Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert featuring deeply caramelized apples and a buttery, flaky crust. It’s not a quick or easy recipe, but if you take your time and follow each step carefully, the results are stunning – rich, deeply delicious, and rustically elegant.
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What is Tarte Tatin?
Tarte Tatin is a classic French upside-down apple tart, traditionally made by caramelizing large apple pieces in butter and sugar in a heavy skillet, then topping them with pastry and baking until golden. After baking, the tart is flipped so the glossy, caramelized apples form the top and the crisp, buttery crust becomes the base. The result is a dessert with deep caramel flavor, beautifully glazed apples, and rich, flaky pastry. Reportedly created by the Tatin sisters in their Loire Valley hotel kitchen in the late 1800s, this rustic tart remains an iconic French classic.
Why This Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe Works
Who doesn’t love a caramel apple? This dish takes that same appealing flavor combination and turns it into an impressive dessert. I first came across Tarte Tatin when vacationing in Paris with my husband. After returning home, I started working on creating my own version of this fantastic dessert.
Drawing on techniques from Cook’s Illustrated, Julia Child, Gordon Ramsay, and The Kitchn, I spent several years refining and adjusting until I found the version that truly works. (Just ask Robert and our recipe tasting friends!) Along the way, I’ve had apples scorch, stick, or turn out mushy, and crusts that softened or even fell apart. This Tarte Tatin recipe solves all that: the caramel is rich and dark, the apples tender yet hold their shape, and the crust crisp, buttery, and sturdy enough to hold the apples.
Here’s why I love this recipe and think you will, too:
- Reliable results. Developed through years of careful refinement – and testing at various altitudes.
- Detailed guidance. Step-by-step instructions with process photos and expert tips.
- Perfect balance. Deep caramel flavor, tender apples, and a crisp, buttery crust.
- Make-ahead flexibility. Can be prepared in stages or baked ahead.
- Impressive finish. A dessert that consistently earns compliments and pride of place on the table.
Tarte Tatin Ingredients
You only need 11 ingredients to create this classic French dessert, all of which should be available at your local grocery store (quantities are in the recipe card below):
Dough for crust (7 ingredients)
- All-purpose and cake flour – a mixture that delivers a crust that’s tender but sturdy enough to hold the caramelized apples.
- Unsalted butter – for rich flavor and golden color.
- Vegetable shortening – provides stability and flakiness, especially at high altitude.
- Granulated sugar – enhances flavor and browning.
- Table salt – sharpens flavor and balances the butter’s richness.
- Ice water – binds the dough without overdeveloping gluten.
Note: This dough is a variation of my Classic Flaky Pie Crust – modified with the addition of cake flour and slightly more butter for a tender, rich crust that still stays crisp under the caramelized apples.
Apple Tarte FillinG (4 ingredients)
- Apples – Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Braeburn are the best apples to use.
- Fresh lemon juice – prevents apple browning and adds bright acidity.
- Granulated sugar – caramelizes with butter to form the sauce.
- Unsalted butter – creates a smooth, glossy caramel and deep flavor.
Best Apple for Tarte Tatin
Firm, slightly tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Braeburn work best in Tarte Tatin because they’ll hold their shape and balance the caramel’s sweetness. In my testing, Gala apples also worked, but need to be handled gently – they soften more than the others but still produce excellent flavor.
How to Make a Tarte Tatin
Here’s an overview of the key steps involved in creating this tarte (scroll down for more detailed instructions, including how to know when your dough is moist enough and when your tarte is ready to flip):
- Make the dough. In a food processor, pulse together the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and shortening; pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. Add ice water, pulsing just until the dough starts to clump together.
- Chill and roll. Form the dough into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out slightly larger than the top edge of your skillet and keep chilled until ready to use.
- Prep the apples. Peel, halve, and core the apples, then cut each half in two vertically. Toss with lemon juice.
- Combine caramel ingredients, add apples. In a 9 or 10-inch oven-safe skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat, then sprinkle sugar evenly over top, and swirl gently to combine. Place apple quarters on their side in a tight concentric circle; fill the inside with more apples to cover.
- Start cooking the caramel. Cook over medium-high heat until the caramel turns a butterscotch color, about 12-15 minutes.
- Flip the apples. Turn off heat. Using two forks, carefully turn each apple piece so the caramelized side faces up.
- Continue cooking. Cook for 4-5 minutes longer, until the caramel turns a darker amber color.
- Add the crust. Remove skillet from heat. Drape the chilled dough over the apples, tucking the edges down around the fruit. Cut small vents near the center.
- Bake. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
- Flip the tart. Cool 5-10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge. Place a serving plate over the skillet and carefully flip.
- Rest and serve. Let rest about 45 minutes before serving – to allow the caramel to thicken slightly and the apples to set, so each slice holds together neatly. Serve with butter pecan or vanilla ice cream.
Substitutions and Variations
- To save time, use a store-bought pie crust.
- Add a bit of crunch by sprinkling 1/4 cup of toasted, chopped pecans over the apples just before adding the crust.
- Add warmth and depth by whisking 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon into the granulated sugar before adding it to the butter.
Tips and Troubleshooting
Here are a few tips to ensure your apple Tarte Tatin comes out perfectly:
- The type of apple matters. You need apples that’re firm enough to hold their shape and tart enough to balance the caramel’s sweetness. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Braebun work best. Pick apples that are around the same size if possible and that don’t have bruises. When you peel them, if you discover bruises, use a peeler to remove.
- Watch the caramel color carefully. Once it turns a rich amber color, remove it from the stovetop immediately to prevent burning and bitterness.
- Use the right skillet. A heavy, oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron, conducts heat evenly and makes flipping easier.
- Work quickly but carefully when flipping the tart. Protect your hands (I use potholders). And, if any apple pieces stick, use a spoon to gently remove them from the pan and put back in place on the tarte.
- If apples and caramel won’t come out of the pan (you left it in the skillet too long). Set the skillet over low heat for 20-30 seconds to loosen the caramel.
- Re-centering. If the tart is off-center on the plate after flipping (which has happened to me!), let it cool for a few minutes, then gently nudge it into place with a spatula.
- High altitude. Follow the adjustments included in the recipe card.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Crust: Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or well wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months.
- Baked tart (up to 24 hours ahead): Can be baked and flipped earlier in the day, then loosely covered with foil and held at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- Baked tart (refrigerated): Wrap loosely in foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To rewarm, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat, uncovered, in a 300-degree F oven for 10-15 minutes to soften the caramel and crisp the crust.
- Frozen tart: Flip baked tart onto a freezer-safe base, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature for 30 minutes, then warm, uncovered, in a 325°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
More Delicious Tart Recipes
Classic Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe
Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert featuring deeply caramelized apples and a buttery, flaky crust. And, this version gets it right – deep caramel flavor, tender apples that hold their shape, and a tender crust that stays crisp. Thoroughly tested and make-ahead friendly, it’s impressive, reliable, and worth every step!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1/4 cup cake flour (preferably unbleached if at high altitude)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
- 2 tablespoons organic vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces and chilled
- 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Apple Tarte filling
- 6 to 7 large Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Vanilla or Butter Pecan ice cream, for serving
Instructions
Prepare Dough
- Place the flours, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cover and pulse 2-3 times to mix.
- Add the cut-up shortening and butter and process 5-10 seconds until the dough is the size of small peas.
- Add 4 tablespoons of cold water and pulse, 3-4 times. Watch the dough carefully and stop the machine as soon as the dough starts to clump together. It will look rough and lumpy, and there may be pieces of butter. If it looks too dry and crumbly, sprinkle in more water and pulse 1 more time. Pinch the dough together with your fingers; if the dough holds together, it is done. Do not allow the dough to form a ball on the machine blades as it will be overworked and tough.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a flat disc around 5 to 6 inches in diameter, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days).
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for around 5 minutes (this makes it easier to roll).
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a circle 1/2 inch larger than the diameter at the top edge of the skillet you will use to cook the tarte. Place rolled dough on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and put back in the refrigerator.
Prepare Filling
- Move an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Peel the apples, cut them in half pole to pole, then remove the core and stem (I use a melon baller). Cut each piece in half; you should have a total of 24 to 28 apple pieces. As you prepare the apples, place them in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
- Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a 9 or 10-inch ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top of the butter; swirl the pan to combine.
- Turn off the heat and arrange the apple pieces over the sugar in a circular pattern. First, make a circle of apple slices just inside the pan wall, positioning the apple slices on their side. Fit apple pieces tightly together, overlapping them. Next, fill the middle with apple slices to cover the entire surface.
- Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the juices turn a butterscotch/amber color, around 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and, using 2 forks, gently turn the apple quarters over so the caramelized side is on top and the outside (round side) of the apple pieces is facing down. Be careful as the skillet is very hot, and the apples and sauce will be steamy!
- Remove the rolled dough from the refrigerator.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and continue cooking until the sauce is a darker amber color, about 4-5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Bake
- Fold the rolled dough in half, then in quarters. Center the point over the center of the apples; unfold the dough over the apples. Using a fork, carefully and quickly tuck the dough in around the outside of the apples. Tuck in any extra dough to add strength to the sides. Cut 4-5 air holes in the dough, around 1-2 inches from the center.
- Bake until crust is golden brown, around 25-30 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and set on a wire rack to cool.
- After around 5-10 minutes, if the bubbling around the edges of the tarte has stopped, and the caramel looks thick, syrupy, not watery (peek inside one edge), it’s time to flip it out of the pan.
- Run a knife around the edge of the tarte to loosen. Place a large rimmed serving plate over the skillet and, using potholders, carefully flip the tarte over. Remove the skillet. Using a spoon, remove any apples that stick to the skillet and place them back in place on the tarte. Spoon any remaining caramel from the pan over the top of the tarte.
- Let the tarte rest for 45 minutes before cutting and serving. It can rest at room temperature for up to 5 hours; after that, if needed, rewarm in a 300-degree F oven for 5-8 minutes to gently relax the caramel sauce.
- Serve with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.
Notes
High-Altitude Adjustments (5,000-9,000 ft)
* Crust: Use unbleached flours and add 1-2 teaspoons extra ice water if the dough doesn’t pass the pinch test.
* Apples: They’ll lose a bit more moisture, so pack them tightly in the pan before baking.
* Baking: Check 3-5 minutes early for browning.
* Flipping: If using cast iron, you may have to flip the tarte after 7-10 minutes (instead of 10-15) so the caramel doesn’t harden in the hot pan.
Make Ahead:
* Crust: Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or well wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months.
* Baked tart (up to 24 hours ahead): Can be baked and flipped earlier in the day, then loosely covered with foil and held at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
* Baked tart (refrigerated): Wrap loosely in foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To rewarm, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat, uncovered, in a 300-degree F oven for 10-15 minutes to soften the caramel and crisp the crust.
* Frozen tart: Flip baked tart onto a freezer-safe base, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature for 30 minutes, then warm, uncovered, in a 325°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Category: Dessert, make ahead
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (without ice cream)
- Calories: 456
- Sugar: 44.1 g
- Sodium: 41.8 mg
- Fat: 23.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.4 g
- Fiber: 4.4 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
- Cholesterol: 53.4 mg
