substitute pie crust or make your own homemade puff pastry instead of using premade puff pastry dough. You can also use premade phyllo cups from your local grocery store for less prep!
Replace the cream cheese with ricotta, goat cheese, or whipped feta for extra flavor.
Instead of parmesan cheese, use mozzarella, pepper jack, white cheddar, or shredded gruyere cheese.

Variations

For an Italian tomato tart, stick with Italian cheeses with Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or mozzarella. Feel free to add some sliced olives or sundried tomatoes for extra flavor.
Add some Dijon mustard to shredded Gruyere and fresh goat cheese to make a French tomato tart. Season with herbs de Provence.
Pesto tomato tarts can be made by replacing the cheese filling with pesto or whipping it into the softened cheese. So flavorful!
Add veggies like asparagus, mushrooms, thinly sliced red onion, fresh garlic, or spinach to make this tomato tart recipe your own.
To make a rustic tomato tart like Ina Garten, skip the tartlets and bake the entire sheet of pastry on a large baking sheet before adding your cheeses and fresh tomato slices. Serve like a pizza.
For a deep golden crust, brush the edge of the pastry with an egg wash before baking.

What to Serve with Tomato Tarts

This savory tomato tart will make an excellent addition to your buffet table! They can be served as an appetizer or you can make this puff pastry tomato tart to enjoy with a simple green salad for a light lunch.

This tomato pie tart would be wonderful served with these other homemade appetizers:

close up photo of baked tomato tarts with puff pastry

FAQ

Can you freeze tomato tarts?

Once baked, you can easily freeze a savory tomato tart! Since the tomatoes will soften in the oven, they can be frozen and thawed without damaging the texture. Let the baked tarts cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. Thaw them in the fridge for several hours before reheating them in the oven to crisp up the shell. Add any garnishes and serve.

You can also freeze the tart shells with the cheese mixture before baking. Freeze the tomato mixture separately, as they will release a lot of liquid when thawed. Let the filled tart shells soften in the fridge before adding the thawed tomato mixture and baking like normal.

How to make tomato tart?

To make an easy tomato and cheese tart with puff pastry:

Start by thawing the puff pastry sheet and cutting it into rectangles with a knife or pizza cutter.
Mix together cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning, then add the cheese filling to each of the tart bases.
Top with sliced tomatoes and add a nice drizzle of olive oil, then a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Bake until the flaky pastry puffs up and cooks all the way.
Garnish your easy tomato tart with freshly sliced herbs and serve.

If you loved this summer tomato tart with puff pastry, you'll love these other tomato recipes.

Fresh Garden Salsa

Blistered Tomatoes

Bruschetta with Mozzarella

Spicy Roasted Tomato and Burrata Rissoto

Marinated Italian Tomato Salad

Easy Baked Tomato Tarts with Puff Pastry