Food innovation is important in preserving cultural identity while adopting modern consumer preferences and environmentally safe concerns. This study developed and evaluated a unique Filipino dessert the papaya tart using unripe papaya as its filling. The innovation aimed to reduce fruit waste, focuses nutritional benefits, and create chances for entrepreneurship. A developmental research design was employed. Sixty (60) Grade 11 Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) students in Sta. Clara Integrated National High School were purposively selected as respondents due to their background in cookery and pastry production. Data were collected through validated self-made questionnaire evaluating sensory qualities such as color, aroma, taste and texture packaging and marketability was analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, ranking and one-way ANOVA. Results showed that papaya tarts were highly acceptable across sensory qualities, packaging and marketability indicators. Sample 1 constantly obtained the highest ratings, particularly in taste and packaging, making it the most suggesting for large-scale production. Overall, the results emphasize that papaya tarts can serve as acceptable food innovation, cultural fusion, consumer appeal and business instinct. The test of difference shown no significant differences among the three samples in terms of sensory qualities, packaging and marketability, showing that all formulations were statistically equivalent in general acceptability and equally viable for consumer preference.