Apple and Puff Pastry Tart (30 Min, 4 Ingredients)
“I made this tart using Granny Smith apples and it was delicious. I can’t believe how easy it was! My guests were impressed by its elegant appearance and I was happy with how quickly it came together!” Elaine
Whip up this apple and puff pastry tart for an impressive but simple dessert. All it takes are apples, puff pastry, butter, and brown sugar – ok, ice cream too 🙂 Just 4 ingredients, 7 minutes of prep, and 23 minutes to bake.
In about 30 minutes, you’ll be enjoying a warm, buttery, flaky, rich pastry with caramelized apples – the kind of dessert that tastes like you’ve been fussing for hours.
I adapted a Banana Tarte Tatin recipe from Epicurious, originally made as individual servings. I swapped in apples and made one larger tart in an 8 inch/20 cm pie plate.
(And yes, the banana tart version is excellent too).
What to expect
Think of this apple tart as a simplified French tarte tatin: apples baked under puff pastry, then flipped to reveal a glossy, caramelized apple topping on a crisp, buttery crust.
It’s rustic, pretty, and foolproof – just 4 ingredients, a dusting of flour, and 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s far more impressive that the effort you put in.
By comparison, Ina Garten’s classic French apple tart takes over 2 hours! Our version is a fraction of the work thanks to store-bought puff pastry – a huge time-saving shortcut – and still delicious.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Apples – Use any apples that hold their shape when baked, such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Jonagold, or Fuji. For a tart contrast to balance the brown sugar, go with Granny Smith.
- Puff pastry – Look for a package with two pre-rolled sheets (no rolling needed). For the best flavor, choose one labeled made with butter.
- Butter & brown sugar – These create the caramelized glaze. (See lower-calorie tips below.)
- Flour – A light sprinkle helps absorb juices, especially when using softer fruits.
Substitutions
- Lower calorie version: Reduce the butter and brown sugar a bit (see recipe notes). Just note: this tart will never be a low-calorie dessert!
- Fresh fruit swaps: Bananas, peaches, or pears work well. For a banana tart, use 2 bananas sliced diagonally (no flour needed). A peach tart benefits from a light flour dusting to absorb juices.
Variations
- Mini tarts: Bake in small 5-inch ramekins for individual servings.
- Flavor boosters: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg before or after baking. Or add some zip with a little orange zest grated over the apples once baked.
- Serving ideas: Pair with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar. For more decadence, try a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Step by step instructions
Tips
- Buy the right dough: Puff pastry dough is not the same thing as phyllo dough. Be sure to buy puff pastry dough!
- Double up: The tart is small, so you can easily make two with the second pastry sheet, or use a larger pie plate with a bit more butter, sugar, and apples. No need to measure exactly.
- Use cold dough: Cold dough is much easier to work with and gives the best rise. Don’t let it sit out too long. If it sticks, dust your work surface lightly with flour.
- Bake on a sheet pan (optional): Place the pie plate on a baking sheet to catch any drips of caramelized sugar as it bakes (saves on cleanup).
What to serve with the apple tart
Don’t skip the ice cream or whipped cream with the puff pastry apple tart. They are the perfect pairing with a tart served warm or at room temperature. If you want to get really decadent, try a drizzle of caramel sauce or maple syrup on the ice cream.
FAQs about puff pastry
Puff pastry is a light and flaky pastry make from butter, salt, water and flour. It alternates layers of butter and dough (which is why it tastes so good). Several brands use butter alternatives. Find puff pastry in the frozen section in grocery stores.
Yes. It takes about 40–50 minutes to defrost on the counter. Just don’t let it get too soft – cold dough is much easier to handle. If possible, thaw overnight in the fridge instead; the dough can stay there for up to a day. If the pastry becomes sticky, dust your work surface lightly with flour.
No. Phyllo dough is much thinner and requires a different preperation.
Yes, either assemble it ahead and bake it while eating dinner. Or make it a few hours ahead, let it sit at room temperature, then warm it in a 350F/176C oven for 5 minutes before serving.
More puff pastry recipes
- super easy potato knishes
- vegetable strudel recipe
- cinnamon puff pastry rolls
- mini apple pies with puff pastry
- skillet chicken pot pie (30 minutes)
- cheese twists
- knish recipe with root vegetable mash
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Apple and Puff Pastry Tart (30 Min)
Ingredients
- 1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced, Note 1 (about 1/4 inch/63 mm thick)
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
- cinnamon for light sprinkling (optional)
- 1/2 pound dough (one sheet of puff pastry), thawed
Instructions
- HEAT OVEN to 400F/204C.
- PREPARE TART: See step-by-step photos in post. Spread softened butter on the bottom and sides of an 8 inch/20 cm pie dish. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter to cover the bottom. Arrange apples, overlapping, around the outer edge, then the inner edge, covering the entire bottom of the pie plate. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons flour over apples to help absorb the juices and avoid a soggy crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired (good!)
- PREPARE PUFF PASTRY CRUST: The crust will start on the top and end up on the bottom when tart is inverted onto a plate. Unfold dough or roll to 1/8 inch/3 mm. Cut out round piece of dough to fit pie dish. (I lay inverted pie dish on top of dough and cut around it with a sharp knife). You will have leftover dough. Don't fuss – you can trim it after. Lay dough on top of apples and tuck the edges downward all around the inside edge of pie plate.
- BAKE AND SERVE: Place unbaked tart on a sheet pan if you're worried about leaking (which shouldn't happen). Bake tart for 23 minutes or until crispy and deep golden brown. Remove from oven. Invert tart: Place upside down plate that is larger than pie dish on top of baked tart, then Invert tart onto a plate using oven mitts (it will be hot). Serve the warm tart with ice cream or whipped cream. Or dust powdered sugar on a cooled tart.
Recipe Notes
- Best apples: Use apples that hold their shape during baking such as granny smith, golden delicious, honeycrisp, gala, braeburn, jonagold, fuji.
- Increase the servings: The recipe is for one small 8 inch/22 cm tart that would serve 4 people (or 6 smaller slices). If you use a full package of puff pastry (2 sheets/rolls), you can make 3 full 8-inch tarts. Use the left over puff pastry from two tarts to make the third.
- Substitutions:
- Lower calorie version: Reduce the butter to 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons and the sugar to 3 tablespoons if you want to save a few calories.
- Fresh fruit swaps: Bananas, peaches, or pears work well. A peach tart will require the flour dusting to absorb the juices. A banana tart won’t.
- Variations:
- Mini tarts: Bake in small 5-inch ramekins for individual servings.
- Flavor boosters: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg before or after baking. Or a little orange zest grated over the apples once baked to add brightness.
- Make Ahead: Assemble the puff pasty apple tart, then pop it into the oven while you’re eating dinner. Alternatively, bake the tart and invert it onto an oven safe plate. It can sit on the counter until you need it. Warm it in a 350F/176C oven for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. Crisp up in the oven before serving.
I’ve read some recipes to peel the apples and other recipes say leave on the peel. Which way do you think is best?
I like to leave the peels on, especially when the apples are red – they add a little bit of color (plus no peeling is quicker!). But it’s totally up to you. Either way is fine.
In the oven now. Easy to put together. I added a bit of nutmeg and vanilla powder to the brown sugar. Turned it half way through to even out the browning. While trying to turn it over, I bashed the crust with a plate dang it but it will still be edible and would be quite pretty if only. I’m closing down the broken-wing bakery.
I hope closing your bakery was a good thing for you (retirement perhaps?). Thanks for trying our recipe and hope you liked it 🙂