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Rough folds of buttery crust wrap around a pile of cinnamon apples in this rustic apple tart. Tart Granny Smith and sweet Gala slices get tossed with lemon, cinnamon, and brown sugar, and the crust comes together in the food processor. A brush of melted butter and a sprinkle of sugar turn the crust golden in the oven. Set it on the Thanksgiving dessert table or bring it to Sunday supper, and serve each warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Y’all may have noticed that I like galettes, which is basically what this little apple tart is. Like my summer-favorite peach and blackberry galette, this one uses homemade pie crust from Mitchell Davis that you just fold over the edges of the apples. We’re not going for perfection here, so don’t even try to get all your folds exactly the same!
This is the easiest way to get that apple pie flavor without all the work of a homemade double-crust apple pie. Those are certainly delicious, but sometimes easy has to win.
Testing results for rustic apple tart
- I’ve tried refrigerated pie crust with this galette, and it works great. And let’s be real: y’all are not making homemade pie crust on a Tuesday night. Use refrigerated. It’s perfectly fine. Your people will love it.
- I’ve made this tart with lots of different apples, and tasters prefer a mix of tart and sweet. But you can use whatever you have!
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Granny Smith and Gala share the filling
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card.
Apples: The four medium apples are two Granny Smith and two Gala. The Granny Smiths keep the filling tart and the Galas sweeten it, the same balance you want in an apple pie. But hey — if your fruit bowl holds a different baking apple, use it.
Lemon juice: One large lemon gives you about 2 tablespoons of juice. For almost every single recipe that calls for lemon juice, I’m going to insist on fresh. But in this case, bottled is okay if that’s all you have. It’s really more to keep the apples from browning too much rather than for flavor.
Brown sugar: Light or dark both work. It goes in the filling and again on top, so use whichever bag is already open in your pantry.
Ice-cold water: Keep the water in the refrigerator until the moment it goes into the food processor.
Related 📖 ➡️ How to cook and bake with apples
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Tools for a free-form tart
A food processor makes quick work of this crust, and a sheet of parchment carries the tart from the counter to the hot baking sheet. A rolling pin and a pastry brush handle the rest.
Fold the edges like a rustic apple galette
Roll the dough out right on the parchment into a rough circle 10 to 12 inches across. It doesn’t need to be round, and nobody at the table is going to measure it. Leave a border of about 1 1/2 inches around the apples so there’s enough crust to fold, and the parchment lets the whole tart move to the oven in one piece.
Trim any dough that hangs well past the rest with a knife or a pizza cutter, then fold the border up over the outside ring of apples. The folds will overlap and look a little different all the way around, and that’s exactly how they should look. If pie crust has ever made you nervous, start here, since there’s no pie plate, no crimping, and no edge to get perfect.
Bake the rustic apple tart on a hot sheet
Put the baking sheet in the oven while it preheats, then slide the tart onto it, parchment and all, once it’s assembled. The hot metal starts baking the bottom crust the minute the tart touches it, so the crust cooks through under all those juicy apples instead of staying pale.
Pull it when the crust starts to brown and the apples are tender, about an hour in. Let it cool on a rack for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Warm slices with ice cream or caramel
This tart is meant to be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into a warm slice, and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce made with heavy cream on top doesn’t hurt either. If you have more apples to use up, my Southern apple recipes for fall run from fried apple pies to slow cooker apple butter.
Swap in the apples your family likes best and make it yours. A free-form tart that anybody can shape is a fall tradition worth starting at your house this year.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Rustic Apple Tart Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 4 medium apples 2 Granny Smith and 2 Gala, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
Crust
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup for dusting
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons ice-cold water
Topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Serving
- melted butter additional, for brushing (optional)
- vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Place a large baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, gently stir together 4 medium apples, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Set aside.
- Add 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup unsalted butter to a food processor and run on low speed until mixed.
- With the processor still running on low, pour in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons ice-cold water. The dough will be clumpy and soft.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. Gather the dough into a large ball and set it on the parchment.
- Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a 10- to 12-inch disc about 1/8 inch thick. The circle does not need to be perfectly round, and rough edges are fine.
- Sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Arrange the apple slices evenly in the center, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough uncovered around the edge. Fan them out in a large circle, then fill the middle with a smaller circle of slices.
- Trim any excess crust with a knife or pizza cutter, then fold the edges of the crust up over the outside of the apples. The folds do not need to be even.
- Brush the outside of the crust with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over the apples and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over the apples and the crust. Take the hot baking sheet out of the oven and slide the tart onto it on its parchment.
- Bake for 1 hour, until the crust starts to brown and the apples are tender. Move the tart to a cooling rack to rest for about 30 minutes.
- If the apples look dry, brush them with additional melted butter for a quick shine.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
