This upside-down apple tart with puff pastry is my simplified version of the classic French bakery dessert tarte tatin. It’s just apples, butter, honey and brown sugar, but the end result is cake case worthy!
A simplified version of the French classic.
I spend enough time in France, and every bakery has some version of a simple tart with a sweet pastry topped with thinly sliced fruit.
It’s like our version. Apple crisp. Very few ingredients, but the combined result is absolute perfection.
A tarte tatin with apples and flour is similar to these simple tarts, but the apples are baked in a caramel sauce, then the pastry is baked on top. It is baked, then inverted onto a serving plate.
I’ve made one before, and while it’s delicious, the caramel aspect makes it even more outstanding.
This upside-down apple tart is the best of both worlds!
You have caramelized sweet apples and you have a flip like a tarte tatin, but it’s so easy to make at home because everything is done hands-free on a sheet pan.
Looking for an easy apple dessert that skips baking altogether? Try these Fried apple slices.
Key elements
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to note.
- Apple. Choose firm apples that will hold up well for baking. I love sweet-tasting apples like Honeycrisp and Jazz, but Granny Smith or baking tart apples from your favorite garden will work just as well.
- Puff cake. It was found in the freezer section of the grocery store. This is very important, so don’t jump and buy the cheapest brand. I love Pepperedge Farm.
- Butter, honey and brown sugar. These are caramelized with apple juice to create a sweet and glossy topping.
- Cinnamon. Cinnamon isn’t typically added to French apple tarts (Americans use cinnamon more regularly than the French), but I’m still an American girl, so I add it and I love it! You do.
Tips for cutting and preparing apples
- Cut THIN. Cut apple slices 1/8 inch or smaller. No fat and not cooked. I recommend it. Mandolin slither so cheap.
- Peeling is on or off. I leave the peel on the apple for an apple tart. I love the color to the touch, and the apples are so thin you don’t really notice the peels. That said, if you prefer pureed apples in your desserts, you certainly can.
- Seal the pieces. When you arrange the apple slices in a row, once they are cooked, close them properly so that there are no open spaces.
More delicious apple desserts
This simple and elegant French-style apple tart features fanny apple slices baked in puff pastry, butter, and brown sugar. Easy and delicious!
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- From 4 to 6 A spoonful of soup Mar
- 6 A spoonful of soup unsalted butter Cut into 6 equal pieces
- 2 A spoonful of soup Light brown sugar
- 1 ½ Tea spoons Ground cinnamon
- ½ to 1 Tea spoon flakey sea salt or kosher salt
- 2 Medium Honeycrisp Granny Smith, or similar crisp apples, sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1 Sheet of frozen puff pastry Melt according to package instructions
- 1 Big egg Beat with 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash
- Powdered sugar Option to serve
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a clean baking sheet with parchment paper (be sure to twist, the juices will run out!).
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Make 2 rows of honey on the parchment in 6 equally spaced “squiggles”. 3. Draw a straight line with the honey about 2 inches long for each and roll the honey back and forth in an “S” shape into the line (see video). Make a butter in the middle of each. Your goal is to create a “grid” to plant the bread.
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Sprinkle a pinch each of brown sugar, cinnamon and salt on each butter (exact measurements are not important, just eyeball).
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Spread the apple slices on the butter patty to create 3 long columns placed side by side. Starting on the right or left side, run the apples evenly over 3 pats of butter. Press the apples tightly against each other so that no parchment is visible (they will rise up and over the butter). Have the apples point straight at you or straight away.
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After completing the first column, complete the middle column, placing the apples between the 2 columns of butter, directly on the parchment. For this column, place the apples in short rows with the fans pointing to the left, then to the right (it will be slightly narrower than the other 2 columns).
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Then make the last column, fix it on the remaining pats. You’re looking for a rectangle that’s roughly 8×10 inches.
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Turn out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out a rectangle about 2 inches longer than the apples on each side (mine was 10×13). Spread the bread like a blanket over the apples. With tins, press all the way around the baking sheet to create a border.
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Brush the bread lightly with egg wash. Blot up any puddles with a paper towel.
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Bake in the center for 30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and puffy.
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Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes (some juices will escape and it will turn brown, just scoop it out with a spoon and throw it away). Set a large cutting board over the pan and scrape it off in one big, confident motion. Remove the pan and peel the parchment. Sprinkle with powdered sugar as desired and cut into squares.
- to storeThis tart is best enjoyed the day it is made, but can be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. Reheat in oven or toaster oven.
Calories: 102kcalCarbohydrates: 12GProtein: 1GFat: 6GSaturated fat: 4GPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3GMonounsaturated fat: 2GTrans fat: 0.2GCholesterol: 31mgsodium 202mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1GSugar: 11GVitamin A; 215IUVitamin C 1mgCalcium: 11mgSteel: 0.2mg