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Made with a sheet of puff pastry, a crisp apple, and just the right amount of spices, this puff pastry apple tart is an easy autumn dessert that’s delicious and elegant enough to serve to guests.
I know we’re only a few days into September and still have Halloween ahead of us, but I’m already thinking about the fact that the holiday season is coming up fast.
Even if you want to ignore that it’ll be Thanksgiving before we know it, there are lots of fall get-togethers and game days and all kinds of times when you’ll probably be entertaining guests.
When I have guests over, I really appreciate recipes that are easy to make but look impressive. Things like marinated cheese, apple butter brie bites, mini pumpkin pies, and this puff pastry apple tart.
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Pies and tarts are such classic, delicious desserts, but I have to be honest: they’re not always the thing I’m best at.
Stephie is the pie queen around here. But even she has admitted that she doesn’t always want to go through the effort to make a full apple crumb pie or cherry pie or classic pecan pie.
Sometimes you just want to be able to make an elegant and delicious dessert in a matter of minutes, ok?
That’s where this puff pastry apple tart comes in.
This is a simple dessert that you can make with a single sheet of puff pastry, 1 apple, and a small handful of other ingredients. Start to finish, you can have this tart assembled and out of the oven in about 45 minutes, making it great for any time you need a last-minute dessert.
A recipe that’s simple enough for a weeknight but pretty enough to serve for the holidays? Talk about a win.
How to make puff pastry apple tart
Ready to see just how easy this puff pastry apple tart really is?
Ingredients you’ll need
To make this recipe, you will need:
- 1 large baking apple
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice
- Pinch of salt
- 3 ½ tablespoons apricot preserves (see note)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 sheet thawed puff pastry
Since this tart only uses 1 large apple, it’s a great recipe when you are short on ingredients. It’s also a great way to use up a second sheet of puff pastry that’s leftover after making chicken pot pie casserole.
I like to use my homemade apple pie spice in this tart – I love how all of the spices complement the apple. But if you don’t have apple pie spice, feel free to use ground cinnamon instead.
Apricot preserves help the apple slices stay in place on the puff pastry and makes for a simple glaze. Feel free to use apple jelly instead of apricot preserves if you can find it!
Making this apple tart
When making this puff pastry apple tart, start by prepping the fruit.
Core the apple and cut it into thin slices, about ⅛-inch thick. Using a mandoline makes this really quick and easy.
I don’t bother peeling my apple. I think the little bits of the peel look pretty on the final tart.
Add the apple slices to a bowl along with the lemon juice, sugar, spices, and salt. Toss gently to coat the apples in the spices.
Now, add 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves to a bowl and microwave on high for about 15-20 seconds, just until melted. Stir in the vanilla and set this aside.
Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto a clean work surface – dust it lightly in flour if you are worried about the pastry sticking. Use a rolling pin to close the seams as needed and to square the pastry to a 9×9-inch square.
Move the pastry sheet to a lined baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to carefully score a border ½-inch away from all 4 edges of the pastry. Make sure you don’t cut all the way through – just score the top layers.
Use a fork to poke holes in the pastry inside of the score lines. Now spread the apricot preserve mixture over the pastry, keeping it inside of the score marks.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the preserves, overlapping as desired to make a nice pattern. Don’t worry if you don’t use all of the apple slices.
Bake the tart at 400°F for 30-35 minutes. You want the edges to be puffed and golden, the apples to be soft, and the underside of the tart to be crisp and golden.
After removing the tart from the oven, add the remaining apricot preserve to the same bowl you used earlier. Microwave until melted, and brush gently over the hot tart, including the edges and the apples.
Let the tart cool a bit before slicing and serving.
Serving suggestions
You can serve this apple tart warm or at room temperature, so feel free to make it right before you serve it or a few hours ahead of time.
As for topping it, I like to dust it with powdered sugar, drizzle it with salted caramel sauce, and/or serve it alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Let the tart cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. To serve, dust with powdered sugar, top with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, and/or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe FAQs
I always like to bake with tart-crisp baking apples. Granny smith are the most well known and the most tart, but there are other varieties you can use as well.
Golden delicious, jonathan, jonagold, honeycrisp, and cortland apples are all great options.
Yes! If you need to make this tart gluten free, feel free to use your favorite brand of gluten-free puff pastry. You won’t need to make any other adjustments to the recipe.
Most packages of puff pastry have thawing directions listed on the box. For example, the Pepperidge Farm brand includes directions for thawing at room temperature or in the microwave.
Even though I often use the microwave to bring butter to room temperature, I don’t like using it for puff pastry. Since puff pastry needs to be kept cold to puff up, you can easily over-thaw it and melt it.
My preferred way to thaw puff pastry is in the refrigerator. Leave it in the fridge for a few hours or up to overnight and it will thaw and stay cold.
When I need to thaw it faster, I will leave it out on the counter for 30-40 minutes. If your kitchen is hot, it may thaw faster, but be careful that it doesn’t get too soft. Pop it back into the refrigerator for a bit if needed before making this puff pastry apple tart.
Puff Pastry Apple Tart
Ingredients
- 1 large baking apple
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice
- Pinch of salt
- 3 ½ tablespoons apricot preserves divided use
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Core the apple and cut it into ⅛-inch thick slices. Using a mandoline is the fastest way to get thin, even slices.
- Add the apple slices to a bowl along with the lemon juice, sugar, apple pie spice, and salt. Gently toss to coat the apples. Set aside.
- Place 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 15-20 seconds, until melted. Stir in the vanilla. Set aside.
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto a clean work surface. Use a rolling pin to close up the seams and square up the pastry – you should end up with a 9×9-inch square.
- Transfer the puff pastry to the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp paring knife, score the pastry ½ inch from the edge all the way around, making sure not to cut all the way through the pastry. Use a fork to poke holes inside of the score lines.
- Spread the apricot and vanilla mixture over the pastry, making sure to keep it inside of the score marks. Arrange the apple slices in rows on top of the pastry, slightly overlapping the slices. You may not use all of the slices – that’s ok.
- Bake the tart for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are puffed and golden, the apples are soft, and the underside of the tart is golden.
- Add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of apricot preserves to the same bowl you used earlier and microwave for 15-20 seconds, until melted. Brush gently over the hot tart, including the edges and over the apples.
- Let the tart cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. To serve, dust with powdered sugar, top with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, and/or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Where does the brown sugar go?
Hi Carol – As noted in the post and recipe card, the sugar gets mixed with the lemon juice, spices, and apple slices. Hope this helps!