Upside Down Puff Pastry with Ham & Gruyere
on May 10, 2023, Updated May 29, 2024
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This upside down puff pastry with ham and gruyere is NEXT level! This upside down pastry tart is easy to make and great for an appetizer or brunch dish. We are making this with caramelized shallots and pomegranate molasses (balsamic glaze works too!) I also think some dijon mustard on the side of this would be absolutely perfect. The combination of the flakey puff pastry, salty ham and the sharp gruyere cheese is absolutely everything in flavor. The caramelized shallots reminds me of tarte tatin – which is one of my all-time favorite dishes!
What is an upside down pastry?
Upside down puff pastry has been around, but this recipe comes by inspiration of the viral Tiktok trend right now, where I’ve been seeing tons of different variations everywhere leaning from onion, upside-down apple tarts to peaches and honey (I would opt to add some vanilla ice cream on any sweet variations!)
Looking for more inspiration and flavor combinations? I first found this viral idea from Lily, who makes hers with caramelized honey and nectarines! I also love this one with nutella and brown sugar.
What are some other combos you can make with this upside down puff pastries? Ingredients like pears, apples, honey, asparagus would be great here! You can go sweet to serve for any desserts, or savory, like we did here.
What ingredients do you need for this upside-down pastry?
Puff Pastry Dough: We are using store-bought puff pastry dough, but feel free to make your own! Make sure you let it come out to room temperature if using frozen or fridge pastry.
Ham: I LOVE using ham for this since it is resembling a ham and cheese croissant which is by FAR my favorite breakfast pastry. Any meat like prosciutto, for example would work well here for a substitute.
Gruyere Cheese: Because the two work so well together – ham and gruyere! Feel free to use parmesan here as well. I put shredded cheese but you can also use a slice for an even more melty texture. I would be weary though since you don’t want the pastry to pop out from the bottom or lose the texture.
Shallot: This is an optional step, by I added shallots on this puff pastry since it gets SO caramelized and beautiful and browned this way.
Pomegranate Molasses and olive oil: The base before you put down any ingredients. This allows the ingredients to stick to the parchment paper. I’m using pomegranate molasses since it has a nice, sticky and sweet flavor that pairs with the other flavors, but you can also use balsamic vinegar or a balsamic glaze.
Egg wash: Finishing off the pastry with an egg wash helps ensure it gets nice a crispy, not dry and is glistening so beautifully when it comes out of the oven!
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions to make this recipe
Prep your ingredients, oven and pastry
Preheat your oven to 400°F and bring out your puff pastry to room temperature. Beat your egg with a fork and set aside.
Assemble
On a baking sheet, lay on your parchment paper. Place a drizzle of olive oil followed by a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. Then place on your sliced shallots (I used 2 small slices of shallots per puff pastry), top with salt, pepper, sliced ham and finish with shredded gruyere cheese.
Place your puff pastry sheet on top, folding tight so ensure it is covered as best as you can. I’m using a fork here to fork down on the parchment, and then forking holes throughout the top part of the pastry – this will allow it to cook evenly and not swell up either. Repeat this step until you use up all your puff pastry.
Take a pastry brush and brush the tops of the puff pastry with your egg wash. Finish off with more shredded cheese on top.
Bake and serve
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until your pastry is cooked through and is looking golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes, then flip over with a spatula. Serve on your favorite serving plate or board.
Check out the below breakfast recipes for more inspiration!
- Dutch Baby with Cranberry Compote
- Asparagus Tartine with Ricotta and Prosciutto
- Dutch Baby with Cranberry Compote
- Easy Harissa Shakshuka
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Watch How To Make This Recipe
Upside Down Puff Pastry with Ham & Gruyere
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed, cut into 6 squares
- drizzle of olive oil and pomegranate molasses per pastry
- 1 shallot, sliced in rounds
- 8-10 slices sliced ham, 1-2 slices per puff pastry
- 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese, and more if preffered
- 1 egg, beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and bring out your puff pastry to room temperature. Beat your egg with a fork and set aside.
- On a baking sheet, lay on your parchment paper. Place a drizzle of olive oil followed by a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. Then place on your sliced shallots (I used 2 small slices of shallots per puff pastry), top with salt, pepper, sliced ham and finish with shredded gruyere cheese.
- Place your puff pastry sheet on top, folding tight so ensure it is covered as best as you can. I’m using a fork here to fork down on the parchment, and then forking holes throughout the top part of the pastry – this will allow it to cook evenly and not swell up either. Repeat this step until you use up all your puff pastry.
- Take a pastry brush and brush the tops of the puff pastry with your egg wash. Finish off with more shredded cheese on top.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until your pastry is cooked through and is looking golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes, then flip over with a spatula. Serve on your favorite serving plate or board.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can these be made smaller?
yes, I would also just adjust the other ingredients as well to a lower quantity! Let me know if you have any other questions!