Puff Pastry Apple Tart

Create a delicious and simple puff pastry apple tart, just as tasty as my rustic apple galette, in no time at all. Enjoy this easy homemade fall dessert, combining a flaky puff pastry crust with applesauce and thin apple slices.

Dive into apple season with this easy, no-pan-needed Puff Pastry Apple Tart recipe. It's a simple, comforting treat that's both cozy for autumn and impressively delicious! With its flaky crust and sweet, soft apples, it's a must-try fall delight

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this tart
• More Apple Tart Recipes
• Ingredients you need
• Best apples to use for a baked apple tart? 
• How to make Apple puff pastry galette
• Serving Suggestions
• Tip for this recipe
• Storage and freezing
• How to freeze an apple tart?
• Recipe Variations
• More Apple Desserts
• Puff Pastry Apple Tart

Why you'll love this tart

Enjoy this easy puff pastry apple tart made with just three main ingredients: flaky puff pastry, smooth apple sauce, and thin apple slices. It's a quick and tasty alternative to traditional French apple tart that usually uses shortcrust pastry, making it a simple yet yummy dessert.

As a French pastry chef who adores homemade puff pastry, I highly encourage you to try making it yourself using my classic French puff pastry recipe, this inverted puff pastry chef’s version, or even this quick rough puff pastry method.

You'll find that homemade versions are incomparably more flaky, light, and flavorful than store-bought puff pastry.

But as a mom of 4, I understand the effort it takes to make puff pastry from scratch. So, don't feel guilty if you opt for ready-made or frozen puff pastry; your recipe will still turn out fabulous.

Enjoy the effortless delight of my apple tart with puff pastry recipe, where seasonal apples meet a buttery flaky crust. Also adaptable as mini tarts, this simple, yet flawless dessert offers a burst of delectable and versatile sweetness.

More Apple Tart Recipes

Ingredients you need

*You will find the quantities and complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the page.

• Puff pastry dough: Utilize either my homemade puff pastry recipe for an extra special touch or opt for a convenient store-bought puff pastry sheet version to save on time.
• Apple sauce: Homemade apple compote or store-bought applesauce works; if making your own, blend cooked apples until smooth, adding a bit of cinnamon or lemon juice for extra flavor.
• Sugar: Opt for sprinkling cane sugar on top before baking to add a lovely, sweet crust to the apple slices.
• Sliced Apples: Choose baking apples that hold their shape and offer a balance of sweet and tart, like Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp apples, Gala apples, golden delicious, thinly sliced to ensure they cook evenly and caramelize beautifully.

Best apples to use for a baked apple tart? 

Choosing the right apple for your baked tart is really important to make sure it tastes good and has a yummy texture after baking. A lot of people like using Granny Smith apples because they're tart and keep their shape when baked.

Fuji and Honeycrisp apples are sweeter but also work well in the oven. Braeburn and Pink Lady apples are good too because they're sweet but not too sweet and don’t get too mushy when baked. 

You can also use Gala apples; they’re sweet and hold up well when baked, especially if you mix them with a more tart apple to get the sweetness just right.

Leaving the apple skin on is optional; it adds color, texture, and nutritional value, and saves prep time. However, peeling the apples can yield a softer, more melt-in-the-mouth texture for the tart.

How to make Apple puff pastry galette

Roll out the pastry sheet

• Set up a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
• Roll out a sheet of puff pastry dough into a large rectangle to a thickness of 3 mm on a lightly floured surface and cut straight edges with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.
• Place a layer of applesauce in the center, leaving a small border of dough

Add apples

• Cut the apples into quarters, remove the center, then cut into thin slices
• Top of the apples on top of the puff pastry sheet over the apple filling, arranging them to make a pretty decoration. 
• Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the whole apple tart.

Baking

• Preheat oven to 357°F / 180°C.
• Place your apple tart in the oven and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are well softened.
• Let your apple tart cool completely and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce

Serving Suggestions

Pairing your puff pastry apple tart with these serving suggestions can elevate the dish, making it even more enjoyable and satisfying for your guests!

• Caramel Drizzle: Add a generous drizzle of homemade salted butter caramel or store-bought caramel sauce on the baked apples for a lusciously sweet addition.
• Vanilla Ice Cream: Serve a slice of apple tart with scoops of vanilla ice cream, allowing it to slowly melt over the warm pastry.
• Whipped Cream: A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on the side or atop the apple tart adds a delightful, creamy element.
• Fresh Berries: A scattering of fresh berries on the side of the plate provides a refreshing, tart counterpoint to the sweetness of the apple tart.
• A dusting of Powdered Sugar: A light dusting of powdered sugar right before serving adds a touch of extra sweetness and a decorative flair.

Tip for this recipe

Choose the Right Apples: Opt for firm and slightly tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp to hold their shape during baking and provide a balanced flavor.

Sugar Syrup or Apricot Glaze: Create a sugar syrup by combining equal parts of water and granulated sugar in a saucepan, heating over medium for about 5 minutes until syrupy. Alternatively, gently warm apricot jam until it becomes easily spreadable. Brushing either the sugar syrup or warmed apricot jam over your pastry will impart a beautiful, glossy finish and add an extra layer of sweetness to your tart.

Thin and Uniform Apple Slices: Ensure that your apple slices are thin and uniform to promote even cooking. Using a mandoline slicer can assist in achieving consistently thin slices.

Chill Before Baking: Placing your assembled tart in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before baking helps the pastry to puff beautifully, maintaining a flaky texture.

Artistic Apple Arrangement: For an aesthetically pleasing tart, arrange your apple slices in a row, alternating the direction of the apples with each row. This method doesn’t just enhance the visual appeal but also ensures an even distribution of apples in every bite, balancing the flavors and textures beautifully.

Egg wash: (optionally) Brush your puff pastry apple tart with an egg wash (a beaten egg mixed with a splash of water or milk) before baking to achieve a beautiful, golden-brown, and glossy finish.

Storage and freezing

How to store: Store the apple puff pastry tart in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to five days, reheating briefly in the oven for a crisp crust before serving.

How to freeze an apple tart?

To freeze an apple puff pastry tart, allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Place it in an airtight container or a resealable plastic freezer bag and store in the freezer, ensuring it lays flat, for up to three months for optimal freshness.

To defrost, transfer the tart to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. For a crisp crust, you may reheat it in a warm oven for a few minutes before serving

Recipe Variations

• Rustic apple tart : Prepare a galette version on shortcrust pastry like this recipe for rustic apple tart or this strawberry galette.
• Nutty Crunch: Scatter a handful of chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds) over the apples for an added crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
• Cranberry Contrast: Dot the apples with fresh or dried cranberries to introduce a tart contrast to the sweet apples.
• Apple Pie Spice: Mix in some apple pie spice or spiced cinnamon sugar with your sliced apples in a large bowl for that classic, comforting fall flavor.
• Vanilla Glaze: Drizzle a simple vanilla glaze (made from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract) over the baked tart for a sweet, glossy finish.
• Pastry Lattice: Create a lattice design with thin strips of puff pastry atop the apples for a decorative and delightful crispy topping like my American apple pie recipe.
• Almond cream: Spread a thin layer of almond cream filling beneath the apples for a luxurious, nutty undertone like an apple almond frangipane tart.

More Apple Desserts

Did You Make This Recipe?

Don't forget to rate it and leave me a review in comments! And to not miss any recipes follow @sweetlycakes on Instagram and tag me to share it if you make this recipe 😊!

Print