Name: Puff Pastry Jam Tarts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 240g Ready Rolled Puff Pastry; 9 tsp Strawberry Jam (1 tsp per Tart); 1 Egg Yolk*; 1 tbsp Icing Sugar, optional

Jump to Recipe

So simple, and so scrumptious! These intricate little puff pastry jam tarts have a base of crisp, flaky, golden-brown and sugar-dusted puff pastry. In the centre, sweet and fruity strawberry jam. One bite is buttery, rich, ambrosian, tart, and honeyed. And you can count all the ingredients you need on one hand.

The nostalgia levels are off the charts with these sumptuous little pastries! Growing up in the U.K., jam tarts were a quintessential tea-time treat that we looked forward to nibbling after a long, tiring day at school.

Whereas other British recipes like tapioca pudding and spotted dick (yes, that’s its real name!) have fallen out of favour, almost every generation has memories of jam tarts — from great-great-grandparents to grandchildren.

Here, I’ve modernised the jam tart by making it super easy to bake at home. As the name suggests, pretty much all you need is puff pastry, jam, and a few minutes of your time.

For that reason, puff pastry jam tarts are the supreme grab-and-go delicacy. They’re adaptable for celebrations, too (Valentine’s Day is coming up!).

🤯 Why You’ll Love Puff Pastry Jam Tarts

Only needs three ingredients: Yes, that’s right — this is super affordable and fuss-free.
Low effort, high payoff: There’s barely any cooking involved. This is ideal if you need to whip up a dessert last minute or want to make some treats for lunchboxes. It’s hands-off and great for beginners.
Adaptable: You can easily switch out aspects of this recipe to create a new flavour profile. Once you know how to make these puff pastry jam tarts, there’s so much scope.

🍓 Ingredient Notes

Amazingly, these puff pastry jam tarts only require three ingredients (one is optional!).

That makes it incredibly affordable and economical, especially compared to most dessert recipes that require countless ingredients.

Moreover, each of these ingredients should be easily available in your local grocery store, if you don’t already have them in your pantry/fridge.

Ingredients for puff pastry jam tarts, with text labels.

Puff pastry: Use store-bought ready-rolled puff pastry for the most effortless jam tarts. If you’re a baking whizz, you can also use homemade puff pastry!
Jam: I use strawberry jam for this recipe, but I offer more alternatives in the “variations” section below. Because the recipe is so simple, I recommend using a really high-quality jam.
Egg yolk: The fat from the egg yolk gives our pastries a gorgeous golden colour. Switch out to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
Icing sugar: Optional, but makes for a pretty dusting to finish off the treats.

As always, please refer to the recipe card for ingredient quantities (and directions).

🫐 Recipe Variations

Easily make these puff pastry jam tarts vegan by using a vegan egg wash substitute (like aquafaba or non-dairy milk). Interestingly, most puff pastry is already vegan, as the majority of brands use oil instead of the traditional butter. Yes, it really is as easy as that.

The fastest way to vary the taste of these puff pastry jam tarts is effortless — just switch out the jam!

While this recipe features strawberry jam, switching this out for equal quantities of any other jam is so easy. Raspberry, blackberry, mulberry or apricot jam are all ones I’ve tried, but even marmalade, lemon curd, fig spread, or other fruit-based condiments sound dreamy!

You can add texture by sprinkling nuts over the jam. Use whichever you like; peanuts, cashews, and pistachios will pair beautifully with different flavours.

Finally, make these puff pastry jam tarts festive using cookie cutters to create different shapes. Try stars for Christmas, hearts for Valentine’s Day (both work best with red jams) or pumpkins for Halloween (try apricot or marmalade to match the colour scheme!).

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Puff Pastry Jam Tarts (Step-by-Step Photos)

I can’t overstate how effortless making these puff pastry jam tarts is! There are only a few steps involved, and no actual cooking — you just have to put these beauties in the oven. Then, a few minutes later, done!

Still, to help with the process, I’ve included some step-by-step photos for you to follow along with while you cook.

Step one: Cut out a square from a ready-roll pastry sheet.

Sheet of puff pastry cut into 9 squares.

Step two: Cut into nine smaller squares.

Step three: Use a cookie cutter (or a small bowl) to create a slightly indented circle shape in the middle of the pastry.

Step four: Use a fork to prick the centre of these circles (this stops the pastry from puffing in this area!)

Step five: Crack a small egg and separate the whites from the yolk. Whisk the yolk until smooth.

Step six: Carefully spoon jam into the centre of each square, over the circle. I like plenty of jam, so I add liberal amounts!

Step seven: Brush egg yolk over the rest of the pastry.

Step eight: Sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden.

Step nine: Remove the tarts from the oven and let them cool. Jam is suuuuuper hot straight from the oven, so I don’t advise eating these straight away.

Step ten: These are optional, but add a nice touch. Cut a circular stencil to cover the centre (where the jam is).

Step eleven: Dust the edges with icing sugar. The stencil will prevent it from covering the jam! You can also dust the entire tart if you prefer.

Step twelve: Your sugar-dusted puff pastry jam tarts are ready to eat!

Cookware You Need

in my Amazon Storefront

Non-Stick Baking Tray

Circle Cutters

Pastry Brush

Puff pastry jam tarts on a white background.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Homemade jam is only going to make these tarts taste better.

However, make sure you thicken the homemade jam properly to avoid excess spreading (Modest leaking is fine (like in my photos!), but too much and all the jam will flood out).

Generally, you don’t need to worry about soggy pastry or the dreaded “soggy bottoms” for these puff pastry jam tarts. That only comes an issue when there’s too much moisture in the topping/filling.

To be extra certain, make sure your oven is properly preheated and the pastry is crisp on the bottom when you take it out. If it’s not, let the pastry bake for a few more minutes.

🫙Storing Puff Pastry Jam Tarts

To store these puff pastry jam tarts, simply pop in an airtight container. They should keep for up to three days.

Puff pastry jam tarts are also freezeable. I suggest freezing the tarts individually (on a tray) until solid, then sliding them into a freezer-safe bag or container. This extra step prevents them from sticking together. Thaw overnight.

☕ Serving Suggestions

There might be nothing better than waking up in the morning, grabbing a puff pastry jam tart, and sipping on a piping hot cup of tea or coffee. The jam tarts make for a perfect breakfast pastry!

Alternatively, although these puff pastry jam tarts are more on the casual side of desserts compared to my blueberry cheesecake galette or chocolate blackberry tart, they can be jazzed up by serving on pretty vintage crockery alongside a scoop of luxurious ice cream, sweetened mascarpone, or homemade whipped cream.

As mentioned previously, these beauties are practically made to be popped in lunch boxes (for children and adults!). They also make great picnic desserts.

If you tried these puff pastry jam tarts — or any other recipe on my website — please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know your thoughts in the ✍️ comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for being a part of my community!

Puff Pastry Jam Tarts

Yield: 9

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

With a flaky, buttery pastry base plus a tart, sweet, and fruity jam centre, these puff pastry jam tarts are nostalgic, scrumptious, and easy to whip up in a hurry.

Ingredients

240g Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
9 tsp Strawberry Jam (1 tsp per Tart)
1 Egg Yolk*
1 tbsp Icing Sugar, optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius (428 F).
Cut a square sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry into nine smaller squares.
Next, use a cookie cutter or small bowl to create a round indent in the centre of each square. Use a fork to prick each circle multiple times (this will prevent puffing in that area).
Crack a small egg and carefully separate the white from the yolk. Whisk the yolk until smooth.
Carefully spoon 1 tsp of jam into the centre of each square.
Using a pastry brush, brush the eggs with egg yolk*.
Place on a lined baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until evenly browned and puffed.
Optionally, dust each tart with icing sugar. You can cover the centre to avoid covering the jam if preferred.

Notes

* You can skip this (although your tarts won't be as lovely and golden) or replace the egg yolk with non-dairy milk or aquafaba to make these puff pastry jam tarts 100% vegan.