French Apple Tart
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With a buttery, flaky crust and sweet, cinnamon-spiced apples, this apple tart is simple, delicious, and full of rustic French charm.
When you think of French desserts, you might imagine rows of colorful macarons and glossy fruit tarts in a Parisian pastry shop. But at home, the French tend to keep it simple. This rustic apple tart is the perfect example—like an apple pie without the pan, it has a buttery, flaky crust and cinnamon-spiced apples. Can’t you just picture it cooling on a windowsill in the French countryside?
It making homemade pastry feels intimidating, don’t stress! This dough is a breeze to make in the food processor and rolls out like a dream. The best part? With a free-form tart, there’s no need to fuss with crimping it into a pie plate; you just fold the dough over the fruit. The charm of this dessert is in its rustic, imperfect look. And there are endless variations too—like my plum galette, which swaps apples for juicy, sweet plums.
“This is officially on the holiday dessert starting line up! I can’t stop going back for another bite! I truly love, love, love this tart.”
What you’ll need to make a french apple tart
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the crust and provides structure to the dough and tart.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of both the crust and filling.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the crust and filling, balancing the tartness of the apples.
- Butter: Makes the crust rich and flaky while also adding flavor to the filling.
- Very cold water: Helps bind the dough together while keeping the butter cold for a flaky crust.
- Baking apples: Lend a sweet-tart flavor and hold their shape when baked. Use varieties like Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Fuji, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious—and use a mix of different apples for the best flavor. Heads up: it can be tempting to load up the tart with extra apples, but less is more here—the apples release quite a bit of juice, which can leak from the tart and make a mess of the crust and your oven.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and enhances the sweetness in the apple filling.
- Cinnamon: Adds a warm, spicy flavor to the filling, complementing the apples.
- Melted butter: Adds richness to the apple filling and helps the cinnamon and sugar adhere to the apples.
- Egg: Brushed onto the crust for a golden, glossy finish.
- Turbinado sugar: Sprinkled on the crust and apples for added sweetness and a crunchy texture.
- Apricot jelly or jam (optional): Used to glaze the apples, giving them a glossy finish and adding a subtle fruit flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Crust
Begin by making the pastry. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, salt and sugar.
Pulse briefly to combine, then add the pieces of cold butter.
Process just until the butter is the size of peas, about 5 seconds.
Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and process just until moistened and very crumbly, about 5 seconds.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
Knead a few times, just until it comes together into a cohesive ball.
Pat the dough into a disk.
Flour your work surface again and dust the dough with flour, as well. Using a rolling pin, roll into a circle 8 to 10 inches in diameter, turning and adding more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the filling (you’ll roll the dough out further on the parchment paper so go ahead and clean your work surface).
Step 2: Prepare the Filling
Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices (you should have about 4 cups) and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt.
Toss to combine.
Step 3: Assemble
Take the dough from the fridge and slide the parchment paper onto the countertop. Roll the dough, directly on the parchment paper, into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. It’s fine if the edges are a little ragged.
Place the parchment and dough back on the baking sheet – the pastry should curve up the lip of the pan.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour evenly over the pastry.
Arrange the apple slices on top in overlapping concentric circles to within 3 inches of the edge. Don’t worry about making it look perfect! It doesn’t make much difference in the end and you don’t want the dough to get too warm.
Fold the edges of the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion, working your way around and creating pleats as you go. Patch up any tears by pinching a bit of dough from the edge.
Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the turbinado sugar over the top crust and 1 tablespoon over the fruit. Then chill the assembled tart in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden and cooked through. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool. While the tart cools, make the optional glaze: mix the apricot jam with 1-1/2 teaspoons water in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave until bubbling, about 20 seconds. Then, using a pastry brush, brush the apples with the apricot syrup.
Use two large spatulas to transfer the tart to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. The tart is best served on the day it is made, but leftovers will keep, loosely covered on the countertop, for a few days.
Video Tutorial
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French Apple Tart
With a buttery, flaky crust and sweet, cinnamon-spiced apples, this apple tart is simple, delicious, and full of rustic French charm.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup very cold water
For the Filling
- 1¾ lbs baking apples (3 large) (see note)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For Assembling & Baking
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1 tablespoon apricot jelly or jam, optional for glaze
Instructions
- Make the crust: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the cold butter and process just until the butter is the size of peas, about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and process just until moistened and very crumbly, about 5 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times, just until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Pat the dough into a disk. Flour your work surface again and dust the dough with flour, as well. Using a rolling pin, roll into a circle 8 to 10 inches in diameter, turning and adding more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the filling (you’ll roll the dough out further on the parchment paper so go ahead and clean your work surface).
- Make the Filling: Peel, core, and cut the apples into ⅛-inch-thick slices (you should have about 4 cups) and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt; toss to combine.
- Take the dough from the fridge and slide the parchment paper onto the countertop. Roll the dough, directly on the parchment paper, into a 14-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick. It’s fine if the edges are a little ragged. Place the parchment and dough back on the baking sheet – the pastry should curve up the lip of the pan.
- Assemble the tart: Sprinkle the flour evenly over the pastry. Arrange the apple slices on top in overlapping concentric circles to within 3 inches of the edge. Don’t worry about making it look perfect! It doesn’t make much difference in the end and you don’t want the dough to get too warm. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion, working your way around and creating pleats as you go. Patch up any tears by pinching a bit of dough from the edge.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the turbinado sugar over the top crust and 1 tablespoon over the fruit. Chill the assembled tart in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the center position.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden and cooked through. (It’s okay if some of the juices leak from the tart onto the pan. The juices will burn on the pan but the tart should be fine -- just scrape any burnt bits away from the tart once it’s baked.) Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool.
- While the tart cools, make the optional glaze. In a small bowl, mix the apricot jam with 1½ teaspoons water. Heat in the microwave until bubbling, about 20 seconds. Using a pastry brush, brush the apples with the apricot syrup.
- Use two large spatulas to transfer the tart to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. The tart is best served on the day it is made, but leftovers will keep, loosely covered on the countertop, for a few days.
- Note: Be sure to use baking apples that hold their shape when cooked, such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Fuji, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious. And use a mix of different varietals for the best flavor.
- Make Ahead: The dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes or until pliable before rolling.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The assembled tart may be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the tart is frozen, then wrap tightly. (Wait until right before baking the tart to brush the beaten egg and sprinkle the sugar onto the crust.) Bake directly from the freezer. (It may take a few extra minutes to bake from frozen.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 392
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Sugar: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 195 mg
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Delicious! I definitely appreciate the step by step directions with photos. There’s not one recipe I’ve made from you that hasn’t been 5 star. Thanks Jenn
Excellent – I’ve made this several times. It is definitely a go to dessert. It makes me look like I know what I’m doing!
Love both cookbooks and wrote reviews. I have made this tart several times and love it. I read the freezing comments but am wondering if I can assemble the tart early on the day of using, wrap it in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until I bake it later that evening? Will it get soggy? Or can I make the apple mix and put it in the fridge? Thanks for so many wonderful recipes and ideas!
Hi Cherry, so glad you like the cookbooks (and thank you for writing reviews)! 🙂
I would actually put it in the freezer if you want to assemble it earlier in the day. You can put it in the oven directly from the freezer.
I never comment on recipes but this is fantastic. I actually cheated and used a premade trader Joe crust and while I’m sure your pastry is that much better, the recipe is fantastic. So forgiving and easy and the perfect amount of sweetness.used a mix of Granny Smith and honey crisp. I love most of your recipes and this one was right up there!
I am just about to make this with Traders Joe’s pie crust! It’s the only one I use. Can’t wait!
Absolutely delicious. These minor adaptations: I had to add a few more drops of water to the crust, I reduced the sugar on the apples to a scant 1/4 cup (perfect!), and I used the jam I had open for the glaze (pear balsamic jam). Wonderful recipe that I will make again and again. One person said it was rapturous!
My wife had picked these unique apples up here in Maine, they look like smallish purple plums. Pink fleshed with nice acid/sweetness balance. Well, season is done but we still had a dozen to use. She worked today & I wanted to surprise her.
She is a Pastry Chef. While she can be generous she doesn’t like so/so pastry work. She really, really liked it & she had seconds. The crust really showed well.
Thank you for the recipe. It will be a regular dessert!
I’ve made this tart several times and it always turns out great! I really appreciate the detailed instructions and photos.
Novice baker dough question if making the crust ahead of time: do I refrigerate it in a ball, before rolling out? And can I refrigerate it overnight, or better to freeze it ? Thank you!
Hi Cindy, It’s fine to refrigerate it overnight (and I’d roll it into a ball). Hope that helps!
It’s perfect every time. I absolutely love this recipe!
Hi! I am looking forward to trying out this recipe. I was wondering if the ingredients for the crust was for a rough puff pastry? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, no, it’s not.
Loved it and easy to make. Perfect for fall weather.