This Apple Crumble Tart recipe yields a tender crust filled with spiced apple filling and brown sugar oat streusel and is drizzled with homemade salted caramel. This fall apple dessert is the best of both worlds — an apple crumble and an apple tart all wrapped into one.
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A lot of my blogging friends are really excited for fall and have tons of recipe ideas for the season. I actually get a little hesitant for fall baking. So I needed a recipe to dip my toes into the fall waters without being full-blown pumpkin. Apples scream early fall to me. I adapted the apple filling from Taste of the Frontier.
I also realized it had been a minute since I made a tart! Tarts were my bread and butter when I started youthsweets. I love how reliably pretty and easily customizable they are, like my Mango Curd Tart. If you are looking for a simpler one, I would recommend my Gluten-Free Easy Almond Tart.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- The apple filling is loaded with fall flavor.
- The tart crust is tender and crisp.
- The brown sugar oat streusel adds a nice crunch.
Ingredients
- Apples provide flavor and moisture to the filling.
- Almond flour and all-purpose flour give structure and crumb to the tart crust.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the crust.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg give a robust flavor to the filling.
- Egg binds the crust.
- Vanilla and kosher salt balance the overall flavor profile.
- Heavy cream adds richness to the caramel.
- Unsalted butter adds richness to the crust, streusel and the caramel.
- Cornstarch gives the tart crust a crumbly texture.
- Lemon juice brings tartness to the apple filling and helps the caramel not recrystallize.
- Brown sugar flavors and sweetens the streusel and the filling.
- Oats bring texture to the streusel.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here’s how to customize this tart to your liking:
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- No nutmeg — omit the nutmeg in the filling or swap for cardamom and/or cloves.
- No brown sugar — swap for granulated sugar.
- No green apples — swap for any apples you have on hand, and adjust the filling cook time so you do not overcook the apples to mush.
- Different pan — use any tart or pie pan. A metal baking pan could also work, but would need to be lined with parchment paper to remove for slicing.
- Garnishes — garnish with ice cream or whipped cream.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make apple crumble tart
Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the room temperature butter and mix on low until a sandy texture forms. Dough should remain in a clump when grabbed. With the mixer running on low, add vanilla. Add half of the egg. If the dough comes together and looks like cookie dough it is ready. If it is still too dry, add the rest of the egg. Wrap in plastic and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate overnight or at least two hours. Roll out the tart dough on a floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Depending on whether you are using a rectangular or circular tart/pie pan you’ll want to roll it into a rectangle or circle. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan and press into the ridges. Trim the edges with a small sharp knife. Prick tart base with fork. Place parchment paper (scrunched first for easier shaping) on top of the tart and fill it with pie weights or dried beans or rice. Chill dough in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-27 minutes to par bake the crust. Carefully remove weights and parchment and return to the oven for a few minutes if the middle still looks “wet”. Let cool completely.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine until crumbles form. Do not overmix. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Step 3: In a medium saucepan, combine apples, lemon juice, water, salt and vanilla. Cook down 8-10 mins over medium high. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch. Add this mixture to the apples and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let mostly cool.
Step 4: Pour the apple filling into the par-baked crust. Depending on the tart or pie pan you are using you may not want to use all of the apple filling. You can use any leftovers in oatmeal or on top of ice cream. Top with the crumble mixture. Depending on the tart or pie pan you are using you may not want to use all of the crumble*. Bake for 30-35 minutes, keeping an eye on the crust so that it does not burn. Let cool in the pan until completely cool before attempting to unmold it. You can place it in the freezer to cool faster.
Hot tips
- The lemon juice in the caramel is optional, but I find it helps the caramel not recrystallize/fail.
- Freeze leftover crumble to use in another recipe or bake it off on a sheet pan and top yogurt or ice cream with it.
- If your tart pan has a removable bottom, use that as a guide for cutting your tart dough. Then cut long strips for the sides.
Recipe FAQs
Store tarts in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Wrap the chilled tart in plastic and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The unbaked tart shell can be stored in the freezer for up to one month.
Yes. Use a pastry blender or two knives to thoroughly work the butter into fine crumbs.
This is not recommended as the recipe has not been tested without it.
More recipes you'll love
Lastly, if you make this Apple Crumble Tart recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Apple Crumble Tart
Equipment
Ingredients
Vanilla tart dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- ½ cup almond flour (60g)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar (85g)
- 5 tablespoon cornstarch (50g)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoon butter (130g) room temperature, cut in ¼ inch cubes
- 1 large egg beaten
Brown sugar streusel
- ⅓ cup quick oats (28g)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (227g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed (220g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted (170g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Apple filling
- 6-7 green apples medium, peeled + diced (600g)
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (220g)
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅓ cup water (77g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Salted caramel sauce (optional garnish)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (85g) room temperature, cut into 6 pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml) room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Do ahead
- The tart dough needs to be chilled for at least two hours. I like to prep it the night before.
- Spray the tart pan with oil or grease it with softened butter.
Make the tart dough
- Whisk dry ingredients together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the room temperature butter and mix on low until a sandy texture forms. Dough should remain in a clump when grabbed.
- With the mixer running on low, add vanilla. Add half of the egg. If the dough comes together and looks like cookie dough it is ready. If it is still too dry, add the rest of the egg.
- Wrap in plastic and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate overnight or at least two hours.
Bake the tart shell
- Roll out the tart dough on a floured surface to ¼-inch thick with a rolling pin. Depending on whether you are using a rectangular or circular tart/pie pan you’ll want to roll it into a rectangle or circle.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the pan and press into the ridges. Trim the edges with a small sharp knife.
- Prick tart base with fork. Place parchment paper (scrunched first for easier shaping) on top of the tart and fill it with pie weights or dried beans or rice. Chill dough in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-27 minutes to par bake the crust. Carefully remove weights and parchment and return to the oven for a few minutes if the middle still looks “wet”.
- Let cool completely.
Make the streusel
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine until crumbles form. Do not overmix. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Make the filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine apples, lemon juice, water, salt and vanilla. Cook down 8-10 mins over medium high.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch. Add this mixture to the apples and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let mostly cool.
Assemble and bake
- Pour the apple filling into the par-baked crust. Depending on the tart or pie pan you are using you may not want to use all of the apple filling. You can use any leftovers in oatmeal or on top of ice cream.
- Top with the crumble mixture. Depending on the tart or pie pan you are using you may not want to use all of the crumble*. Bake for 30-35 minutes, keeping an eye on the crust so that it does not burn. Let cool in the pan until completely cool before attempting to unmold it. You can place it in the freezer to cool faster.
Make the salted caramel sauce
- Get out all of your ingredients in advance as this goes quickly.
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar is completely melted.
- When the sugar is completely melted, add the butter and stir with a whisk until combined. Be careful as the mixture will sputter and bubble up.
- Once the butter is incorporated, stir constantly while gradually adding the heavy cream. Be careful, again, as the mixture will sputter and bubble up. Once combined, stop stirring and boil for 1 minute or until the caramel reaches 220°F.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the kosher salt and vanilla and then pour into a heatproof container to cool to at least room temperature before using.
