Every Sunday after church, my grandmother would make this tarte aux pommes that filled the whole house with the smell of cinnamon and baked apples. I've been making her version for years now, and Emma has become my official apple-peeling helper (though she eats more than she peels. This isn't just any apple tart - it's the real French deal with buttery pastry and perfectly arranged apple slices that taste like comfort.
Why You'll Love This Tarte Aux Pommes
This French apple tart is just really good - the pastry stays crisp, the apples get tender and sweet, and that hint of cinnamon makes everything taste great together. Emma can eat two slices easily, which says a lot since she's usually picky about "fancy" desserts. It doesn't take forever to make, but it feels special enough for when we have company over.
What I love most is how forgiving this recipe is. If you roll the pastry a little wonky, no big deal. If some apple slices are thicker than others, it still tastes good. Emma has helped me make this probably thirty times now, and even when she messes up the apple arrangement, it always turns out delicious. Plus, it's way cheaper than buying one from a fancy bakery and tastes better too.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Tarte Aux Pommes
- Ingredients for Tarte Aux Pommes
- How To Make Tarte Aux Pommes Step By Step
- Equipment For Tarte Aux Pommes
- Storing Your Tarte Aux Pommes
- Easy Substitutions for Tarte Aux Pommes
- Variations Tarte Aux Pommes
- What to Serve With Tarte Aux Pommes
- Top Tip
- The Flavor My Mom Never Shared
- FAQ
- Time to Make Your Own French Magic!
- Related
- Pairing
- Tarte Aux Pommes
Ingredients for Tarte Aux Pommes
For the Pâte Brisée (Pastry):
- All-purpose flour
- Cold unsalted butter
- Egg yolk
- Cold water
- Pinch of salt
- Sugar
For the Apple Filling:
- Tart apples
- Sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Butter pieces
- Lemon juice
The Glaze:
- Apricot jam
- Little bit of water
Optional Stuff:
- Extra cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Tarte Aux Pommes Step By Step
Making the Pastry:
- Cut cold butter into small pieces
- Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl
- Add butter and rub it in with your fingers
- Mix egg yolk with cold water
- Add just enough liquid to make dough stick together
Preparing the Apples:
- Peel and core the apples
- Cut into thin slices
- Toss with lemon juice so they don't brown
- Set aside while you roll the pastry
Assembly:
- Roll pastry into a circle (Emma likes this part)
- Put it in your tart pan
- Trim edges and poke bottom with a fork
- Arrange apple slices in overlapping circles
- Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon
- Dot with small butter pieces
Baking:
- Brush with warmed apricot jam while still hot
- 375°F for about 35-40 minutes
- Check that apples are tender and edges are golden
Equipment For Tarte Aux Pommes
- 9-inch tart pan
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
Storing Your Tarte Aux Pommes
How to Store:
- Cool completely first
- Cover with plastic wrap or foil
- Keep at room temperature for 2 days
- Fridge for up to 5 days
Reheating:
- Warm in 300°F oven for 10 minutes
- Don't microwave (makes pastry soggy)
- Serve at room temperature if you want
- Add fresh whipped cream or ice cream
Make-Ahead:
- Emma can help arrange apples ahead of time
- Make pastry day before and chill
- Assemble morning of serving
- Bake fresh for best results
Easy Substitutions for Tarte Aux Pommes
Pastry Swaps:
- Store-bought pastry → Homemade (saves time)
- Butter → Margarine (not as good but works)
- Egg yolk → Whole egg (use less liquid)
- Regular flour → Gluten-free flour mix
Apple Changes:
- Granny Smith → Honeycrisp or Braeburn
- Fresh apples → Canned (drain them well)
- One type → Mix of different apples
- Tart → Sweet (use less sugar)
Sugar Options:
- White sugar → Brown sugar
- Regular → Coconut sugar
- Granulated → Powdered sugar
- Full amount → Half the amount
Flavor Tweaks:
- Regular → Almond extract
- Cinnamon → Apple pie spice
- Just cinnamon → Add vanilla extract
- Plain → Orange zest
Variations Tarte Aux Pommes
Tarte Normande Style:
- Add almond cream under the apples
- Sprinkle sliced almonds on top
- Use Calvados if you have it
- Extra rich and good
Rustic Free-Form:
- Skip the tart pan
- Roll pastry on a baking sheet
- Fold edges up around apples
- Emma calls this "messy style"
Caramel Apple:
- Drizzle caramel sauce over apples
- Add a pinch of sea salt
- Use brown sugar instead of white
- Kids go nuts for this one
Spiced Version:
- Add nutmeg and ginger
- Use maple syrup instead of sugar
- Cardamom if you're feeling fancy
- Tastes like fall
Emma's Favorite:
- Extra cinnamon
- No lemon juice (she hates sour)
- Cut apples thicker
- Vanilla ice cream on the side
What to Serve With Tarte Aux Pommes
This tart is pretty good on its own, but we usually add a few things to make it even better. The classic French way is with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream - homemade whipped cream is the best, but store-bought works fine when you're in a hurry. If you want to get fancy, crème fraîche is really good too, and strong coffee or espresso goes great with it.
When we have people over, I'll usually get some good vanilla bean ice cream and make hot tea or coffee. Sometimes if it's a fancy dinner, I'll put out some cheese, and the adults get wine while Emma gets apple juice. For quick weeknight desserts, we just eat it plain with forks, maybe with some store-bought vanilla ice cream and a cup of milk for Emma. She found out that this tart tastes really good with a glass of cold milk - she dips each bite like it's a cookie, which sounds weird but works pretty well.
Top Tip
- The secret to a good tarte aux pommes is all in how you slice those apples. Cut them as thin as you can - about ⅛ inch thick - and keep them all the same size. Emma and I learned this the hard way when our first few tarts had some apple slices that were soft and others that were still crunchy. Also, don't skip the lemon juice on the apple slices even if you're baking right away.
- Here's something most people don't know - let your assembled tart sit for about 10 minutes before baking. This gives the apples time to release a little juice, which mixes with the sugar and makes its own caramel sauce while it bakes. Emma found this out by accident when she got distracted watching cartoons, but it turned out to be the best tart we ever made. And one more thing - if your pastry starts getting too brown on the edges, just cover them with strips of foil.
The Flavor My Mom Never Shared
For years, my mom's tarte aux pommes always tasted different from mine, even though I was using her exact recipe. Every time I asked what made hers so good, she'd just smile and say "practice makes perfect." It wasn't until last Christmas when Emma was helping in the kitchen that we finally caught her secret. She was adding a tiny splash of rum to the apple mixture - just about a teaspoon - but only when she thought no one was looking.
But that wasn't even the best part. Her real trick was brushing the bottom of the pastry with Dijon mustard before adding the apples. I know it sounds nuts, but that tiny bit of mustard adds this deep, savory note that makes the apples taste more like apples somehow. She'd been doing it for thirty years and never told anyone. Now when we make our tarte aux pommes, we always add both the rum and the mustard.
FAQ
What is tarte fine aux pommes?
Tarte fine aux pommes is a thinner version of regular apple tart, usually made with puff pastry instead of regular pastry. The apples are sliced really thin and arranged in overlapping rows. It's more delicate than our version but takes longer to make.
What is a tarte aux pommes in English?
Tarte aux pommes is just "apple tart" in English. It's the classic French dessert with pastry, sliced apples, sugar, and usually cinnamon. Think of it like apple pie but flatter and fancier-looking.
What is the difference between tarte tatin and tarte aux pommes?
Tarte tatin is an upside-down apple tart where you caramelize the apples in the pan first, then put pastry on top and flip it over. Regular tarte aux pommes has the pastry on the bottom like a normal tart. Tarte tatin is trickier to make.
What is a tarte aux figues in English?
Tarte aux figues means "fig tart" in English. It's made the same way as apple tart but with fresh figs instead of apples. You can use the same pastry recipe and just swap the fruit.
Time to Make Your Own French Magic!
Now you've got all the tricks to make a really good tarte aux pommes - from rolling the pastry to my mom's secret mustard and rum trick. This French apple tart has become one of our favorite weekend projects, and Emma can pretty much make it by herself now (with a little help on the oven part).
Want more dessert favorites? Try our Easy Custard Recipe that's great for filling pastries or eating by the spoonful. Our The Best Tiramisu Fraise Recipe puts a fruity twist on the classic Italian dessert that everyone loves. And our Healthy Red Velvet Brownies Recipe gives you all the chocolate goodness without feeling bad about it!
Celebrate your apple tart triumphs! Mention we can’t wait to see your flaky masterpieces!
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Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Tarte Aux Pommes
Tarte Aux Pommes
Equipment
- 1 9″ tart pan (Removable-bottom preferred)
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Sharp knife (For peeling & slicing apples)
- 1 Cutting board
- 2 Mixing bowls (One for dough, one for apples)
- 1 Pastry brush (For apricot glaze)
- 1 Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 250 g All-purpose flour - Plus extra for dusting
- 125 g Cold unsalted butter - Cubed kept chilled
- 1 Egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon Cold water - More as needed
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Sugar - For pastry
- 4–5 medium Tart apples - e.g. Granny Smith peeled & cored
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice - To toss apple slices
- 2 tablespoon Sugar - To sprinkle over apples
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 20 g Butter - Cut into small dots for dotting
- 3 tablespoon Apricot jam - Warmed and strained for glazing
- Optional - 1 teaspoon rum; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; extra cinnamon
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk flour, salt, and sugar. Rub in butter until coarse crumbs. Stir in egg yolk and just enough cold water to bring dough together. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill 15 min.
- Peel, core, and slice apples ⅛″ thick. Toss in lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.
- Roll chilled dough into a 12″ circle, fit into tart pan, trim edges, and prick bottom. Arrange apple slices in overlapping rings, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, dot with butter.
- Bake at 190 °C (375 °F) until apples are tender and crust is golden (35–40 min). Remove any foil.
- Warm apricot jam with a splash of water; brush over hot tart. Cool 20 min before slicing.
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