This beautiful apple tart is the best way to enjoy fall flavors. Filled with fresh apples, that soften in the oven to get an amazing spiced, airy crunch, then topped with whipped cream or ice cream, this easy dessert is a beginner baker’s dream.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe:
You can make simple desserts like this easy apple tart with only a few ingredients and only a few minutes of prep time. If you love apple pie but hate how much time it takes to make, this is the best apple recipe to get the same fall flavors with way less effort. While some tart recipes require a special pan, we simplified this one to be made in a sheet pan – so no tart pan needed!
This is a great base recipe to make other layers of fruit tarts, too. Following the same steps, you can sub out the apples for pears, peaches, or even your favorite berries.

Key Ingredients:
A pre-made puff pastry is going to be the star of this easy dessert recipe. Skip all the mixing and measuring and rolling it out, and use this shortcut to make this dessert in a fraction of the time. Just make sure the pastry dough is thawed so it is soft and pliable or you may get pieces of broken dough.
There is no right type of apple to use for this recipe. We used Pink Lady, but Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, or any other apple you have on hand will work. However, we will say that we prefer a crisp, less mealy apple, as they will hold their shape the best and produce the best texture.



How To Make Apple Tarts With Puff Pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and place the baking tray into the oven.
- Peel the apples and cut into thin slices with a sharp knife.
- Unfold the puff pastry. Sprinkle the sugar over the piece of baking paper and then place the puff pastry sheet on top.
- Fold the edges of the puff pastry to create a border.
- Arrange the apple slices overlapping each on the puff pastry.
- Whisk the butter with vanilla and maple syrup and brush it over the apples.
- Bake the apple tart for 30 minutes.



Variations & Optional Addins:
- Want flavors more similar to apple pie? Add ground cinnamon to the simple syrup or toss the apples in cinnamon before adding them to the pastry crust.
- Add a layer of apricot jam or apricot jelly in an even layer on the flaky crust to add even more flavor to this warm apple dessert.
- Sprinkle the top of the tart with brown sugar for even more of a sweet crunch.
- A little lemon juice added to the sugary wash is a great way to cut a little of the sweetness.
Expert Tips
- The sugar will give a crunchy crust to the French apple tart recipe.
- Is your pastry puffing up too much in the middle? Gently poke the puff pastry with a fork to prevent puffing where you don’t want it.
- Serve the apple tart with ice cream. This is our favorite homemade vanilla ice cream recipe.
- Pie crust is not the same as pastry dough, so if you choose to use it in place, you will not get the same fluffy or puffy texture.
- Place the thin apple slices into an ice water bath before using them to keep the apples from browning. Just be sure to use a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Other Apple Recipes You May Like

Apple Tart Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 inch square puff pastry, partially thawed
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2-3 Pink Lady or Gala apples, I used Pink Lady
For butter:
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Equipment
- Peeler, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven:
- Preheat your oven to 375℉.
- Place the baking tray into the oven.
Prepare the apple tart:
- Cut apple into thin slices (you can peel them if you do not like the texture). Not too thin because they will fall apart.
- Unfold the puff pastry. Sprinkle the sugar over the piece of baking paper and place the puff pastry sheet on top of the sugar.
- Fold over the edges of the puff pastry, creating a ¼-inch border.
- Arrange the apple slices in three rows, overlapping them slightly (see the picture for reference).
Prepare the butter:
- Whisk the butter with vanilla and maple syrup. Bush the apples with the prepared butter.
Bake:
- Bake the apple tart for 30 minutes. Remove the apple tart from the oven and cut into 6 slices. Serve.
Notes
- You can gently poke the puff pastry with a fork to prevent any puffing in areas where you do not want it to puff up too much.
- If you want a flavor more similar to apple pie, add cinnamon to the butter mixture, or sprinkle it on top of the apples before baking.



















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