Rustic French Apple Tart
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Like an apple pie without the pan, this rustic French apple tart features a buttery, flaky crust cradling a thin layer of cinnamon-scented apples.
Picture the quintessential French dessert, and you might envision rows of gleaming macarons and jewel-like fruit tarts within a Parisian pâtisserie. Yet, in the comfort of their own homes, the French cherish simplicity over extravagance. Take this rustic apple tart as the perfect case in point: resembling an apple pie without the pan, it boasts a buttery, flaky crust cradling a layer of cinnamon-spiced apples. Can’t you just imagine it cooling on a windowsill in a sun-drenched kitchen in the French countryside?
“Magnifique! This is a perfect apple galette. The addition of vanilla to the apples is inspired…The crust is simple to make, using a food processor, but produces a pastry that is both buttery and flaky. I’m actually off to make another right now with my remaining apples, since we polished off this first one shortly after it came out of the oven!!”
If the thought of homemade pastry crust seems daunting, let me ease your mind. This dough is a snap to prepare in your food processor and it’s easy to roll out. Plus, the beauty of a free-form tart is that you don’t have to fuss over crimping the dough into a pie plate; you simply fold it irregularly over the fruit. The charm of this dessert lies in its imperfections.
What you’ll need to make a french apple tart
Before we get to the recipe, a word of advice: you might be tempted to load up the tart with extra apples, but less is more with this type of dessert. The apples release quite a bit of juice, which can leak from the tart and make a mess of the crust and your oven.
Also, be sure to use apples suitable for baking, such as Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, Gala, or Honey Crisp. These apples hold their shape when cooked, while non-baking apples turn into applesauce. As you can see, I use two types of apples for this recipe. With any recipe that calls baking apples, like apple muffins, apple crisp or apple cobbler, it’s a good idea to use different varietals for a more nuanced flavor.
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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Rustic French Apple Tart
Like an apple pie without the pan, this rustic French apple tart features a buttery, flaky crust cradling a thin layer of cinnamon-scented apples.
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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It’s an excellent recipe. can I keep it in the fridge with the filling?
Hi Eqbal, if you have leftovers, I recommend storing them on the counter (loosely covered).
Spot on! Very good step by step instructions. End product was delish!
I made this last night exactly as written but doubled the recipe to make two tarts. It was a big hit with everyone at the dinner party! I will definitely be making this again!
Thanks for the excellent recipe!!
Comes out great every time!
I’m old and been baking for many years. This has to be the best and easiest tart recipe I’ve ever made. thank you. Patricia.
Excellent recipe, turns out delicious every time. I make this galette a lot.
Oh my goodness!! I love to bake, and try new recipes, and this is hands down in the top 5 of the recipes I’ve ever made. My hubby and I ate the whole thing in one day. I’m looking forward to serving it to company.
I did not refrigerate it before baking, and it was totally fine.
This is definitely replacing my current apple pie recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe.
I have made many apple pies, so I thought I would try this. I made the tart, and it tasted great, but ALOT of juice came out during baking. .. next time I will add more flour to the apple mixture. . .
Jenn,
As a rank amateur baker I followed the instructions to the letter.
Everything worked perfectly as described and on only my second time using a food processor for pastry it was perfect.
to others, if like me, you are very nervous with pastry this is the recipe.
It makes a beautiful and tasty tart.
Thank you for sharing this and now I will try some of your other recipes.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for this approachable recipe.
As I am afraid to make pie crust this was a good way for me to enter the pie wilderness.
Unfortunately due to my tendency to get distracted I forgot to check the temperature on the toaster oven (my oven is kaput) and the poor tart baked at a lower temperature before I clued into turn the temperature up. I therefore had to bake for longer. I also missed the part about cooling the assembled tart in the fridge before baking — excited as I was to have a fully functioning tart made up.
After baking longer the tart was still good although hubby wanted the apples to be softer. Next time I will precook the apples.
I gave the recipe 5 stars because I believe this is a best start to pie making for a beginning cook who is not destructible.
Easy and delicious.
Can you use peaches in place of apples? If so, would you use almond extract and nutmeg instead of vanilla and cinnamon? Thank you!
Hi Megan, For peaches, I’d use my plum galette recipe, which is almost identical to this one. If you’d like to use almond extract and nutmeg, that’s fine (although vanilla and cinnamon would be good, too), but use just a small amount of almond extract (maybe 1/8 to 1/4 tsp), as its flavor is very strong.
My husband—who never cooks or bakes— made this tonight for dessert. 5/5 perfect.
Not too sweet, not too bland. Apples were perfect doneness.
Really really good. Simple.
Absolutely perfect!👌
This recipe is generally good. I gave it 3/5 stars only because making it as written actually created a soggy bottom crust from the enormous liquid leaking out of it during baking. I have made this several times as written and had to mop up the leakage during the baking process multiple times using paper towels. Today I followed a reviewer’s advice about cooking the apples first on the stove top and making a cornstarch slurry using the liquid from the cooked apples. Leakage problem completely solved and no soggy bottom! My thanks go to that reviewer and I Absolutely recommend making this crostata if using the revised method above.
Amazing. The crust was so delish. I am an experienced baker but learned something about pie crust. I have been moistening my dough a little too much. I am having a hard time not sneaking another slice.
I made this for Father’s day and it was excellent. I have always been afraid of dough and always seem to fail at them but this was so easy. I will make this over and over again. Thank you for the great instructions!
I made this and it was perfection. Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe. Cheers from Guatemala
This was fantastic and so easy! I’ll never buy a frozen or grocery store pie again. The galette was a huge hit with my husband and kids. The crust was delicious and comes together quickly in a food processor. We don’t like the apples to be too crunchy in our pie so I cooked the apples with lemon, brown sugar, vanilla, & a little water in a saucepan for about 10 minutes, then thickened it using some liquid from cooked apples & cornstarch. This helped ensure the crust did not become soggy. I cooked the filling while chilling the crust. Outstanding!
I never leave reviews, but this is tart perfect. The first time I made it, my family wanted to make sure I baked two the next time because one wasn’t enough. I make this every time I have leftover apples, it’s so quick and easy. I don’t usually have turbinado (natural brown sugar/raw sugar) on hand so I typically use regular granular sugar for the crust topping. Two weekends ago I made 4 to give out to family. I made these with a big bag of macintosh I had gotten which isn’t an ideal baking apple (taste and texture when baked) mixed with 1 granny smith for each. The crust is so good it didn’t really matter that I had used macintosh, although I definitely recommend trying to use baking apples here. But seriously, this crust is foolproof. Every. Single. Time.
Jenn, wondering if this crust will also work for regular pies like apple and blueberry? I don’t see too much of a difference from other recipes but wanted to double check.
So glad you’re enjoying it! Yes, I do think you could use the crust for traditional pies. 🙂
Hi. Can this be made with either bleached or unbleached All Purpose?
Yes, either is fine. Enjoy!
What about a gluten free mixture substitute?
Hi Robert, I haven’t tried it personally, but a few people have weighed in that they’ve made this successfully with gluten-free flour. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
This was delicious ~ so much so that one minute it’s cooling and the next it’s half gone. So much for including a photo! An easy and delicious recipe.
I have made this a few times. It is absolutely delicious and I always receive compliments!
Thank you for the recipe. I was attracted by your photos when I tried to look up an apple pie recipe. I thought it was hard as i never made a crust pastry, but it turned out very easy and crusty. I had some almond paste left so I added the paste underneath the apples. It tasted great.
I am going to make another one today for my nephew and niece to try after I had my one yesterday. Thank you once again for sharing a great recipe. 🙂
I have always been super intimidated by making my own crust, let alone an apple pie of any sort. My friend posted a pic on Facebook and said it was foolproof, so I asked for the recipe and gave it a try. Your first try can make or break you, and this was FANTASTIC! Thank you!
This was not my first galette, but something about the picture that invited me to try this recipe when I was looking for something with apples. I am delighted with how it turned out and you seemed to iron out my not consistent results with an honest go-to never-fail recipe and I am so appreciative! Thank you Jean!
I meant Jenn! Sorry!
🙂
If I prep this at lunchtime but do not want to cook until dinner, should I store in the freezer or fridge? I see your other suggestions lend to freezing to avoid soggy crust. Thanks in advance! Love and trust your recipes so much!
I’d pop it in the freezer until you’re ready to bake it (and so glad you like the recipes)! 🙂
Absolutely amazing! Not too sweet and the crust was superb! Being able to create such a beautiful dessert gave me the confidence to try many of your fabulous recipes! My husband has never eaten so well! We’ve loved every recipe I’ve made so far!
🙂 So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
First time making this and it came out so good! I love the crust! It goes so good good with the sweet apples. So delicious!! Will definitely make this again. Only bad thing.. I can’t share since this social distancing started . Im in danger of eating this all by myself!!!
🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
FANTASTIC and EASY! I prefer cake to pie so I’ve never made pie crust. I had apples and the free form galette looked interesting so I made this. Wow. It is incredible. The crust(so so good), slightly sweet and just perfect. I used 4 small-medium gala apples, brown sugar (didn’t have turbinado), and no glaze (which I’m sure would be delicious but didn’t have any jam).
I made the dough by hand and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter.
Honestly, I was surprised how delicious this galette was (since I’m not a pie fan); the ingredients are simple, it’s easy to put together and it’s just fabulous. Looking forward to trying it again with different fruit over the summer.
Thank you for the clear and easy to follow directions!
[I do recommend baking on parchment paper – a lot of juice leaked out during baking.]
Made it for my wife and girls on Mothers Day 2020. They loved it. I did too. Very good recipe.
I topped it off with the best-whipped cream ever. You can see it here:
https://sugarspunrun.com/homemade-whipped-cream-recipe/
Enjoy!
Wonderful!! The crust was so tender and delicious. I topped the apple slices with honey sea salted walnut butter. I added heavy cream to the egg that I used to shine the crust before baking. Hubby and kids devoured. All of your recipes I’ve tried so far have come out wonderful and have helped me gain confidence in my baking and cooking skills because sometimes I just can’t believe I made these beauties! Thank you!🌺
❤️
This is a delicious apple tart! I like that it is so easy to make and looks so good. I chilled the dough overnight and it was easy to work with. I also added I T of fresh lemon juice to the apples. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
I‘ve made this wonderful tart before, but was wondering if you could soften the apples in a pan prior to baking?
Sure, that would work! 🙂
just made tonight as written. was so amazing. thanks for recipe
This tart is delicious! I just made it and we loved it. It came out almost as pictured – the crust was delicate and flaky and the apples were firm and soft. I will make it again. Thanks!
#@unceuponachef
Made this today! The best!
I am the resident made-from-scratch baker in the family, and generally think little of turning out multiple homemade pies for the holidays, flaky crusts and all. I enjoy many variations on classics, and am rather snobbish about the quality and aesthetic of pastry – that said, my family is obsessed with so-called Dutch style apple pie, and disappointment is invariable if this is not produced twice a year. This is a bit boring for me, but I usually comply and reserve my fancier pies for gourmand friends – however, last Christmas, I was overwhelmed with work and daunted by the prospect of making several pies in one night again on Christmas Eve, then driving three hours to see my parents. Unable to fathom fussy crust crimping, I had resolved to make a rustic French style tart instead, and this recipe delivered! The pastry is fantastic and the ratio of crust to filling is perfect. I skipped the apricot glaze as I wanted my tart, well, a little tart, and my hard-line Dutch apple pie obsessed relations raved about this thing. I don’t usually eat more than a slice of traditional pie myself, but this was so perfect even I could barely resist it. This is now my go-to recipe, and is equally delicious with other fruits. Try thinly sliced pear flavored with vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom, and glaze with lavender honey.
We loved loved loved this dessert. I have never been successful with homemade doughs or crusts; I can never seem to work them properly. However, I’ve been making a lot of your recipes recently, and have found them all to be simple and delicious, so I decided to be adventurous and give this one a try. I’m so glad I did! As scared as I was about the crust, it was very easy to make. No issues rolling the dough or handling it. It shapes up super easily and the end result was heavenly. My husband had it a la mode and is still raving about it. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Made this two days ago in the morning it was gone by sunset so good would not change a thing definitely going to make it again and again
I love this recipe ! Tip: If you bake it on an upside down cookie sheet, it’s easier to transfer to a serving platter since you can just slide it off.
This recipe is great! I have made it several times and it has been a hit every time. I do not use the apricot glaze, simply because I don’t keep it at home but I’m sure it tastes delicious with it. Also, I use whatever apples I have at home… gala/honeycrisp/Granny Smith.
Jen thank you so much for this recipe!! I made it last night and it was a huge hit, my family devoured it within minutes. I don’t have a food processor so I grated the butter, which helped with the flaky texture and was also easier to incorporate. I used gala apples and I topped it with fresh whipped cream. EVERYONE HAS TO TRY THIS TART!!!!
Excellent and simple recipe! Thank you!
I made this tart for Easter. Was easier than it looks and absolutely delicious.
I didn’t make the glaze because I forgot to purchase the jam. Still amazing.
Made this last night and it’s amazing and now a family favorite ! I had 4 apples left and started looking around for a recipe and found this one ! Thank you for sharing ❤️
Oh. My. God. This was INSANELY good! Best Apple dessert I have EVER tasted! My mother was raving how this was so much better than any bakery or dessert store nearby. My father almost ate the whole thing and he HATES sweet things! Clear to say this was a hit!!
So simple and delicious!!! Will definitely making this again!
This was the best apple tart I ever made. Wouldn’t change a thing
Jenn, the crust for this tart was the best crust I’ve ever tasted. Do you think I can use the crust recipe for your apple pie? Or other 2 crust pies? Thanks. Carol O’Neill
Sure, Carol, I think that should work. 🙂
Wondering how to use some of our lovely autumn apples, I came across this recipe. I was a bit concerned that the pastry might be heavy, but everything about the tart was delicious. I did reduce the sugar slightly but this just personal taste. An absolute winner of a recipe which I look forward to making again.
I made this recipe twice. The first time I used both crusts in the Trader Joe’s prepared crust. I rolled them together to thicken the crust. The result was beautiful and delicious. The second time, I chose to use the puff pastry crust. It was slightly smaller, so I kept the fruit tightly packed and a bit taller. It too was delicious. I prefer the taste with the puff pastry, but regular pie dough has a longer shelf life. Rpc
You would never regret using the pastry recipe as written. No need to buy pastry. I’ve made it as written several times and would never dishonor the recipe with purchased pastry.
Absolutely delicious. I am a seasoned baker and I have to say this crust was the best ! The only thing I’ll do next time is slice my Granny Smith apples a bit thicker. They were a little over cooked at 1/8 “ but still delicious. Thank you Jenn for another fabulous recipe.
Made 2 of these last weekend. Amazing , made as directed and came out perfect! Had 10 people over and everyone raved about it. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It looks so impressive when done. I made the Hummus as an appetizer and everyone loved that too,never buying store bought again. I tell everyone about this site because every recipe I’ve tried here has been a keeper!
So glad you enjoyed this and thanks for spreading the word about the blog! 💗