Appetizers & Snacks/ New Year's Eve/ Party/ puff pastry

Mushroom Tart

21 June 2021 | Last Updated: 10 December 2023 By Aleksandra

This mushroom tart is an amazing quick snack and perfect for entertaining. It‘s quick to make and packed with flavor. It‘s made with puff pastry, sautéed mushrooms seasoned with garlic, balsamic, and thyme, sweet shallots, and flavorful Gruyere cheese. If you love mushrooms and cheese, you‘ve got to try it!

A close up picture of puff pastry mushroom tart.

You can also make this recipe in form of a bruschetta – see this recipe for mushroom bruschetta.

Ingredients

(Recipe card with full ingredient list is at the bottom of the post.)

Here‘s what you need to make this amazing mushroom tart:

  • Puff pastry – all-butter puff pastry tastes best so choose that if you can find it
  • Mushrooms – any kind will work here, I used half button mushrooms and half chanterelle mushrooms, cremini (baby bella) mushrooms or fresh porcini mushrooms would also be great
  • Shallots – you can also use onions
  • Thyme – fresh or dried, you could also use French or Italian herbs
  • Garlic – use only fresh garlic
  • Balsamic vinegar – enhances the flavor of mushrooms, adds some acidity that cuts through the richness of mushrooms and cheese, if you don‘t have it on hand, you can omit it or add 1/2 Tbsp of soy sauce instead
  • Egg – to brush the edges of puff pastry – they will be nicely golden, if you don‘t have any eggs you can use heavy cream or milk to brush the edges of the tart
  • Cheese – it‘s important to use a flavorful cheese like Gruyere cheese, Appenzeller cheese (or other Alpine-style full-bodied cheese), sharp aged cheddar would also work. Here you can find more recipes using Gruyere cheese.
Labeled ingredients for mushroom tart.

Step by step instructions

Chopped mushrooms, onions, and garlic on a wooden board. Sautéed onions with thyme and garlic in a pan.

STEP 1: Slice the shallots, mushrooms, chop the garlic. Don‘t slice the mushrooms too thinly, you want them still crunchy after being cooked.

STEP 2: First cook the onions with butter and thyme until soft, then add the garlic. Transfer the onions to a plate.

We will cook mushrooms over high heat so there is a risk that the onions could burn.

Balsamic vinegar is being added to the mushrooms in a pan. Sautéed mushrooms and onions in a pan.

STEP 3: Cook the mushrooms with oil over high heat for a minute without stirring. As soon as you stir the mushrooms they will release liquid and they won‘t brown. Then you need to cook the mushrooms with balsamic vinegar until all the liquid has evaporated. Too much liquid in the mushrooms would cause the puff pastry to be soggy.

STEP 4: Add the onions with garlic back to the pan and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the mushrooms to a plate, let them cool slightly.

Don‘t put hot mushrooms on puff pastry – it will start to melt and become sticky, and won‘t be as puffy as it should be after being baked.

Puff pastry sheet is being scored with a knife.

STEP 5: Take puff pastry out of the fridge (take it out only if you have all you ingredients ready, warm puff pastry is sticky and hard to work with).

Score the puff pastry around the edges leaving a 1-inch (2,5 cm) border. You don‘t want to cut the pastry all the way through, just score it with a pairing knife, this will help to puff up the border of the tart. Prick the dough several times with a fork – it will help to release steam from underneath the pastry and the dough won‘t puff up under the mushrooms.

Shredded cheese on a puff pastry sheet.

STEP 6: Sprinkle the dough with shredded on the large holes of a box grater cheese.

Sautéed mushrooms, onions, and shredded cheese on a puff pastry sheet.

STEP 7: Spread sautéed mushrooms with onions on top of the cheese.

Bake the tart at 375°F or 190°C for about 20-25 minutes. It‘s ready when it‘s nicely puffed and golden.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Puff pastry mushroom tart on a wooden board. Tomatoes, thyme, salad, and a kitchen cloth in the background.

Serving suggestions

I like to serve this tart as an appetizer with a side of some salad greens and tomatoes. It‘s quite rich so you want to serve it with something light and crunchy. A crisp dry white wine would also be a lovely addition.

Make them differently: You could also cut the dough into small squares or circles and make small individual tartlets.

Storage

This mushroom tart tastes best freshly made (especially slightly warm) or 1-2 hours after baking. After this time it won‘t be crunchy anymore and the pastry will become a bit soggy. It‘s still very tasty, though! You can reheat it in a microwave or in an oven until warm.

This tart can also be frozen. Wrap each serving in plastic foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in an 350°F (180°C) oven until thawed and warm.

How to make it in advance: Prepare your mushroom filling, shred the cheese, and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Assemble and bake the tart right before serving.

Top tips on how to work with puff pastry

  • This tart is really easy to make, you can use the pastry with the parchment paper attached and don‘t really have to work with it but it‘s still important to keep the pastry cool, in the fridge, while you‘re preparing all the other ingredients. It will be sticky when warm.
  • All-butter puff pastry is more sticky than regular puff pastry made with shortening or palm fat (but it‘s so much tastier!).
  • If using frozen puff pastry it‘s better to thaw it in the fridge overnight instead of quickly thawing it on the counter – it can be prone to breaking.
A close up picture of mushroom tart cut into squares.

More savory puff pastry recipes

Here you can find all my puff pastry appetizers.

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!

Mushroom Tart

This mushroom tart is an amazing quick snack and perfect for entertaining. It‘s quick to make and packed with flavor. It‘s made with puff pastry, sautéed mushrooms seasoned with garlic, balsamic, and thyme, sweet shallots, and flavorful Gruyere cheese.
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A close up photo of puff pastry mushroom tart.
Print Recipe

RATE THE RECIPE

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4.97 from 27 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 230kcal
Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 shallots or 1 medium onion
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 14 oz (400g) mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/4 cups (125g) shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 1 sheet puff pastry about 9-10 ounce (270g)
  • 1 egg for brushing the edges

Instructions

Cook the mushrooms:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5, no fan (if you have a convection oven reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer's instructions).
  • Cut the button mushrooms into 1/4-1/3 inch (5-7mm) slices. Chanterelle mushrooms: leave small mushrooms whole, cut medium mushrooms into 2 parts, and large mushrooms into 3-4 parts. Don’t cut the mushroom too thinly.
    14 oz (400g) mushrooms
  • Cut the shallot into slices, finely chop the garlic.
    2 shallots, 3 cloves garlic
  • Heat butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. When hot add the onions and thyme, cook for a couple of minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.
    1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • Transfer the onions with garlic to a plate.
  • Add oil to the pan and increase the heat to the highest setting. Add mushrooms in an even layer, starting with button mushrooms (chanterelle mushrooms should be on top of button mushrooms). Cook without stirring for 1-2 minutes then add the vinegar and cook, stirring, for about 4-8 minutes (depending on how powerful your stovetop is) until the mushrooms have reduced their volume in half and all the liquid is evaporated. Don’t stir the mushrooms for about a minute when almost all liquid is evaporated, letting the mushrooms brown a little.
    1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Add the onions with garlic back to the pan, stir with the mushrooms. Season the mushrooms and onions with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool slightly.

Assemble and bake the tart:

  • Take the puff pastry out of the fridge. With a tip of a sharp knife, score through the top layers of the puff pastry by running the knife along all four sides of the dough (leaving about 1-inch / 2.5 cm border). Do not cut all the way through the dough. Transfer the pastry, along with the parchment paper that comes with it to a baking sheet. Prick the dough (but not the borders) with a fork.
    1 sheet puff pastry
  • Sprinkle the cheese in an even layer over the dough.
    1 1/4 cups (125g) shredded Gruyere cheese
  • Top with cooled mushrooms and onions.
  • Brush the edges of the tart with beaten egg. Prick the dough with a fork a couple times more (or it will puff up in the oven), not the edges, just the center of the tart.
  • Bake the tart for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Ingredient notes:
    • Puff pastry – all-butter puff pastry tastes best so choose that if you can find it
    • Mushrooms – any kind will work here, I used half button mushrooms and half chanterelle mushrooms, cremini (baby bella) mushrooms or fresh porcini mushrooms would also be great
    • Shallots – you can also use onions
    • Thyme – fresh or dried, you could also use French or Italian herbs
    • Balsamic vinegar – if you don‘t have it on hand, you can omit it or add 1/2 Tbsp of soy sauce instead
    • Egg – you can use heavy cream or milk to brush the edges of the tart
    • Cheese – it‘s important to use a flavorful cheese like Gruyere cheese, Appenzeller cheese (or other Alpine-style full-bodied cheese), sharp aged cheddar would also work
  • Serving suggestion: I like to serve this tart as an appetizer with a side of some salad greens and tomatoes. It‘s quite rich so you want to serve it with something light and crunchy. A crisp dry white wine would also be a lovely addition.
  • You could also cut the dough into small squares or circles and make small individual tartlets.
  • Storage: This mushroom tart tastes best freshly made (especially slightly warm) or 1-2 hours after baking. After this time it won‘t be crunchy anymore and the pastry will become a bit soggy. It‘s still very tasty, though! You can reheat it in a microwave or in an oven until warm.
  • It’s important to take the puff pastry out of the fridge when you have all the other ingredients ready. It will be sticky when warm.
  • Calories = 1 serving (1/6 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, international
Tried this Recipe? Rate the Recipe and tell us what you think in the Comments!

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34 Comments

  • Reply
    Ana
    14 February 2024 at 01:16

    5 stars
    Delicious!

  • Reply
    Dlevy
    6 December 2023 at 01:59

    Hi. Going to make this weekend for a small get together. Could I use blue cheese in place of the gruyere? Thx

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      6 December 2023 at 08:39

      I would maybe use a mixture of different cheeses such as blue, Swiss and so on. I’m not sure if it will taste good with such a large amount of blue cheese.

  • Reply
    Jill
    7 November 2023 at 03:05

    5 stars
    So delicious! Thank you so much for the step by step instructions, they were truly helpful and instrumental in the successful execution of the recipe. Can’t wait to make this again and serve it to company. 🙂

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      7 November 2023 at 15:20

      I’m so happy you liked the recipe, thank you for leaving the comment!

  • Reply
    SH
    8 October 2023 at 15:57

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday for a crowd and everyone loved it! I baked it a bit longer and even slid it directly onto the oven rack for the last few minutes just to be sure it was cooked all the way through. I bought the best puff pastry I could find and it was worth it.

  • Reply
    Kate Faddegon
    6 October 2023 at 19:56

    5 stars
    This was SO good and so easy! I served it with a big caesar salad.

  • Reply
    Alanna Larsen
    18 September 2023 at 03:53

    5 stars
    I made this as an appetizer this evening. Ir was a huge hut! It was delicious! I will definitely make this again!!!

  • Reply
    Susan
    16 January 2023 at 16:54

    4 stars
    Tart was excellent in taste but the base was limp, except for the pieces on the edges. I followed the recipe exactly so was wondering if this is how it is normally. I have made similar tarts and not had this problem but then I didn’t poke holes in the base. Perhaps I shouldn’t have rolled out the puff pastry.

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      16 January 2023 at 18:59

      It sounds like the bottom of the tart was underbaked. This could be caused by: warm filling, too much filling, watery filling (too much moisture from the mushrooms), warm/not cool enough dough, or an oven that does not bake properly. If you won´t roll out puff pastry it will be more thick and there is a bigger chance that it will be underbaked and limp. You poke the holes in the dough so that the steam can escape and your tart is flat. You could try to bake the tart on the bottom shelf of the oven to help crisp up pastry or even pre-bake the pastry (weigh it down the middle) and then bake with the filling. I hope this helps.

  • Reply
    Katie
    11 January 2023 at 17:22

    Thank you for this I do like the way you explain how to do this with explanations too. Also the problems that might occur. Just literally made some and awaiting to taste them.

    • Reply
      Betty
      1 August 2023 at 16:32

      Excellent recipe! Absolutely delicious! I rolled out the sheet of puff pastry just a bit…but didn’t see if you said to do this.
      Anyway, I will make this again and again, using different toppings, maybe roasted tomatoes next time. I really appreciated all your explanations too! Very helpful.

      • Reply
        Aleksandra
        1 August 2023 at 18:54

        I’m glad you liked it, thank you for leaving the comment!

  • Reply
    Jenbas
    8 November 2022 at 18:34

    5 stars
    I made two modifications: 8 oz of sliced baby bella mushrooms and goat cheese. This was phenomenal!

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      8 November 2022 at 18:48

      I’m glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for sharing that it also works with goat cheese!

  • Reply
    Doreen
    26 September 2022 at 21:47

    Hi Aleksandra,

    Is it ok to make the filling and actually put it on the pastry squares, cover and leave the “prepared” squares in the refrigerator, then bake and serve them the next day?

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      27 September 2022 at 13:04

      No, don’t do that, the pastry will be soggy! You can: prepare the filling and store in the fridge, cut your pastry squares and stack them between pieces of parchment paper (wrap in plastic foil to prevent drying out). The next day: put the filling on the pastry, brush the edges with egg wash and bake!

  • Reply
    Judith
    14 June 2022 at 10:31

    Is the cheese used as a binder? Can I replace it with something else to avoid making it dairy?

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      14 June 2022 at 11:29

      Yes, cheese acts as a binder, adds flavor, and prevents (a little bit) the pastry from getting soggy from the mushrooms. After some googling (vegan puff pastry mushroom tart) I see that others make similar pastries without cheese so I guess you could just omit it. Just make sure your mushrooms are not too wet. I don’t really have experience with making vegan tarts, so not sure about replacements, sorry!

  • Reply
    Pat
    13 June 2022 at 20:10

    5 stars
    This was delicious and so easy. I used all white button mushrooms. Super yummy and I agree about using only all butter puff pastry. The other kind is just not worth the calories.

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      13 June 2022 at 20:35

      so true! thank you for leaving the comment!

  • Reply
    Danielle
    10 June 2022 at 13:56

    5 stars
    I made your lovely recipe for a cocktail party and it was a great hit! I ended up cutting up the mushroom tarts into 16 small squares and that was a perfect size for an appetizer! My only modification was to use fresh thyme which was perfect too. Loved the addition of the balsamic vinegar and specific instructions on cooking the mushrooms. Many thanks!

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      10 June 2022 at 16:57

      you’re welcome! so glad you liked this!

    • Reply
      Heather
      25 April 2023 at 09:53

      Danielle – did you cut into squares before you baked or after? If before, did you leave edges on each square using the scoring method Alessandra describes? I’m trying to decide which way to do it (cut first or after) before I make this for book club. Thanks!

      • Reply
        Aleksandra
        25 April 2023 at 19:01

        You can do both. If you´d like larger servings, like shown on the photos, that you could serve with a small salad on the side, on a plate – you can cut the tart into squares after baking it. If you´d prefer small finger food bites for people to grab from a tray and held in a hand – I would cut it into small squares before baking it and I would also score the edges. I hope this helps!

        • Reply
          Kim Englehart
          22 December 2023 at 17:49

          If cutting into small squares, would cook time be different?

          • Aleksandra
            22 December 2023 at 20:06

            No, it stays the same! The longer you bake puff pastry the better, you just need to look at the color, if it’s beautifully golden brown, it’s done.

  • Reply
    Jb
    4 June 2022 at 23:08

    5 stars
    Really make a great dinner if you add a salad.
    Super flavorful!

    I think I messed up and found the middle a bit soft doughier.
    Any suggestions to avoid next time.

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      5 June 2022 at 05:56

      Make sure the dough is really cold, straight from the fridge. The mushroom filling also needs to be cold (important!). Add slightly less filling in the middle. You can also try to bake the tart a little bit longer (if it’s already nicely browned and could burn then reduce the temp. to 320F/160C and keep an eye on it). I hope this helps!

  • Reply
    Lam-Anh
    15 May 2022 at 11:45

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday for appetizer for my family dinner and it came out perfect! We all loved it. It’s a keeper for family gathering. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      15 May 2022 at 19:37

      I’m glad to hear that, thank you for leaving the comment!

  • Reply
    Hally
    31 March 2022 at 21:36

    5 stars
    The recipe was perfect. The family enjoyed it very much. Only addition I made was some grated Parmesan.

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      1 April 2022 at 13:01

      I’m glad to hear that, thank you for leaving the comment!

  • Reply
    Laura
    28 March 2022 at 01:09

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!

  • Leave a Reply

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