This apple Tarte Tatin is made with caramelized apples cooked in butter, honey, and sugar, then baked under a rich puff pastry. As a result, you get this beautifully golden caramelized fruit on top.
Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert that is essentially an upside-down caramelized apple tart. It consists of apples cooked in a rich caramel sauce, topped with a layer of puff pastry, then baked until golden and crispy. After baking, the tart is inverted onto a serving plate, revealing the beautifully caramelized apples glistening on top.
The origin of Tarte Tatin dates back to the late 19th century and is attributed to the Tatin sisters, who ran a hotel in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. According to legend, the tart was created by accident when one of the sisters overcooked apples in sugar and butter, hastily covering them with pastry and baking them to salvage the dish. The result was a deliciously caramelized tart that became a hit.
Why make this Tarte Tatin recipe?
- Perfect Caramelization: The combination of brown sugar, butter, and honey creates a rich and flavorful caramel that coats the apples perfectly, enhancing their natural sweetness while adding depth.
- Crispy, Golden Puff Pastry: Freezing the puff pastry briefly ensures that it holds its shape and bakes to a beautiful golden crisp, providing the perfect contrast to the soft, caramelized apples.
- Easy and Impressive: Using an oven-safe skillet simplifies the process, allowing you to caramelize and bake in one pan. The final inversion reveals a stunning dessert that looks impressive but is surprisingly easy to make.
- Simplicity: I love to serve this dessert warm. It’s delicious on its own but goes well with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. And I absolutely adore it with vanilla pastry cream, too!
Ingredients and substitutes
- Apples: Green and red apples provide a nice balance of tartness and sweetness. Depending on your flavor preference, you can also use Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples.
- Brown Sugar adds richness and a deep caramel flavor. For a slightly different taste, you can substitute it with white granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
- Unsalted butter creates a creamy, smooth caramel. You can use salted butter, but reduce the added salt in the recipe or substitute it with margarine for a dairy-free option.
- Honey adds a natural sweetness and helps the caramel develop. For a different flavor profile, you can substitute maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Puff Pastry provides a crispy, flaky crust. For a more traditional tart base, you can use store-bought or homemade puff pastry. or a shortcrust pastry.
- Spice mix – I love using cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or gingerbread spice mix.
Step-by-step: Easy peasy apple tarte tatin
- Prepare the Apples: Peel the apples, quarter them, and remove the cores. Keep them aside.
- Prepare the Puff Pastry: Unroll the thawed puff pastry sheet. Use the skillet as a guide to cut a disc slightly larger than the skillet (about 1 inch larger in diameter). Freeze the pastry disc for 5-10 minutes to make handling easier.
- Caramelize the Sugar: Add brown sugar, honey, and butter to a skillet. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and starts to bubble, creating a smooth caramel. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
- Cook the Apples: Add the apple quarters into the caramel, arranging them in a circular pattern with the rounded side down. Make sure they are packed tightly together. Cook the apples in the bubbling caramel for 3-5 minutes, softening slightly and soaking up the caramel flavor. Remove from heat.
- Top with Puff Pastry: Carefully place the chilled puff pastry over the apples, tucking the edges inside the skillet to cover the apples fully.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry turns golden and crispy.
- Invert and Serve: Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Carefully place a large plate or serving dish over the skillet, then invert the tart swiftly to reveal the caramelized apples.
- Serve: Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream on the side for a delicious dessert.
- Apple Pie Recipe or Dutch Apple Pie
- Apple Pie Crumble Bars
- The BEST Moist Apple Pie Cake with Crumble Topping
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe
- See all Apple recipes
Frequently asked questions
Ideally, it’s best to serve it the day it is made. Because once you flip the Tarte Tatin, the juices soak into the puff pastry. You can keep any leftovers in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. But keep in mind that the puff pastry will have soaked up the apple juices (which is still very delicious).
You can make this pastry up to 2 days ahead of time, but do not flip the tart yet. Leave it in the fridge until the day you are ready to serve. Then, gently heat the Tarte-Tatin in the oven at 180 °C for about 10 minutes. The tart will be hot again and easy to flip.
Yes, hot caramel can be dangerous, and if you are not comfortable flipping it, let the tart cool until it’s barely warm. Shake the pan to see if the pastry is still loose. If not, place it on the stovetop and gently heat it just enough so the apples are loose. Then, flip the warm tart. This method should not have hot caramel. Once inverted, if you want, you can reheat the pastry in the oven as well.
Traditionally, Tarte Tatin is made with puff pastry, but you can also use a shortcrust pastry or pie crust for a quick fix.
Apple Tarte Tatin
This apple Tarte Tatin is made with caramelized apples cooked in butter, honey, and sugar, then baked under a rich puff pastry. As a result, you get this beautifully golden caramelized fruit on top.
Video
Ingredients
- 5 – 6 med (900 g) Apples
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 4 tbsp (60 g) Butter
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Spice Mix (cinnamon or pumpkin spice)
- 1 lb (450 g) Puff pastry
Method
- Prepare the Apples: Peel the apples, quarter them, and remove the cores. Keep them aside.5 – 6 med Apples
- Caramelize the Sugar: In a skillet, add brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, salt, spice mixes, and butter. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and starts to bubble, creating a smooth caramel. This should take about 3-4 minutes.½ cup Sugar, 2 tbsp Honey, 4 tbsp Butter, 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, ⅛ tsp Salt, 1 tsp Spice Mix
- Cook the Apples: Add the apple quarters into the caramel, arranging them in a circular pattern with the rounded side down. Make sure they are packed tightly together. Cook the apples in the bubbling caramel for 3-5 minutes, softening slightly and soaking up the caramel flavor. Remove from heat.
- Prepare the Puff Pastry: Unroll the thawed puff pastry sheet. Use the skillet as a guide to cut a disc slightly larger than the skillet (about 1 inch larger in diameter). Freeze the pastry disc for 5-10 minutes to make handling easier.1 lb Puff pastry
- Top with Puff Pastry: Carefully place the chilled puff pastry over the apples, tucking the edges inside the skillet to cover the apples fully.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry turns golden and crispy.
- Invert and Serve: Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Carefully place a large plate or serving dish over the skillet, then invert the tart swiftly to reveal the caramelized apples.
- Serve: Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream on the side for a delicious dessert.
Notes
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- Use Firm Apples: Choose apples that hold their shape during cooking, like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady. Softer apples may turn mushy and lose their texture.
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- Chill the Puff Pastry: Freezing the puff pastry for a few minutes before placing it over the apples helps it firm up, making it easier to handle and ensuring a crisp, flaky crust.
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- Caramel Timing: Keep a close eye on the caramel as it bubbles. You want it to be golden and smooth, but not too dark, as it can quickly burn and turn bitter.
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- Invert with Care: Let the tart rest for 5 minutes before inverting to allow the caramel to set slightly. When inverting, use a large plate and handle the skillet with caution, as the caramel can be very hot.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
Hey Veena,
Thanks for all the tips on making a tarte tatin. The pictures look great too and so easy to follow all the steps. I am sure this will be a hit with my next get together with some ice cream on top. Yummo! Thanks again!
Absolutely, Megan. Ice cream works beautifully on top
I love learning about how recipes came about too! I also never knew how easy a tarte tatin was to make! Trying this soon!
Thanks, Suzy. I hope you try this on soon.
I could eat this apple dessert all year long and never tire of it. Beautiful!
Me too,Holly.
This dessert looks so delicious and perfect for fall! Can’t wait to try it out!
Thank you, Kim.
This sounds delicious. Love the history behind this dessert 🙂
Thank you, Julia
Omg tart tatin is my absolute favourite pudding. I’ve never made it with honey though. Thanks for the recipe!
Mine too, Emma. Love this dessert
This looks like such a delicious dessert. I just know my whole family would love this.
Thank you Bintu.
So many helpful information in just one post! Making an upside down cake is an art!
Yeah it sure can be intimidating for some – this method really helps a lot
Lots of good tips! I always want to love tarte tatins because I love fruit desserts so much, but I often find them to be too sweet and syrupy. They are so beautiful, though – yours is gorgeous!
Thank you Julie. I love fruit tarts too! This is really simple and easy
Very helpful tips, I am going to look into making a tarte-tatin sometime soon since I am practically surrounded with apples in my house.
Glad to hear that Lois. Apples are in plenty and a Tarte Tatin a always a treat