These caprese puff pastry tarts are the ultimate summer appetizer. Made with simple ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes!
These caprese puff pastry tarts are a fantastic way to enjoy two quintessential Italian summer ingredients: mozzarella and tomatoes.
These two flavors beautifully complement each other, and adding a spoonful of pesto or balsamic glaze will add an extra layer of flavor to the dish.
Made with flaky puff pastry layered with juicy tomatoes, and creamy fresh burrata cheese, these caprese pastries are baked to golden brown perfection and are as fun to make as they are to eat.
Perfect for any summer gathering, they’re sure to impress your guests and leave everyone asking for the recipe!
Plus, you can easily tweak the recipe to your liking, like swapping the burrata cheese with ricotta, or mozzarella, or adding a few slices of prosciutto.
Also, you can make a large sheet caprese puff pastry for a quick dinner, or stick to individual little tarts, which make a fantastic appetizer or picnic meal idea.
This post is sponsored by Barefoot Wine. All opinions are my own.
I love pairing these fun little tarts with a bright and refreshing white sangria, made with Barefoot Wine Pinot Grigio, fresh fruit and orange juice.
If you ask me, it’s the perfect summer drink!
My family is obsessed with picnics lately, so if you're planning a picnic soon, I'll leave a few food + drink suggestions below, together with my simple white sangria recipe.
Caprese tarts ingredients
Just like many Italian recipes, these caprese tarts call for the most simple ingredients you most probably have in the kitchen already.
Here's what you'll need:
- Puff pastry: a sheet of puff pastry will be enough to make 6 individual tarts or a large one.
- Tomatoes: I like to use small datterini tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes or sliced plum tomatoes will work just fine.
- Aromatic herbs: I use both fresh basil leaves and thyme leaves, fresh or dried oregano is also a good option.
- Burrata cheese: this is my go-to option, it's creamy and refreshing and so delicious. Fresh ricotta or mozzarella cheese will also work well.
- Balsamic glaze: A few drops balsamic glaze adds a little extra flavor, and a sweet note to complement well the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Opt for a high-quality olive oil, with a delicate fruity note.
How to make caprese puff pastry tarts
This caprese puff pastry recipe is easy to prepare and results in a delicious, meal that's perfect for a quick lunch or as an appetizer.
Did I mention it takes less than 30 minutes to put together?
Here below you find a recipe overview with step-by-step pictures.
Scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, thyme, balsamic glaze and olive oil.
STEP 2. Cut the puff pastry into rectangles, then score a small border on each of them.
STEP 3. Divide the tomatoes between the puff pastry rectangles, then place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
STEP 4. Once ready, top each caprese tart with burrata cheese, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
These caprese puff pastry tarts are delightful whether served hot or at room temperature.
Its Mediterranean aroma and fresh flavors are sure to win everyone over. Give it a try, and it just might become your favorite summer appetizer!
Picnic idea: Caprese tarts + white sangria
As I said earlier, my family loves organizing picnics lately. And these caprese pastries have quickly become my go-to picnic meal.
If you like picnics as much as we do, but don't like spending too much time in the kitchen here are a few suggestions:
Serve lots of fresh veggies and fruit. They require minimum prep, are super healthy, and you can serve the veggies with a few dips such as whipped ricotta, classic hummus, or cream cheese mixed with fresh herbs.
Bring along a dessert that doesn't need to be refrigerated. My favorite options are jam crostata (Italian jam tart), peach cake, or olive oil cake.
Don't go overboard with the drinks, fresh water, orange juice and a light refreshing cocktail for the grown-ups, are plenty enough options.
As for the cocktail, I am really excited to taking part in the celebration of Barefoot Wine’s summer party campaign, so for my summer picnic I’ve put together a simple white sangria cocktail that’s light and refreshing, which really captures Barefoot summer vibes!
Barefoot wine offers a selection of award-winning white and red wines that are all flavorful, approachable and affordable.
Here's how to make a lighter version of white sangria. All you need is white wine, fresh orange juice and fresh fruit!
For the white sangria, I like to use Barefoot Pinot Grigio, which is absolutely perfect for summer - It's light and crisp with a delicate peach note.
For the fruit, I use a mix of peaches, strawberries and sliced lemon and orange. But other fruit would work well, such as blueberries, watermelon or apples.
Here below are the quantities and directions to make this easy white sangria:
- 500 ml Barefoot Pinot Grigio wine
- 100 ml orange juice
- 1 organic orange, sliced
- 1 organic lemon, sliced
- 100 g mixed sliced fruit of choice, for serving
- 8 basil or mint leaves, for serving
In a large pitcher add the orange juices and sliced fruit. Store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Add Barefoot Pinot Grigio wine, followed by a few ice cubes and fresh basil leaves. Gently stir all the ingredients together and serve.
Did You Try This Recipe?
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Recipe
Caprese Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry
- 300 g datterino tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ teaspoon balsamic glaze
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large burrata cheese ball, about 150 g
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes in a large bowl, and season them with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add the balsamic glaze, thyme leaves and olive oil and stir all the ingredients together.
- Cut the puff pastry sheet into 6 rectangles. Lightly score a ½ cm border around the edge of each puff pastry rectangle using a sharp knife. This will help the border to rise when baked and create a raised edge for the fillings in the middle.
- Distribute the tomatoes between the puff pastry rectangles. If possible, place them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before baking, this will help the pastry hold its shape better during baking time.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F, and arrange a baking tray onto the middle shelf.
- Place the caprese puff pastry tarts in the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove the caprese tarts from the oven, and top with small chunks of creamy burrata cheese, drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the top and serve.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Aneel Gupta says
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Anna says
Made it today for a party and everyone loved these caprese tarts! I also tried the white sangria using Barefoot Pinot Grigio and it was delicious!