Name: Apple tarte tatin recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves: 6
Cuisine: Baking, French
Ingredients: 150g flour; 125g caster sugar; 150g butter; 2 egg yolks; Juice of 1 lemon; 4-6 apples, peeled, cored and quartered

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 25 September 2023

in Recipes

Our simple apple tarte tatin uses six ingredients and is under 500 calories per portion.

This is a classic French recipe but it’s easier than you might think to make from scratch. We’ve made our own pastry for maximum flavour but if you’re short on time you can use a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry. We like to serve the tarte tatin with ice cream but custard or double cream are excellent choices too.

Ingredients

150g flour
125g caster sugar
150g butter
2 egg yolks
Juice of 1 lemon
4-6 apples, peeled, cored and quartered

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Method

First make the pastry. Combine the flour,100g of the sugar and 100g of the butter together in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and combine until your pastry cleans the bowl. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan, Gas 6). Heat the remaining butter in an ovenproof frying pan and add the remaining 25g sugar. When the butter and sugar has melted, add the lemon juice and apples. Coat the apples evenly in the syrup and then carefully arrange in the pan, cut side up.
Roll out the pastry so it’s approx 3-4mm thick and just smaller than the size of your pan. You want it to cover the apples, but trim off any that hangs over the side of the pan once it’s on top. Prick with a knife 2 or 3 times, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 170C (150C, Gas 3) and bake for another 20 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edge and leave to rest for a few minutes.
To serve, turn over carefully onto a serving plate. If any pieces of apple remain in the pan, gently lift them onto the tart. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Top tips for making apple tarte tatin

If you’d like some added crunch, you could coat the apples in a tablespoon or two of demerara sugar just before covering with the pastry. You might also like to serve with a scattering of toasted flaked almonds. For more tips and tricks, continue reading below.

What pastry is tarte tatin made of?

This generally comes down to preference. Some recipes use a shortcrust pastry whereas others prefer puff pastry. This recipe uses a homemade sweet shortcrust but you can swap for readymade if you prefer. We recommend using an all butter pastry for a richer colour and flavour.

What is the best pan for tarte tatin?

The pan needs to be suitable for hob and oven cooking. This means it’s important to make sure the handle can withstand heat too. The most common pan for making tarte tatin is a cast iron frying pan.

Why is my tarte tatin so runny?

If your syrup is very loose, cook for a minute or two until starting to thicken before you add the apples. When you coat the apples it should stick to the fruit and shouldn’t run straight off. Again bubble for a minute or two to thicken if needed.

Why is my tarte tatin soggy?

It’s very important to cut some steam holes in the pastry to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy. You should also serve it warm as close to when it comes out of the oven as possible. As it cools the moisture will make the pastry less crisp.

If you’re making your own pastry and need to roll it out, we love this adjustable rolling pin from Joseph Joseph. It’s one of the best kitchen gadgets under £50

For an apple dessert that only requires two ingredients, our stewed apples are perfect. You might also like our classic apple crumble recipe or this apple and blackberry crumble if blackberries are in season.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.