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This homemade French Apple Tart recipe features a buttery crust, thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, and a golden apricot glaze for a bakery-style dessert. This Ina Garten French Apple Tart recipe is the best apple tart recipe, perfect for entertaining, holidays or any Fall baking.
I have been wanting to bake the famous Ina Garten Apple Tart for years! She says it is one of her favorite recipes to bake for people when they come over so I knew that I had to try it. The beauty of this dessert is in its simplicity. It is a French tart with no real frills.
This Apple Tart looks elegant yet comes together with simple ingredients. It starts with a crisp, buttery pastry crust and topped with slices of crisp apples, a sprinkle of sugar, dots of cold butter baked into a caramelised apple layer, finally brushed with apricot jelly to add sweetness and shine. Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream — it adds the creamy sweetness.
If you don’t want to bake an entire apple pie and worry about two crusts, this is the apple dessert recipe for you! It isn’t overly sweet but highlights the fresh apples and buttery crust.
Here is a collection of pie recipes if you are looking for more pie inspiration!
Ingredients for Easy Apple Tart:
Pastry Ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of your tart crust.
- Salt: Enhances flavor in baked goods.
- Sugar: Adds just a touch of sweetness to the pastry.
- Cold Butter (diced): It’s important to keep it cold so it melts as it bakes.
- Ice Water: Helps bind the dough without making it tough.
For the Apples:
- Granny Smith Apples: Their tart flavor and firm texture hold up beautifully while baking.
- Sugar: Sprinkled on top for sweetness and caramelization.
- Cold Butter (diced): Melts into the apples for rich, buttery flavor.
- Apricot Jelly or Jam: Brushed on top for that classic glossy French finish and a hint of sweetness.
- Water: Thins the jam slightly to make it easy to brush over the tart.
How to make the Best French Apple Tart:
Make the pastry. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a lighted colored, rimmed baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter. The sugar can burn the edges so I suggest sprinkling the sugar away from the edges of the pastry.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until the pastry is a light golden color and the edges of the apples start to lightly brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! If any of the edges become too brown due to the sugars, trim those pieces. When the tart is done, heat the apricot and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Important Baking Tips:
Chill the dough: Keep the crust dough well-chilled (before rolling, after shaping) to ensure a flaky crust.
Use the right pan: Use a sheet pan or baking sheet with a rim. This keeps the butter and sugar from running off the pan and burning.
Apple slice thickness matters: Slices should be about ¼-inch thick. Too thick and they won’t soften evenly; too thin and they may disintegrate.
Edge browning caution: Because sugar and butter are on the apples, juices may burn under the tart. I suggest sprinkling the sugar on the apples without going to the edges.
Glaze finishing is non-negotiable: The apricot jam enhances flavor and gives that bakery shine.
Flavor tweaks: Some bakers add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
How To Get The Perfect Flaky Crust
Keep everything cold — butter, water, even your hands if possible! The cold butter creates steam pockets in the oven, which make your crust flaky.
Don’t overwork the dough. Stop mixing as soon as it starts to come together.
For extra flakiness, chill the rolled-out dough in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use store-bought puff pastry?
Yes! Puff pastry makes an easy shortcut. Just skip making the dough and follow the same steps for the apples and glaze.
What kind of apples work best?
Granny Smith is ideal for its tart flavor and firm crisp texture, but Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Cosmic Crisp also work beautifully. Avoid any more mushy apple varieties!
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can prepare the dough a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Assemble and bake the tart the day you plan to serve it for the best texture.
Why use apricot jam?
Apricot jam adds a classic French touch. It gives the tart a glossy finish and complements the tart apples without overpowering them.
How do I keep the apples from browning?
Toss sliced apples lightly in lemon juice if you’re prepping them ahead of time.
Storage Tips:
Store any leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm slices in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes it’ll revive that buttery texture perfectly.
More Apple Dessert Recipes:
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French Apple Tart
Ingredients
Pastry Crust:
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 12 Tablespoons Cold Butter (1 1/2 sticks, diced)
- 1/2 cup Ice Cold Water
Apples:
- 4 Granny Smith Apples (or cosmic crisp or honeycrisp)
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Butter (small diced)
- 1/2 cup Apricot Jam
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Instructions
- Make the pastry. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a light colored, rimmed baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
- Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter. The sugar can burn the edges so I suggest sprinkling the sugar away from the edges of the pastry.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until the pastry is a light golden color and the edges of the apples start to lightly brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! If any of the edges become too brown due to the sugars, trim those pieces.
- When the tart is done, heat the apricot and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
