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Apple Crumble Tart

Name: Best EVER Apple Crumble Tart
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour; 1/2 cup Unsalted butter ((1 stick) room temperature); 1/4 tsp Salt; 1/4 cup Sugar; 1 Egg yolk; 4 tbsp Chilled water (as needed); 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract; 6 cups Apples ((6 to 8 apples chopped)); 2 tbsp Lemon juice; 1/2 cup Sugar; 1 tsp Pumpkin spice (or cinnamon); 1/2 tsp Nutmeg (fresh grated); 1/2 tsp Salt; 2 tbsp All-purpose Flour; 1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour; 1/2 cup Butter ((1 stick)); 1/4 cup Brown sugar; 1/4 cup White sugar; 1/2 tsp Pumpkin spice (or ground cinnamon); 1/4 tsp Salt

Published -Nov 3, 2019 Update -Aug 8, 2020 Veena AzmanovWords - 2351 words. About 12 minutes to read this article. This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon and other sides. This blog generates income via ads.

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Best EVER Apple Crumble Tart (from scratch)

This apple crumble tart is the perfect combination of tart apples and sweet crumble. If you love apple pie, you will love this tart even more. Tart apple filling baked in a rich buttery shortcrust pastry and topped with sweet crumble. This is a dessert no one is going to refuse. The recipe is also surprisingly simple and easy to make.

Make a pie or tart with rich shortcrust pastry, apple filling and crumble topping with this video tutorial — Homemade Easy Crumble Tart with Apple Filling

I’m not kidding when I say you can impress family and friends with this apple crumble tart. I recently took this with me when I visited the friends, and the rave reviews made me feel like a pro chef.

Everybody kept raving about how rich and buttery my shortcrust pastry was, how perfectly baked the apple filling was, and how wonderful the crumble on top was. I must admit, it was so nice to see how the tart was enjoyed. It's like your favorite apple pie topped with crumbles. Definitely adding this to my list of desserts to impress.

About apple crumble tart

I call this apple crumble tart a better version of the classic apple pie. I love apple pie very much, but that crumble on the top definitely takes this to the next level. The best part about this tart is there is no pool of apple juices at the bottom of the baked pastry, so there is no soggy pie crust.

There are three components to this tart - the shortcrust pastry, the apple filling, and the crumble top.

The shortcrust pastry tart - Today, I am using the rich shortcrust pastry with the creaming method. But, you can also use the sweet shortcrust pastry with the crumble method. I have step-by-step tutorials and videos for both these.
The apple filling - you have to make the apple filling just before you are ready to bake the tart. But it's a very simple filing which involves cleaning and cutting the apples then adding all the rest of the ingredients in. It took me about 7 minutes at most.
The crumble top - A crumble topping takes as little as five minutes to make. This can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Homemade or ready to use store-bought pastry

I am using a homemade rich shortcrust pastry with the creaming method. And yet, you can also use my sweet shortcrust pastry with the classic cutting method.

Alternatively, you can use a store-bought shortcrust pastry that is easily available in any supermarket these days. You can find these ready to roll or already prebaked.

For ready to roll pastry – follow my method – roll and line the pastry tart. Bake it with pie weight for 20 minutes then without pie-weight until it’s golden brown.

Ingredients and substitutes

Apple - I like to use tart Granny Smith apples for this tart because they hold their shape well even after they are cooked soft and tender. Plus they are tart, not sweet which works beautifully with the sweetness in the pastry and crumble.
Brown sugar - You can use white sugar, but the molasses in the brown sugar adds a nice caramel taste to the apples.
Pumpkin spice - You can use cinnamon and ground ginger if you prefer. And yet, in fall pumpkin spice is my go-to spice mix, especially because I use my homemade pumpkin spice.
Nutmeg - Apples work beautifully with cinnamon or nutmeg. Always use freshly grated nutmeg as it makes a huge difference in the flavor.

Useful tips and tools

The pastry blender is a great tool to have if you plan to make pies often by hand.
I love using my food processor to make any kind of pastry. It takes minutes and the butter is evenly distributed giving you a nice uniform bread crumb consistency. Never use an electric mixer as it will cream not pulse the dough.
Also, a wooden barrel rolling pin makes for easy rolling. Especially, when working with pastry. I love using my French rolling pin for almost everything.
And, a pie chart rolling mat is a great guide to have for beginners who are new to baking. This takes the guesswork out if the dough has rolled big enough.
A set of tart pans are a great investment. A 9-inch tart pan makes a good size dessert for a small family of four and a 10-inch for a larger family of 6. The 7-inch tart pans and 5-inch tart pans work great to gift family and friends. For mini tarts, I like to use either a tray like this with a pastry tamper or small mini egg tart molds or mini tartlets.
Pie weights work great when you need to blind bake a pastry. Although you can use any baking beans like dried beans.
And, my pie crust shield was a great investment. So, I don't have to struggle with covering the edges with foil.
My kitchen timer is one tool I cannot do without. I use it the moment something goes into the oven.

How to make an amazing apple crumble tart (Save/Pin)

Prepare crust

Cream butter and sugar for just a minute until well combined.
Add the vanilla, salt and egg yolk - and combine well.
Lastly, fold the flour - fold until combined.
Make a disc and wrap in plastic/cling wrap.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours until firm to roll.
Dust the work surface with flour.
Open the dough and roll carefully from the center out turning as you go.
Use your tart pan as a guide to know how big you need it.
Transfer the dough to the tart pan.
Gently press the dough into the tart pan making sure to press down into the shape of the pan.
Trim the excess dough at the edges with a rolling pin, or your thumb.
Chill the tart shell for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Prepare apple filling

Preheat oven at 190 C/ 380 F
Peel, core and chop apples into small slices about 1/8 inch
Add lemon juice and toss to combine well.
Next, add the pumpkin spice, salt, sugar, and nutmeg - combine well.
Finally, add the flour - combine well.
Pour the apples in the chilled pastry shell - spread evenly.

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Prepare the crumble topping

In a food processor add the flour, salt, sugar and chopped chilled cubes of butter
Pulse until it is breadcrumb consistency
Spread the crumble over the apples - making sure it coats the entire tart evenly.

Bake

Bake the crumble tart in the preheated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes
If the crumble on top starts to get too brown - tent with a piece of foil
When baked - cool on the wire rack for at least 15 minutes
You can serve this warm or room temperature.

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Tips for making this Apple crumble tart

Plan the tart and various steps in advance so you can give enough chilling time in between layers.
Two components on this tart can be made ahead of time take advantage of this when planning the process so it's not too much to do at once.
Prepare the apple filling just before you are ready to add it to the tart. Making the filling too early will result in the apples releasing juices and making a soggy tart.
Cut the apples into fairly thin slices and stack them high on the tart because they will cook down and shrink when baking.
Place a parchment paper below the tart on the baking tray for easy clean up as there will be some juices from the tart.

10 Tips when handling Pastry

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry 101 aka Pate Sucree'

A Pate Sucree' aka homemade sweet shortcrust pastry is the perfect base for many desserts such as tarts and pies. It's sweet, rich, melts in the mouth pastry with a biscuit-like crumb. This simple, easy and effortless recipe with easy to follow step by step instructions will have you master this pastry like a pro in no time at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will this apple crumble tart keep?

This crumble tart will keep at room temperature for about 2 days. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to a week if wrapped well.

Can I freeze this apple crumble tart?

Yes, you can freeze this tart for up to a month. Wrap well in parchment paper then aluminum foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight. this helps the condensation remain on the parchment paper and not make the tart soggy.

How do you serve this apple crumble tart?

It is best to serve this tart at room temperature on its own. I like to serve it with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream. If you keep it in the fridge, make sure to thaw it for at least an hour or two before serving.

Can I use store-bought pastry for this apple crumble tart?

Yes, you can use a ready-to-use store-bought pastry. Roll and line the tart just as shown in the video. Everything else will remain the same.

Can I use a pie crust for this apple crumble tart?

Absolutely. I love rich shortcrust pastry, and yet you can definitely make this using ready to use or homemade pie crust.

Do I need to prebake the crust for this apple crumble tart?

You can partially blind-bake the crust if you want to. Personally, I don't because the apples do take longer to cook so the crust has enough time to bake.

Do I need to cook the apples before?

No, that's not necessary. In this case, I like that the apples are cooked just until they are soft and tender but still hold their shape. Partially cooking the apples will result in a very soft mushy filling.

Can I reheat this apple crumble tart?

yes, if you make this tart ahead of time you can reheat it in the oven at 170 C/ 325 F for about 15 to 20 minutes. Tent it with a foil to prevent the crumble from becoming too brown.

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