Name: Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 granny smith apples (, peeled and cored and cut into 1 inch thick slices); 3/4 cup (100g / 3½oz) caster sugar; 1/4 cup (60g / 2½oz) butter; 300 g (11oz) puff pastry rolled to a thickness of 3mm/⅛in, cut very slightly larger than the diameter of the tarte tin or pan

Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin - A classic dessert that is so simple to make

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

It’s Gemma’s mum, Patricia, sharing a recipe with you for the holidays. Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin is a favorite in our house. Mainly because it’s super quick to put together, and also for the simple reason that everyone loves it!

Apple Tarte Tatin has its origins in France, and this recipe is a favorite of mine from the great chef Raymond Blanc. From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy it!

Do you need a special pan for Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin?

The best pan to make any kind of tarte tatin in is a well seasoned cast iron pan. Cast iron conducts heat really well and really helps the fruit to cook through and caramelize.

If you don’t have a cast iron pan you can use another pan, just make sure the pan and its handle are oven safe. You’ll want to avoid nonstick pans for recipes like this Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin, too, as they don’t create the same depth of flavor or color in the caramel.

What kind of pastry is used for Tarte Tatin?

One of the best parts of this Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin is the way the puff pastry really melds with the caramel. The combination of the flakey buttery pastry with the sour apples and sweet caramel is really what makes this dessert sing.

While you can use a homemade puff pastry, or my rough puff pastry, you can definitely use store bought — just buy the best quality you can. I used pre-made frozen puff pastry for this recipe because it really does save me time. In the time it usually takes me to peel my apples and make the caramel, the crust is defrosted and ready to go.

[ Here is my Rough Puff Pastry Recipe! ]

What kind of apples work best? Can you use other fruit?

Making an apple tart in my younger years was a much simpler process and was usually made with a very sour “cooking” apple, called a Bramley seedling. This tarte however is made with an “eating” apple. Cox’s Orange Pippin, Braeburn, Elstar, Jonagold, Granny Smith, or even Golden Delicious apples are all good for this.

Tarte tatins are a great way to showcase seasonal fruit from pears to plums, and there are lots of other fruits you can make into a tarte tatin. Additionally, you can also make a savory tarte tatin using onions, shallots or beets. Yum!

Get More Recipes!

Follow Bigger Bolder Baking on Pinterest!

Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin

4.17 from 12 votes

Print Recipe

My Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin takes the combination of the flakey buttery pastry with the sour apples and sweet caramel to make a dessert that really sings.

Author: Patricia Stafford

Servings: -10 servings

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 1 hr

My Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin takes the combination of the flakey buttery pastry with the sour apples and sweet caramel to make a dessert that really sings.

Author: Patricia Stafford

Servings: -10 servings

Ingredients

3 granny smith apples , peeled and cored and cut into 1 inch thick slices
3/4 cup (100g / 3½oz) caster sugar
1/4 cup (60g / 2½oz) butter
300 g (11oz) puff pastry rolled to a thickness of 3mm/⅛in, cut very slightly larger than the diameter of the tarte tin or pan

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
First, melt the butter in a 10 1/2 inch oven safe pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the sugar and leave undisturbed over medium heat until all of the sugar has been absorbed.
Over medium heat, cook the caramel until it turns to a pale blonde caramel (do not let it become too dark or the flavor will overpower the apples).
Arrange the apple slices in a spiral pattern working from the outside of the pan to the center, packing them as tightly as possible. Once arranged carefully press them down with a spatula.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
Lay the disc of puff pastry on the top of your arranged apples. Tuck the edges of the pastry into the dish and press the pastry down making sure all the apples are making contact with the puff pastry.
Prick a few holes in the puff pastry to let the steam out as the tarte tatin cooks.
Put the pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown.
Remove form the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes before turning out. Don't let it sit too long or the caramel with cool down and set which will make it harder to turn out of the pan.
Serve warm or cold with ice cream, creme fraiche, or whipped cream.

Recipe Notes

You can make this as big or as small as you wish, this version is designed for a 20cm/8inch pan.

I use an old handleless frying pan for this as it is heavy enough to take the caramel cooking, but a strong baking pan will be good too.

If you like a sharper flavour, use Granny Smiths, but be aware they will give out a bit more juice during cooking and will not cook down as well as the other varieties. This dish is best made a day in advance to allow the pectin in the apples to gel and bind them together. Keep it in the tin after it is cooked and reheat at 150C/300F/Gas 2 for 20 minutes before serving.

Use my recipe for easy puff pastry which will yield great results.

12 Comments

most useful

newest oldest

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Mabel

9 months ago

This caramel just did not work. Previously I melted the sugar with water then added the butter. I thought different recipe I’ll try it. I ended up with a pan of melted butter with partially dissolved sugar. The butter was browning long before the sugar was anywhere near dissolved.

View Replies (1)

Dhruhan

1 year ago

Hello Gemma. I want to make this recipe but I don’t have a oven safe cooking pan so can I use a cake pan?

Carmen

4 years ago

Hi Gemma, got great pears and was looking for a pear tart or pie recipe and found myself here… can you help me find a delicious recipe for I am not much of a baker but rather savory ????????????????????????

SammiJo

Gemma, THANK YOU! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ve lost contact with most of the best bakers & cooks (some w/the actual title of Chef, tho many without who made equally scrumptious foodies w/o the beautiful presentation used by actual chefs lol) I knew from my time living south of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish. The ones I’ve had were mostly made more like a Dutch Baby; hwr, I have had the apple caramel tarte tatin w/the Bramley apples. ❤❤❤ Believe it or not, the local grocer to me actually had Japanese Pears in stock! (It’s such… Read more »

View Replies (3)

Roxy

Hey Gemma unfortunately I can’t get brown sugar for the edible cookie dough so is there any substitute or can I leave it out?
Plz reply soon

Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin

Do you need a special pan for Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin?

What kind of pastry is used for Tarte Tatin?

What kind of apples work best? Can you use other fruit?

Get More Recipes!

Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Meet Gemma

Meet Gemma

Do you need a special pan for Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin?

What kind of pastry is used for Tarte Tatin?

What kind of apples work best? Can you use other fruit?

Get More Recipes!

Try These Recipes!

Pâte Sucrée Recipe (French Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)

How To Make Quiche (With Homemade Buttermilk Pie Crust!)

Budget Baking: $7 Homemade Pumpkin Pie Vs. Store Bought

Cranberry Orange Crumb Tart

Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Meet Gemma

Meet Gemma