Simple Puff Pastry Apple Tart is everything you love about apple pie without all the hassle of making it! It has all the warm and cozy apple pie flavorson a magically flaky crust. Drizzle vanilla icing over the top to make it extra pretty or serve it with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream! Either way you’re going to love it!
NOTE: This pictures and narrative in this post were updated in 2018. The recipe is still a favorite and hasn’t changed!
I have a little problem. I frets and stew for so long trying to decide what to make for dinner or dessert that I end up with about half and hour to get something whipped up. If I would just get myself organized and create a menu it would help, but then I’d have to decide what to make for a week or more in advance!
When I’m asked to bring food somewhere it’s even worse. I can’t EVER decide what to make. It must be something that kids will like, something adults will go crazy for, and something impressive. The clock ticks while I run my mind through every possible senerio and then I literally run out of time.
Maybe that’s why my site is chock full of super quick and easy dessert recipes that can practially be thrown together on your way out the door!
Simple Puff Pastry Apple Tart is that dessert that fits the “everyone will go crazy for it” and “I can make it in a jiffy” category. I can whip it up in about 20 minutes and let it bake while my kids do dishes!
Tips on how to use puff pastry
- It’s found in the freezer section, usually near the frozen pies and pie crusts
- Buy it ahead of time and store it in the freezer
- Wrap them in plastic wrap or put them in a sealable bag and lay flat to thaw. It usually takes about 20 minutes letting them sit at room temperature
- Unfold puff pastry. If it has tears gently press them back together. You may need to moisten your fingers with a little water to help it stick together.
- Roll it out on a lightly floured surface.
- Puff pastry can be cut into shapes, slices, squares, circles, or left whole
How to quickly assemble Simple Puff Pastry Apple Tart:
- Make sure puff pastry is thawed
- Roll it out on a lightly floured surface until its about an 8″ x 14″ rectangle
- Transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet (parchment makes dishes easy and keeps food from sticking to the pan)
- Create a 1/2″ border around the edges of the sheet. Be careful to only cut part way throught the sheet. This helps the apple filling to stay in the middle and the outside edge to puff up creating a nice little edge that helps keep the filling inside.
- Brush just inside the border with beaten egg.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Toss with lemon juice, sugar, spices, and seasonings.
- Arrange apples over puff pastry.
- Bake
- Drizzle with icing
What are the best apples for baking and eating fresh?
There have been a few questions about how to get the apples without being too crunchy or too soft. Some varieties of apples are better for baking and some are better for eating fresh. It seems like there are more and more multipurpose varieties available than there used to be. I love that because I don’t want to have to buy and store a couple different kinds of apples, remember which is which, and try to teach my kids which is which. I already feel overwhelmed!
Here are a few of my favorite apples that are great for cooking as well as for eating fresh.
- Honeycrisp
- Fuji
- Gala
- Braeburn
- Golden Delicious
- Pink Lady
What dessert is easier than apple and tastes just as good?
Carson loves apple pie and wants me to make it all the time. All you boy moms out there know when your son mentions his cravings for something, a small part of you wants to run to the kitchen and make it right then and there. Then there’s another part of you that just wants to spend the afternoon cleaning the pee off the floor (why can’t boys either learn to aim or simply sit down) and oraganizing the toy cars and fishing poles one more time.
Thank goodness for me Simple Puff Pastry Apple Tart is every bit as tasty as an apple pie without having to be stuck in the kitchen making a pie crust. That means I have extra time to teach them how to sanitize the floor around the toilet and surprise them with an apple dessert too! It’s a win win!
Here’s the printable recipe!
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 medium sized baking apples, I used Fuji
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- dash salt
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 T. butter
- ½ tsp. lemon juice
- Vanilla Frosting
- Thaw one sheet of puff pastry until room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll out into a 8" x 14" rectangle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Score edges of puff pastry creating a ½ inch border all around the pastry. You don't want to cut all the way through. Just make a score.
- Brush pastry, inside of border, with beaten egg.
- Peel and slice apples. Toss with lemon juice.
- Melt butter in a mixing bowl. Mix with cinnamon and brown sugar. Add to apples and toss together.
- Arrange apples as desired over puff pastry making sure to keep them inside scored border. Pour any remaining brown sugar mixture over apples.
- Bake at 30-35 minutes or until apples are tender and pastry is golden brown.
- Warm vanilla frosting in microwave until it reaches drizzling consistency. Drizzle over tart.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
This was a major hit in my home! I made it with apples, pears, and a dollop of vanilla ice cream…SO DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing.
Pears would be so yummy with this, and yes of course vanilla ice cream. Always vanilla ice cream!
Pears would be so yummy added to this. And of course vanilla ice cream, always!
Hi Amy, this looks great! Do you think it would be possible to leave off the egg? One of my boys has an allergy. I want to experiment but I don’t want to waste ingredients if it’s vital. Thanks!
Hi Seanna! I think you could easiely leave the egg off. It helps to make the pastry turn that gorgeous golden brown color! Good luck!
Do you fold the scores edge in after scoring it? I don’t see that step in the directions but how else does it form an edged crust?
I’m not exactly sure how the magic happens but it happens! Just score the edges before baking and they create a crust while it bakes! It’s so easy!
Okay, so according to the way I read the directions, the egg goes under the apples??? I thought it would go on the border. Please clarify.
Yup! The egg gets brushed right over the puff pastry before adding the apple mixture! It turns out perfect!
thanks for clarifying!
This is becoming a standard in our house for just the two of us or company. So easy, I have never used puff pastry before and will now never be without it in the freezer. I reduce the sugar and drizzle my apples with homemade boiled cider before baking for an extra rich apple taste.
Aren’t quick and easy recipes the best? I’m going to reduce the sugar next time I make it!
Hey! I’m from the UK and stumbled across your very delicious sounding recipe. Could you tell me what a ‘T’ of butter is the equivalent to in ozs? Many thanks
Hi Michelle! A “T” of butter is a Tablespoon, which is .5 ounces! Hope that helps!
I had some puff pastry left over and made this, was easy and delicious. Will bd making it again!
I am making your tart for our New Year’s Eve party. It’s looks great except I’ve already doubled the time and the apples are still raw. I’m using a professional oven that is excellent so it must be my apple type I chose. I am go8ng to give it a third 20 minutes (an hour) and hope it bakes. It looks good, just raw apples seem not quite right. Thanks for easy recipe. I usually make excellent apple pie as I’m a pie crust expert but too much work for 20.
It would depend on the type of apples you use. You could always steam, or sautee them for a few minutes before setting them on the apple tart just to let them cook a little first! Hope your party was fantastic!
I made this recipe but it was still raw in the middle as was my apples but more so the dough was raw in the middle please help !!!!
Hmmm! I’m not exactly sure why it’s not baking all the way through. Some varieties of apples take a little longer to soften than others which could affect baking time. I’m wondering if your apples were extra juicy causing the crust to be too moist? You could always steam your apples a little bit before adding them to the crust so they are more tender. Hope that helps!
Was in a hurry and this is what I found first on Pinterest. This recipe is incomplete, instructions are missing and having never used puff pastry before, I realized too late that the egg should have been brushed over the whole pastry before putting the apples on top. I am hoping this turns out, but I somehow think he crust will be soggy!
Please reread your instructions and ingredients before posting.
Not happy with this, maybe you should fix the post and clarify your instructions!!
Hi Donna! Sorry for your frustration! I’m not sure what is missing from the ingredient list. Can you please let me know which ingredients you aren’t seeing on your end so I can get them added. Also, from what I can see step five explains that you need to brush the egg over the puff pastry. Let me know if that step, or which other steps, aren’t showing up on your end and I’ll make sure to get them added. These dessert is so simple and yummy so I don’t want you to miss out because of error on my part!
Hi there
I loved the simplicity of this puff pastry apple pie. I am going to make it for my 4 year old grandson tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your recipes
Cheers
Lesle
Hi Lesely! I think your grandson is going to give you an extra hug after he tastes this apple tart! Enjoy your time with him!
Amy this tart looks amazing and wonderful that it’s SO simple to make!! Such a great idea for quick and simple, yet homemade dessert!
Thanks Jessica! The simple recipes are the ones we come back to over and over again! So yummy!
Do you think this will work with homemade jam? If so, do I add the jam before or after the puff pastry bakes?
Thanks
Hi Elizabeth! I’ve never tried making this with jam, but it sounds delicious! I’m not sure if you add the jam before baking if it will get runny and spread all over the place. Maybe you could make them in individual sizes. I’d probably cut the puff pastry into squares, then add the jam to half of each square, then fold the other half over and seal it with a fork. Then bake it like that. Let me know if you try it! Homemade jam is the best!