True story: I lost a lot of sleep over this recipe. I tossed and turned trying to figure out how to make a gorgeous but easy apple tart that's worthy of your Thanksgiving table (or any fall dessert spread). After rounds and rounds of testing, and with the help of many people on the Delish team, I finally did it. Keep reading on to discover just what makes this classic apple tart so special, and all the top tips to ace it yourself:
The crust.
The best part about this recipe? You don’t need to roll out the crust, or chill it! Inspired by the good ol’ graham cracker crust, it's a simple stir-and-press mixture that uses a lot of melted butter. Instead of graham crackers, you use all-purpose flour in this simple crust. The results are way more delicate and not as sweet as a shortbread shell, but provides the perfect base for our apples.
The best apples for an apple tart:
We’re partial to Granny Smith, Honeycrip, and Gala, but you can really use any baking apple that you prefer in this recipe! Use one variety, or a couple to really mix it up and keep things interesting. Need some help deciding? Consult our list on all of the different types of apples, and how to use them.
How to bake an apple tart:
In a classic French recipe, you're supposed to cook down an apple compote to go on top of the crust and under the spiral of apples. Not here. We skipped the sauce completely and macerated the slices in brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla to make sure they got nice and jammy in the oven.
Creating the design.
It’s surprisingly easy to make—promise! All you need to do is stack a dozen or so slices together tightly, then place them over the crust cut side-down, shingled slightly. If the thought still makes your brain hurt, you don't need to do anything fancy. You can just scatter them on top.
Have you made this recipe? Let us know how you liked it in the comments below.
Editor's Note: This recipe was modified slightly on August 13, 2021.
- Yields:
- 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 20 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
For the filling
- 5
apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/3 c.
packed brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
For the crust
- 1 1/3 c.
all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c.
packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 10 Tbsp.
butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp.
granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp.
butter, cut into small cubes
Melted apricot preserves
Directions
- Step1Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, toss apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt together.
- Step2In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir until dough forms. Press mixture into a 10” or 11” tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing until dough is smooth.
- Step3Arrange apples over crust, sprinkle with granulated sugar and dot top withbutter. Bake until crust is golden and apples are tender, about 1 hour.
- Step4Brush with melted apricot preserves and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
