Here's the perfect way to welcome apple season to your kitchen. This Rustic French Apple Tart features a thin, flaky crust topped with tender apples glazed in a cinnamon-scented jam.
You know it's fall in Paris when the bakeries start displaying their Tarte Fine aux Pommes in the front window. This classic French dessert translates to "Thin Apple Tart."
It's simplicity is its genius. Thinly sliced apples arranged on a shatteringly crisp pastry crust, often accompanied by a light apricot glaze or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
For our quick and easy version, store-bought puff pastry makes this recipe a breeze. The crust bakes up to a flaky perfection, and the payoff is light dessert that is equal parts cozy and sophisticated.
Ingredients you need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step instructions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Puff pastry: store-bought puff pastry is a lovely shortcut for French desserts, and this rustic apple tart is the perfect place for it. If you're determined to make your own from scratch, here's a great homemade puff pastry recipe.
Apples: Pink Lady Apples are my preference for this French pastry, but you have some flexibility. Just avoid Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious and McIntosh, which will get too soft when baked.
Jam: we use just a few tablespoons of warm apricot jam to dress the top of our baked crust with a little sweetness and glossy shine. Substitute peach, apple, or your favorite fruit jam.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Prepare puff pastry
To begin, preheat oven to 400℉. Unroll 14-inch circle of puff pastry. Cover a baking pan with a piece of parchment paper, then place dough on top. If your puff pastry came in a rectangular sheet, just use a large plate as a guide to cut into a circle.
Sprinkle the pastry round with 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
2. Slice and fan apples
Peel apples and cut into very thin slices, using a mandolin or a sharp knife. (If you're concerned about the apples starting to brown while they wait for baking, fill a small bowl with cold water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Let the sliced apples stay in the water until ready to arrange on the crust and bake. Just be sure to dry the apples very well.)
Arrange slices of apple in concentric circles on the puff pastry pie crust, leaving a small ¼ inch border around the edges of the puff pastry.
Gently brush melted butter over the apple slices and the edges of the dough showing.
3. Bake apple tart
Sprinkle sugar over assembled tart (the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar).
Transfer to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the apples are bubbly and deeply browned in areas.
3. Brush with jam and cinnamon
Remove from the oven. Heat apricot jam and a little cinnamon (if using) with a tablespoon of water until thinned and spreadable. Strain the jam to remove the chunks of fruit.
Use a pastry brush to spread the cinnamon scented apricot glaze over the apples and crust.
4. Serve while warm
Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Delicious with a spoonful of homemade whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or just with a fork on a plate!
Need more holiday desserts in your life?
- German Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry
- Norwegian Potato Lefse
- Pistachio Cookies with Orange, Cranberries and Dark Chocolate
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions for Tarte Fine aux Pommes:
You'll want to use apples that are firm and slightly tart for the best results. Popular choices in the United States include Pink Lady (my preference), Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn apples.
Aim for very thin slices, about ⅛-inch thick or even thinner. This will help them cook evenly and give your tart an elegant appearance.
You can prevent apple slices from browning by keeping them in water spiked with lemon juice, which adds a touch of flavor and acidity while slowing oxidation. Just be sure to dry the apple slices before adding to the tart.
No, you don't need to pre-cook the apples. They will soften and cook as the tart bakes in the oven.
While the traditional recipe includes just apples and a light glaze, I like to add cinnamon to the glaze for warmth. You could experiment with nutmeg, ginger or a drizzle of caramel when serving for added complexity.
Serve your Tarte Fine aux Pommes warm or at room temperature. European desserts like this one are often enjoyed simply, without any adornment. But you can also pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a luxurious dessert. Adding a drizzle of caramel or serving with salted caramel ice cream would be a lovely touch, as well.
This tart is best served shortly after baking. However, you can prepare the tart in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat it in the oven for a few minutes before serving to restore its crispness.
To reheat your leftover tart, place it in a preheated oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until it's warm and crispy again.
Store leftover apple tart in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Rustic French Apple Tart Recipe (Tarte Fine aux Pommes)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
1 14-inch round of puff pastry
2-3 Pink Lady apples (or your favorite baking apple)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons apricot jam
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Unroll 14-inch circle of puff pastry and lay it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon all purpose flour and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
- Peel apples and cut into very thin slices. Use a mandolin or a sharp knife. Arrange thinly sliced apples in concentric circles on the dough round, leaving a small ¼ inch border around the edges.
- Gently brush the melted butter over the apple slices. Sprinkle assembled tart with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Transfer to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the apples are bubbly and deeply browned in areas.
- Remove from the oven. Heat apricot jam and cinnamon with a tablespoon of water until thinned and spreadable. Strain the jam to remove the chunks of fruit.
- Use a pastry brush to spread the cinnamon apricot glaze over the apples and crust. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Delicious with lightly seasoned whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or just with a fork on a plate!
Notes
Choose apples that are firm and slightly tart for best results. Popular choices in the United States include Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn apples. Avoid Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious and McIntosh.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French
Lisa
This was delicious! A last minute addition to our holiday dessert table, and it was the first to be finished. Warm out of the oven, it was gobbled up with ice cream in about 4 minutes. This one will be a regular at our house!
Christina Jolam
Love to hear this, Lisa! 4 minutes might be a new record for this recipe 😉 Thanks so much for coming back to leave a helpful review!