Brown Butter Peach Tart

If there is one dessert that truly captures the feeling of summer, it is a peach tart. And this brown butter peach tart is the version I have been making on repeat every July and August for the past few years. The combination of a crisp buttery shortbread crust, a rich nutty brown butter almond filling, and sweet juicy peaches fanned out on top is absolutely stunning and the flavor is even better than it looks. I promise you this will become your signature summer dessert.

Brown butter is the real magic here. When you cook butter past the melted stage until it turns golden and nutty, something incredible happens. It develops this deep caramel-like richness that tastes like toasted hazelnuts and toffee and it elevates everything it touches. In this tart filling the brown butter pairs with almond flour to create a frangipane-style base that is impossibly good under those jammy roasted peaches.

Brown Butter Peach Tart

A stunning summer tart with a buttery shortbread crust, a nutty brown butter almond filling, and sliced fresh peaches fanned on top. Impressive enough for company but totally achievable on a weekend afternoon.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.25 cups all-purpose flour for crust
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar for crust
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes, for crust
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter for brown butter filling
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large ripe peaches pitted and sliced thin
• 2 tbsp apricot jam for glaze, warmed

Method

 

1. Make the crust: pulse flour, powdered sugar, and cold butter in a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly and evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Blind bake the crust with parchment and pie weights for 12 minutes, then remove weights and bake another 5 minutes until just set. Cool slightly.
3. Brown the butter: melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it turns golden and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and cool 10 minutes.
4. Whisk sugar into brown butter, then whisk in eggs one at a time. Stir in almond flour and vanilla.
5. Pour filling into the par-baked crust. Arrange peach slices in overlapping circles on top.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until filling is set and golden and peaches are soft.
7. Brush warm apricot glaze over the peaches. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

Brown butter adds a deep nutty caramel-like flavor that takes this tart from good to extraordinary. Watch it carefully as it goes from golden to burnt quickly. Let the tart cool completely before slicing for clean cuts.

How to Brown Butter Without Burning It

This is the step that intimidates people but I promise it is simple if you pay attention. Use a light-colored or stainless steel saucepan so you can actually see the color of the butter as it changes. Keep the heat at medium and stir it frequently. It will foam, then the foam will subside, and then you will start to see little golden brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan. The moment you smell that nutty toasty aroma, pull it off the heat and pour it immediately into a bowl. The residual heat of the pan can take it from perfect to burnt in seconds, so do not walk away.

Choosing and Slicing Your Peaches

Ripe but firm peaches are your best bet here. You want them sweet and fragrant but firm enough to hold their shape when sliced and arranged. I like to slice them about a quarter inch thick and fan them out in overlapping circles starting from the outer edge and working inward. It looks incredibly professional and takes maybe two minutes. A little apricot jam glaze brushed over the peaches right when the tart comes out of the oven gives them this gorgeous glossy finish that looks like something from a French patisserie window.

A good 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom is a worthwhile investment if you do not already have one. It makes getting the tart out and presenting it so much easier and the fluted edges give it that classic beautiful look. I also love having a good silicone pastry brush for applying the apricot glaze evenly without disturbing the peach arrangement.

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Serving and Storing

Let the tart cool completely before slicing so the filling has time to set and you get those clean beautiful cuts. A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream alongside each slice is absolutely wonderful, or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream if you want to make it extra special. This tart stores beautifully covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. It is honestly just as gorgeous the next day and the flavors get even deeper overnight. Whether you bring it to a summer party or make it just for your family on a Sunday, this brown butter peach tart is a summer memory in the making. xo, Pam