This Carrot Tart Recipe is made with flaky puff pastry, roasted carrots, salty feta, tangy pickled beets and hot honey mustard. It's an easy savory tart that's gorgeous enough for Easter brunch but simple enough to make whenever the puff pastry craving hits.
Why You'll Love It
I am SUCH a sucker for puff pastry tart recipes because they look like you tried way harder than you actually did. And this gorgeous carrot tart is the perfect example. We're taking store-bought puff pastry and layering it with hot honey mustard, creamy feta cheese, sweet roasted carrots and tangy pickled beets. Then the whole thing gets baked until the edges of the pastry are puffed and golden brown.
Once it comes out of the oven, I finish it with honey, fresh herbs and flaky salt. It's sweet, salty, tangy, creamy and crispy all at once.
And can we talk about how pretty it is?! The orange carrots, jewel-toned beets and fresh green herbs make this carrot puff pastry tart absolutely perfect for spring brunches. Put it on your Easter table and she is 100% going to get some attention.
It's also one of the best ways to turn a handful of simple ingredients into something that feels special. Serve it as an appetizer, vegetarian side dish or alongside a big green salad for lunch. You can even cut it into little squares and serve it at room temperature for a party. Basically, if you're looking for an easy spring recipe that delivers maximum WOW with minimal work, this is it.
Ingredients & Substitutions
The beauty of this savory tart is that it relies on simple ingredients while still feeling fancy. Here's what you'll need and what you can swap if necessary.
- Olive Oil: Helps the carrots roast until tender and caramelized. Avocado oil works, too.
- Carrots: I'm using regular orange carrots, but rainbow carrots or multi-colored carrots would be absolutely gorgeous. Baby carrots also work, although you may need to slice carrots into smaller pieces. Try to keep them similar in size so they roast evenly.
- Puff Pastry: I'm using a gluten-free puff pastry sheet, but any store-bought puff pastry works. If yours is frozen, thaw it according to the package directions but keep it cold until you're ready to bake.
- Hot Honey Mustard: This adds sweetness, tang and a little heat underneath the vegetables. Regular honey mustard works, or you could mix Dijon mustard with a drizzle of hot honey. If you don't like honey mustard, you could also use balsamic glaze instead.
- Feta Cheese: Feta adds the perfect salty, creamy bite. Goat cheese, Boursin cheese, cream cheese or another melty creamy cheese would also work. You could even use your food processor to make some whipped feta if you want an extra creamy texture.
- Pickled Beets: These add acidity, sweetness and the prettiest pop of color. Be sure to pat them dry so they don't make the tart shell soggy. If you're not a beet person, leave them off or swap in thinly sliced butternut squash.
- Egg: A beaten egg creates the egg wash that makes the perimeter of the puff pastry shiny and golden brown. For an egg-free version, brush the edges with cream or milk. A chia egg won't give you quite the same glossy finish.
- Herbs de Provence: Adds an easy herby flavor to the edges of the puff pastry. Italian seasoning works in a pinch.
- Honey: A drizzle of honey on top balances the salty feta and tangy beets. Maple syrup or hot honey are also delicious.
- Fresh Herbs: I'm using fresh mint and dill because they make the tart taste extra springy. Parsley, chives, basil or even tender carrot tops would work, too. Using the carrot greens is also a great way to reduce food waste.
- Flaky Salt: Just a pinch brings the whole thing together. Kosher salt works for seasoning the carrots, while flaky salt is best for finishing.
- Black Pepper: Totally optional, but a few cracks of black pepper over the finished tart are always welcome.
- Optional Additions: Feel free to use a little lemon juice and red pepper flakes on top to wake everything up.
How to Make It
This carrot puff pastry tart looks impressive, but most of the work is just roasting, layering and baking.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- ROAST CARROTS: Cut the carrots into small coins, keeping the thicker slices as even as possible. Add them to the parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and toss with olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Roast carrots for about 20 minutes, until they're fork tender and beginning to caramelize.
- PREP THE PUFF PASTRY: While the roasted carrots cool slightly, unroll your puff pastry sheet onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. If needed, roll puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into roughly a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Keep the pastry cold for the best flaky texture.
- BUILD THE BASE: Spread the hot honey mustard over the pastry in an even layer, leaving about a 1-inch border around the perimeter of the puff pastry. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the feta over the mustard.
- ADD THE VEGETABLES: Arrange the roasted carrots and well-drained pickled beets over the feta in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining feta over the top of the carrots and beets.
- ADD THE EGG WASH: Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg wash. Sprinkle the edges with herbs de Provence and finish the whole thing with a little flaky salt.
- BAKE: Bake for about 20 minutes, or until you have beautifully flaky puff pastry that's golden brown around the edges and crispy underneath. If your oven tends to run cool on the bottom, bake on the lower-middle rack rather than the top rack so the bottom has time to crisp.
- FINISH: Remove the tart from the oven and drizzle honey over the top. Finish with plenty of fresh herbs and black pepper if desired.
- SERVE: Let the tart cool for about 5 minutes before using a sharp knife to cut it into squares or rectangles. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- SAVE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to bring back that flaky texture.
A Few Tips for the Best Carrot Tart
Keep your puff pastry cold! If it gets too warm while you're assembling the tart, pop the whole thing into the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
Also, make sure you pat those pickled beets REALLY dry. They're delicious, but that extra brine can work against the crispy pastry we're trying to achieve.
You don't need to make a shallow cut around the edges of the pastry, but you absolutely can. Use a paring knife to lightly score a border about 1 inch from the edge without cutting all the way through. This can help define the crust as it puffs.
And if your puff pastry comes wrapped in plastic wrap, don't leave it sitting at room temperature for too long. Cold pastry + hot oven temperature = those beautiful flaky layers.
What to Pair It With
This carrot tart is perfect for Easter brunch, spring brunches or an easy lunch with something fresh on the side. Since it's already rich, buttery and cheesy, I like pairing it with recipes that bring brightness, greens or a little acidity to the table.
Try it alongside my Fried Prosciutto, Strawberry & Burrata Salad for the ultimate spring spread. The strawberries, butter lettuce and basil vinaigrette make it especially perfect for Easter brunch.
For even more vegetables, my Crispy Air Fryer Asparagus with Parmesan and Lemon is bright, lemony and ready in under 10 minutes.
If you're having a full-on carrot moment, my Shaved Carrot Salad with Cranberries & Feta is another easy side dish that's fresh, crunchy and super colorful.
And if you bought a giant jar of pickled beets and need another excuse to use them, make my Pickled Beet and Feta Salad next. It's loaded with citrus, herbs, feta and olives and is one of my favorite recipes for showing off those gorgeous beets.
And here's some more tasty related recipes that you might like:
- Easy Fig Tart with Honey Whipped Goat Cheese
- Savory Breakfast Pop Tarts with Cheesy Eggs, Sausage, Onions and Everything Seed Puff Pastry
- Glazed Hot Honey Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese
- Beet Hummus + Turkey Sandwich
Recipe
Carrot Tart Recipe with Feta Cheese & Pickled Beets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 5 large Carrots cut into small coins
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 1 sheet Puff pastry
- 2 tablespoons Hot honey mustard
- 4 ounces Feta cheese crumbled and divided
- ½ cup Pickled beets patted dry
- 1 Egg beaten
- ¼ teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 2 tablespoons Fresh herbs such as mint and dill
- Flaky salt for finishing
- Black pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add carrots to the prepared baking sheet and toss with olive oil and kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer.
- Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are fork tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Unroll the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. If necessary, gently roll it out into roughly a 10-by-14-inch rectangle.
- Spread hot honey mustard evenly over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
- Sprinkle two-thirds of the feta cheese over the mustard.
- Arrange the roasted carrots and pickled beets evenly over the feta. Sprinkle the remaining feta over the top.
- Brush the outer edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the edges with herbs de Provence.
- Finish the entire tart with a small pinch of flaky salt.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is cooked through, golden brown and crispy underneath.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey.
- Sprinkle with fresh mint and dill and add black pepper if desired.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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