Classic French Tarte Aux Pommes

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/15/21
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Chill: 3 hrs 20 mins
Total: 4 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 6 servings

A classic tarte aux pommes is the delicious apple tart found in every patisserie and restaurant in France. It comes filled with a soft, sweet homemade frangipane filling topped off with caramelized apples and fanned in the distinctive, striking spiral pattern making it instantly recognizable. Finished with a light apricot jam glaze, this classic dish is loved around the world, not just in France.

The universally loved apple pie flavor enriched with luscious almond cream and a beautiful presentation makes it the perfect ending to a dinner party, light lunch, or simple supper, and even as a treat with a cup of tea or coffee. The tart needs little else with it, but if you must, a little Chantilly Cream is more than enough.

Classic French Tarte Aux Pommes

The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

"This apple tart is elegant looking and delicious. If you make the dough and frangipane ahead of time, you could bake this on a weeknight. For easy dough preparation, I used a food processor. The crust was flaky and buttery. I only needed two apples. One variety I used, Pink Pearl, added a gorgeous color." —Danielle Centoni

Classic French Tarte Aux Pommes Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 1 1/4 cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt

  • 3 1/2 ounces (7 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

For the Frangipane:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup almond meal

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

For Assembling:

  • 2 to 4 medium sweet-tart cooking apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup apricot jelly, or strained apricot jam, heated until partially melted

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients for the dough.

    Classic French Tarte Aux Pommes dough ingredients

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  2. In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.

    In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  3. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.

    cut butter into the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  4. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cold water onto the mixture and toss a few times gently, just until starts to hold together. Add another tablespoon of cold water if necessary; the dough should hold together when squeezed but not be so wet it's sticky.

    add water to flour mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  5. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a thick disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours before working with it.

    dough wrapped in plastic

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

Make the Frangipane

  1. Gather the ingredients for the frangipane.

    ingredients for the frangipane

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  2. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer) and cream together.

    creamed butter and sugar in a bowl

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  3. Add the almond meal and mix to combine.

    almond meal with creamed butter

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  4. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, gently beating until all is mixed.

    add egg yolk and vanilla to the almond meal in the bowl

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  5. Finish by adding the flour and combining until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

    add flour to the almond meal mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

Assemble and Bake

  1. Gather remaining ingredients along with the dough and frangipane. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

    Classic French Tarte Aux Pommes ingredients

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough a circle large enough to fit a 9-inch or 10-inch fluted tart pan. It should be about 11 to 12 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick.

    roll out dough on parchment paper

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  3. Lay the dough into the tart pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides.

    Lay the dough into the tart pan and press it into the bottom

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  4. Roll the rolling pin across the top of the pan to trim off the excess dough. Chill the pastry for 20 minutes.

    cut the extra dough from the form

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  5. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.

    tart pan on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  6. Spread the frangipane evenly over the bottom of the chilled pastry shell, arrange the apple slices in a fan or spiral shape over the frangipane, and bake the tart for 12 to 15 minutes until the crust begins to turn golden brown.

    Spread the frangipane evenly over the bottom of the chilled pastry shell, arrange the apple slices in a fan

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  7. Reduce the heat to 350 F and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes until the apples are tender, but not overly soft, and the frangipane is cooked through and not sticky. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the apple tart to cool for 10 minutes.

    tarte on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  8. Brush the melted apricot jelly over the warm apples and serve the tart at room temperature.

    Classic French Tarte Aux Pommes, brushed with the melted apricot jelly

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

Tips

  • The tart does not keep well and isn't good for freezing, so enjoy it while you can. After a couple of days, the pastry will start to soften, which spoils the taste and texture. 
  • This is a classic tart, and as such should not be changed for other fruits or fillings. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
419 Calories
21g Fat
55g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 419
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 217mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 7mg 34%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 223mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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