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Which Apples Are Best for Making an Apple Tart?
There are so many varieties of baking apples, you may want to experiment to find your favorite one to use in this apple tart recipe.
The best apples for baking should have a good balance of sweet and tart flavors. You can even use two types of apples together to create a good sweet-tart balance.
The flesh should be firm. Apples with soft flesh do not hold up well in baking. This is especially important when you make a rustic fruit tart like this one because the apples will be on display.
Common apple varieties that are popular with bakers, and are usually available all year long include:
- Honeycrisp
- Granny Smith
- Golden Delicious
- Cortland
- Gala
- Jonagold
How Should a Fruit Tart Be Stored?
It doesn’t matter if it’s a fruit tart with apples or a different fruit, allow it to cool completely, Then, cover it loosely with foil or plastic wrap.
For the best texture and flavor, store your fruit tart at room temperature. It will keep well that way for up to 24 hours.
You can also store it in the refrigerator, loosely covered in foil or plastic wrap, for up to three days.
Serving Suggestions for Apple Tart
Desserts like this homemade tart with apples always look impressive and showcase the beauty of fruit. To maximize the beauty, serve it on a glass platter or cake stand.
Some people prefer to eat a fruit dessert like apple tart without anything extra on top. As a result, the apple flavor really shines.
You can also serve the apple tart at room temperature with some whipped cream on top. Or if you prefer, warm it slightly; either way, it’s delicious.
If you decide to serve it warm, consider adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce on top.
This recipe is sourced from Food and Wine and the editors are right. The pie crust is absolute perfection, producing the flakiest, easiest, buttery and the best pie crust ever!
How Many Calories per Serving?
This apple tart recipe has 471 calories per serving.
What to Serve with This Recipe?
For an afternoon tea party, I recommend the following recipes.
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Apple Tart Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz. unsalted butter ( divided (6 ounces cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and 2 tablespoons melted))
- 1/3 cup ice water
- 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 large apples (cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices)
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves melted and strained
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt and butter on low speed for 2 minutes, slowly add ice water until the dough becomes a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disk. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 16- to 17-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Line a large unrimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it onto the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and sprinkle over the dough. Arrange the apple slices on top in overlapping concentric circles to within 3 inches of the edge. Fold the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion.
- Brush the apples with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar. Refrigerate the unbaked tart until slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (207°C). Bake the apple tart in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and golden and the crust is deep golden and cooked through. Brush the apples with the melted preserves. Slide the parchment onto a wire rack and let the tart cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I have made this tart so many times, usually a gift to take someone. Super easy to make and everyone loves it. I grate the butter into the flour and then just cut through with a butter knife. Add ice water and mix together with the knife. Roll it out between two parchment papers dusted with a little flour. I have used apricots, peaches and plums cut in half or quarters facing up so the pastry doesn’t get soggy. Love this recipe 🥰
Hi Michelle, thank you for your lovely comment.
Instead of flour I used phyllo pastry and honey butter between sheets as a base. Cinammon in the base too. It’s really good
Love the recipe. It lasted about 2 hours and was gone. Easy and delicious. I had to search for your recipe after I made, now, I have it saved and printed.
😊👍
What kind of apples?
Is it best to refrigerate the dough before rolling it out?
No just follow the recipe.
where in the recipe do I incorporate the apricot preserves? Recipe doesn’t say!
Hi Kristina, it’s the last part of the recipe. Just brush the preserves on top of the apple after they are done. :)
In a small pot I heat the preserves and smash the lumps a bit if needed then I brush the preserves on the apples after the tart is baked and still warm but not hot .
Most preserves has some lumps in it these I press against the side of the bot with the back of the spoon .
I made a preserve glaze many times , used it on cakes and apple pies and tarts , used mostly Apricots Jam .
Is there a work around if you don’t have a stand mixer?
Just use your hands to knead the dough.
I can’t count the times I did this Rustic apple tart, everybody loves it, the dough is so flaky and delicious , I stopped making apple pies, this is so easy and fast, and like I said everyone loves it.
Just don’t work the dough a lot, like the recipe said, knead about 2 or 3 times.
Hi Rita, I agree, this is the best apple tart ever. Who needs apple pie, this is 100x better. ;)
Wow!! I will Try!
This is the second time I️ made this and it is so delicious! I️ used blackberry jam because I️ didn’t have apricot and coconut palm sugar instead of whit that’s why it’s so dark. Thanks for sharing.