Discover a rustic French apple tart featuring a buttery crust and a rich caramel topping. Tart apples mingle with lemon and vanilla accents, creating layers of tang and sweetness. Cinnamon adds warmth to this enchanting dessert, where every bite delivers harmony and balance of flavors for a memorable treat.
I’ve been playing around with a Rustic French Apple Tart recipe lately and its become one of my favorites to make. I start by mixing 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour with 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt.
Then I cut in 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter into small cubes and slowly add 3-4 tablespoons of ice cold water until the dough forms. For the filling, I use 3 large tart apples, sliced thinly and arranged over the dough.
The apples are caramelized using a mix of 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter along with the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a splash of 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon if you like that extra kick. This tart gives a good balance of sweet and tart with nutritional benefits from the apples and is a modern twist on traditional French apple desserts.
Why I Like this Recipe
1. I love how the crust comes out so flaky and buttery even though its super simple to make. There’s just something really satisfying about working the dough with your own hands—even if it doesnt turn out perfect everytime.
2. The way the caramel sauce mixes with the tart apples is seriously a game changer. The sweetness and slight tang from the lemon just makes every bite feel like a little bit of heaven.
3. I really like that I can add extra cinnamon if I’m feeling a bit adventurous. It gives the tart a spicy kick that makes it feel less ordinary and more like something I actually created.
4. Making this recipe always makes me feel proud because it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or techniques. Its the kind of dessert where even with my own little mistakes, the end result is still super delicious.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour: provides carbs for energy and structure, making dough extra tender.
- Cold unsalted butter: gives rich flavor and binds ingredients for a flaky pastry taste.
- Tart apples: they’re loaded with fiber and vitamins, adding a crisp, tangy, sweet burst.
- Sugar: adds sweetness and helps form a gorgeous caramel topping on the tart.
- Lemon juice: offers a bright tang that balances sweetness and boosts fruit flavor.
- Vanilla extract: deepens flavor with a warm aroma, rounding out the tart taste nicely.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
- 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water (add gradually)
- A pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup sugar (mix into the dough)
- 3 large tart apples (like Granny Smith or Braeburn), cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar (for making the caramel)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for caramelizing the apples)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but adds a nice kick)
How to Make this
1. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Add the 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubes and work it in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it looks a bit crumbly.
2. Gradually add 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water, mix it gently until a dough forms. Try not to overwork it.
3. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so it firms up.
4. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 375°F.
5. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough circle and then press it into a tart pan making sure the edges are even.
6. In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat then stir in 1/2 cup sugar. Allow it to simmer lightly to make a simple caramel sauce.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
8. Lay the thinly sliced apples evenly over the prepared tart base and spoon the caramel sauce over the top. If you like a little extra spice, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon over the apples.
9. Place the tart in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden and the apple slices have softened and caramelized a bit.
10. Remove the tart from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, then serve it warm and enjoy your rustic French apple tart!
Equipment Needed
1. Large mixing bowl – for combining the dry ingredients and butter
2. Measuring cups and spoons – to accurately measure out flour, sugar, and water
3. Pastry cutter or a fork – used to blend the cold butter into the flour mixture until crumbly
4. Plastic wrap – to securely wrap the dough and allow it to chill
5. Rolling pin – for rolling out the dough on a lightly floured surface
6. Tart pan – to shape the dough and bake the tart evenly
7. Knife and cutting board – for dicing butter and slicing apples
8. Small saucepan – to melt butter and make the caramel sauce
9. Whisk – for mixing in the lemon juice and vanilla extract with the caramel
10. Oven – preheated to 375°F for baking the tart
11. Spatula – to gently mix and later transfer the caramel sauce over the apples
FAQ
Apple Tart Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- All purpose flour can be switched with whole wheat flour or a gluten free blend if you prefer a healthier twist – note that you might need to adjust the liquid a little bit.
- If you don’t have cold unsalted butter, try using an equal amount of margarine or coconut oil. These won’t melt exactly the same, but they’ll do the trick.
- You can replace tart apples like Granny Smith with firm apples such as Fuji or Gala. They might be a little sweeter so you might need to adjust the sugar content.
- Instead of white sugar for the caramel, feel free to use brown sugar for a richer flavor or a small mix of honey and maple syrup for a unique taste.
Pro Tips
1. Make sure your butter is really cold before you start mixing it in the flour because if it starts to melt you could end up with a mushy crust – using ice cold water helps a lot too.
2. Be careful not to overwork your dough once its mixed; try to mix just enough to get everything combined so you end up with a nice, flaky texture.
3. When you’re cooking the caramel, keep a close eye on it and stir constantly so it doesn’t burn or turn bitter; it only takes a minute for things to go sideways.
4. Try to slice your apples as evenly as possible so they all cook the same—uneven slices might mean some pieces are undercooked while others get too soft.
Apple Tart Recipe
My favorite Apple Tart Recipe
Equipment Needed:
1. Large mixing bowl – for combining the dry ingredients and butter
2. Measuring cups and spoons – to accurately measure out flour, sugar, and water
3. Pastry cutter or a fork – used to blend the cold butter into the flour mixture until crumbly
4. Plastic wrap – to securely wrap the dough and allow it to chill
5. Rolling pin – for rolling out the dough on a lightly floured surface
6. Tart pan – to shape the dough and bake the tart evenly
7. Knife and cutting board – for dicing butter and slicing apples
8. Small saucepan – to melt butter and make the caramel sauce
9. Whisk – for mixing in the lemon juice and vanilla extract with the caramel
10. Oven – preheated to 375°F for baking the tart
11. Spatula – to gently mix and later transfer the caramel sauce over the apples
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
- 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water (add gradually)
- A pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup sugar (mix into the dough)
- 3 large tart apples (like Granny Smith or Braeburn), cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar (for making the caramel)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for caramelizing the apples)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but adds a nice kick)
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Add the 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubes and work it in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it looks a bit crumbly.
2. Gradually add 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water, mix it gently until a dough forms. Try not to overwork it.
3. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so it firms up.
4. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 375°F.
5. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough circle and then press it into a tart pan making sure the edges are even.
6. In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat then stir in 1/2 cup sugar. Allow it to simmer lightly to make a simple caramel sauce.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
8. Lay the thinly sliced apples evenly over the prepared tart base and spoon the caramel sauce over the top. If you like a little extra spice, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon over the apples.
9. Place the tart in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden and the apple slices have softened and caramelized a bit.
10. Remove the tart from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, then serve it warm and enjoy your rustic French apple tart!
