Upside-Down Mushroom Tarts

Plant-based upside-down mushroom tarts combine savory balsamic mushrooms and a cheesy white bean spread for a super easy, flavorful, and satisfying handheld appetizer. (soy-free and nut-free with easy gluten-free option. 10g protein and 5g fiber per serving)

These mushroom tarts come together quickly. They look so fancy, but they take much less effort than making a whole tart, because you don’t need to cook the mushrooms beforehand, nor does the cheese mixture need to be cooked. They all just get mixed in a bowl, layered together, and then you put the pastry on top and bake.

Upside down tarts have been trending, so I decided to make a version with mushrooms, onion, garlic, and balsamic. I top them with this creamy white bean spread, which will be our cheese substitute, like a Brie and Camembert sub. We’re making a white bean cheesy spread, layering them, and then baking them. They just come out so fabulously!

These tarts are easy, they come together quickly, and they are handheld. That means they make a great appetizer. You won’t need to have more dishes out for appetizers, because guests can just pick them up. 

Upside-down mushroom tarts don’t need any extra cooking steps, which also means there is less time needed in the kitchen and less standing around. You can make the bean spread beforehand and slice up the mushrooms and onions and keep them all beforehand, then assemble and bake when needed.

I like to serve these with some of the white bean cheese mix or spread left after making the tart. That creamy cheesiness is great with the crisp mushroom tart.

You can also top it with the cheese spread and a little bit of spiced maple, kind of like a hot honey situation. That’s a great balance with the savoriness. But if you like it entirely savory, that is also ultra delicious by itself.

Why You’ll Love Upside-Down Mushroom Tarts

• savory mushroom-garlic-balsamic filling
• creamy, cheesy white bean layer
• Easy hand held appetizer. No extra bowls and plates!
• No pre-cooking the fillings. Everything cooks together in the oven.

Ingredients

• white beans – This is the base for the cheesy layer. You can use any kind of canned or homemade white beans you like such as cannellini, northern, navy beans
• miso and nutritional yeast – Gives those creamy mashed beans a great cheesy flavor.
• lemon – We are using lemon zest and lemon juice for great flavor and tang.
• non-dairy yogurt – Or other creamy, non-dairy cream, or vegan cream cheese. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free or omit, if needed.
• vegan cheese shreds – Such as mozzarella or parmesan. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free, if needed. These can be omitted .
• mushrooms – Use sliced mushrooms of choice.
• aromatics – Sliced onion and garlic add tons of umami and flavor to the mushroom tart filling!
• olive oil – Adds moisture and gives the mushrooms a great texture as they bake.
• balsamic vinegar – Adds sweetness, flavor, and tang to the mushrooms.
• thyme – Fresh or dried is fine to use.
• puff pastry – Use gluten-free, if needed, or use a gluten-free pie crust instead of puss pastry.
• pastry wash – This is just a mixture of non-dairy milk and maple syrup. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free non-dairy milk, if needed.
• hot maple – This is a mix of maple syrup and either Aleppo pepper flakes or crushed red pepper flakes. This pairs well with the savory tart

How to Make Mushroom Tarts

Thaw the puff pastry while you prep the ingredients.

Drain the beans and add them to a plate or shallow bowl. Mash them really well. Add the rest of the bean spread ingredients, and mash and mix until the mixture is homogeneous. Taste and adjust flavor, and add some salt, if needed. You can also add some oregano or Italian herbs and mix them in. Set this aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205° C). 

Chop the mushrooms and onions, if you haven’t already. I like to slice the onions and then chop them either into halves or thirds so that the slice of the onion matches the size of the mushrooms that you’re using. Add these to a bowl, add in the rest of the mushroom filling ingredients, and toss them to coat. Set the mushroom mixture aside.

Make the pastry wash by mixing the maple syrup and non-dairy milk, then set that aside.

Open up the thawed puff pastry, and roll it out a little bit if needed, depending on the kind of pastry you have. If it’s pre-rolled, then you don’t need to roll it out. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pastry sheet into 3-inch or 4-inch squares or rectangles.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment. On the baking sheet, take 3 to 4 tablespoons of the mushroom-onion mixture and put it on the baking sheet and spread it evenly. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cheesy white bean spread onto one of the puff pastry squares.

Place the puff pastry spread-side-down onto the mushrooms, and then use a fork to press the puff pastry sheet onto the baking sheet, as if you’re sealing it like a hand pie. Repeat this for all the cut puff pastry squares.

Brush the puff pastry with the pastry wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on your baking sheet and the oven. Once the top of the puff pastry is evenly golden, take the puff pastry sheet out of the oven. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.

While the tarts bake, mix together the hot maple ingredients  in a small bowl, and set that aside.

Then, use a spatula to flip these hand pies. If the mushrooms and onions haven’t caramelized enough, you can put these back in the oven in the flipped position, where the mushrooms and onions are exposed to the oven. Bake them for 5 to 10 minutes until they start to turn golden. Then remove the pies from the oven and serve them as you like.

What to Serve with Mushrooms Tarts

I like to serve these with the remaining white bean spread on the side, along with the hot maple. People can drizzle either of these over the tart, or they can just scoop some of the dip onto the tart before eating along with the hot maple syrup. It’s just incredibly delicious any which way.

These upside-down mushroom tarts are great as part of an appetizer spread with other festive starters, like my holiday cheese log, vegan French onion dip, or my stuffing cheese ball.