My apple cheddar tart squares are savory and pair paper-thin Cosmic Crisp apple with red onion, sharp cheddar and thyme ricotta on puff pastry. One sheet of puff pastry makes 12 squares, and they bake in 22 minutes until the bottoms are crisp, and a drizzle of honey and flaky salt goes on at the end.
A savory apple appetizer after a day of apple picking
We went apple picking, and I’d already made a graham cracker crust apple pie and a batch of Instant Pot apple butter. I wanted something savory for a change. So these lean the other way: cheddar, red onion and thyme, with the honey saved for the very end.
The base is ricotta stirred with cheddar, thyme, salt and pepper. The ricotta spreads easily and the cheddar brings the sharpness. I keep the sheet whole, mark it into 12 squares, and give each one its own border and its own spoonful of filling. The whole sheet bakes at once and gets cut apart after. Then I bake by the bottom, not the clock. Lift a corner, and if it’s pale underneath, it goes back in.
If you’ve made my flaky puff pastry corn tart, the ricotta-on-pastry move will feel familiar. This is the fall version.
Apples and cheddar cheese, plus the ricotta underneath
Full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Cosmic Crisp is the apple I use. It’s firm and holds its shape in the oven. Honeycrisp or Granny Smith work too. Soft apples like McIntosh go mushy.
- Whole-milk ricotta makes a creamier base than part-skim.
- Sharp cheddar carries the flavor. A mild cheddar gets lost next to the apple.
- Red onion, sliced thin, keeps the squares savory and adds color between the apple slices.
- Honey and flaky salt are the finish. A runny honey drizzles more evenly than a thick one.
Shruthi’s Top Tips
How to keep apple puff pastry squares crisp
Most of these come down to water and thickness.
- Slice the apple paper-thin, on a mandoline if you have one. Thick slices are still firm when the pastry is done.
- If the ricotta looks wet, drain it for 5 minutes. Extra water is what softens the bottoms.
- Keep the filling to a heaping tablespoon per square, inside its border. Filling that spills onto the edges stops them from puffing.
- Turn the pan halfway and lift a corner of the sheet before you pull it. If the bottom is pale, give it a few more minutes.
How to make apple cheddar tart squares
Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower-middle position and line a sheet pan with parchment.
- First, prep the apple by washing and coring it.
- Slice apples thin using a mandoline or sharp knife.
- Repeat with red onion.
- Add ricotta, shredded cheddar, 1 teaspoon of garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to the mixing bowl.
- Mix them together until you get a spreadable mixture.
Unroll the pastry on the pan and mark it into 12 squares without cutting through. Score a thin border inside each and prick the centers.
- Spread a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta inside each border, then top with a few apple slices and a little onion. Brush the borders with egg and bake 22 minutes, turning halfway, until deep golden and crisp underneath.
- Drizzle with honey, finish with the remaining thyme and flaky salt, and cut along the marked lines.
How to serve apple cheddar tart squares
Serve them warm, straight off the pan or piled on a board with the other appetizers. Next to make-ahead cranberry brie bites, you get two puff pastry bites from two sheets of pastry. For a sit-down start before one of my vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes, put two squares on each plate with a green salad with cranberries and pecans.
Variations
Use Granny Smith in place of Cosmic Crisp for a sharper, more tart apple. For egg-free squares, brush the borders with melted butter. They brown less, so bake by color, not time.
Savory Apple Cheddar Tart Squares with Puff Pastry
Equipment
- 1 Mandoline optional
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but cold
- 6 oz whole-milk ricotta, about ¾ cup
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium Cosmic Crisp apple, cored and sliced paper-thin
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- If the ricotta looks watery, drain it in a fine sieve for 5 minutes. Stir together the ricotta, cheddar, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, the salt and pepper.
- Unroll the pastry onto the sheet pan. With a knife, lightly mark it into 12 squares, 3 across and 4 down (about 3 by 3½ inches each), without cutting through.
- Score a ¼-inch border inside each square and prick the centers all over with a fork.
- Spread a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta mixture inside each border.
- Top each square with a few overlapping apple slices and tuck a little onion between them.
- Brush the borders with egg.
- Bake 22 minutes, turning the pan halfway, until the borders are deep golden and the bottom is crisp when you lift a corner.
- Drizzle with honey and finish with the remaining thyme and the flaky salt. Cut along the marked lines into 12 squares and serve warm.
Notes
- Brush the borders with melted butter instead of egg for egg-free squares. They brown less, so bake by color, not time.
- Honeycrisp or Granny Smith work in place of Cosmic Crisp. Avoid soft apples like McIntosh. Slice the apple right before assembling so it doesn’t brown.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes to re-crisp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
