This apple tart is a simple and delicious dessert that highlights the natural sweetness of apples. Made with just three main ingredients-pastry, apples, and honey-it is a straightforward recipe perfect for beginners or anyone looking for a quick and easy treat. Unlike a traditional French apple tart, this version focuses on flavor over perfect presentation, making it easy and forgiving to prepare.
This tart has been one of the first recipes I made growing up. It's the easiest and most delicious.
My mother wanted us to eat fresh fruit, so she never kept processed sweets in the house.
Since there were four of us, she wanted us to be independent. If we wanted a sweet bite, we had to make it ourselves without her help.
She needed a quick, simple recipe, so she always kept a roll of frozen pastry dough ready.
The speed and simplicity of this tart made it perfect for children.
Why is this apple tart so easy
What makes it truly easier than a French apple tart is the forgiving look.
Since it was made by kids, there's no need to cut the apples with perfection or fuss over a complicated nappage or apricot glaze.
We just peeled and thinly sliced the apples. During baking, these thin slices caramelize beautifully with the honey, creating a smooth, sweet, and comforting top layer that doesn't sacrifice flavor for presentation.
It also stores perfectly in the fridge for a few days, making it a great natural alternative to store-bought sweets.
This recipe is part of our series on traditional Italian apple and pear desserts, which will also include: a cake made with mostly apples, a recipe for using overripe pears, a three-hour slow-cooked cake, and a no-flour apple meringue mousse.
Ingredients
- Apples: firm, and slightly tart apples (like Fuji or Honeycrisp), peeled and thinly sliced.
- Pastry Dough: 1 sheet (round or square) of pre-rolled puff pastry. You may also use shortcrust or sweet shortcrust dough, fresh or frozen.
- Honey: liquid honey for the initial drizzle, plus extra to adjust to desired sweetness.
- Optional Topping: crushed nuts (walnuts or pistachios)
The measurements are in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Warm up the oven to 180∘C (355∘F).
- Step 2: Unroll the pastry sheet (puff or shortcrust) directly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Step 3: Peel the apples, then use a vegetable peeler or a mandoline slicer to cut them into very thin, uniform slices.
Precision is not needed here-just focus on thinness.
- Step 4: Spread the thin apple slices over the entire surface of the pastry dough, layering them closely to cover the dough completely.
- Step 5: Drizzle the liquid honey over the apples. Add more if you prefer a sweeter tart, ensuring the slices are lightly coated.
This ensures a thick enough layer of apple, despite the slices being nearly transparent.
- Step 6: If using, sprinkle the crushed nuts (walnuts or pistachios) evenly over the top of the apples.
- Step 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or follow the time specified on your pastry dough instructions until the crust is golden brown and the apples are caramelized.
- Remove the tart from the oven and let it rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, cut the tart into individual slices or squares.
How to serve it
This tart is delicious served in two very different ways.
For a comforting dessert after dinner, serve it warm right from the oven, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Alternatively, the tart holds its shape perfectly at room temperature or even chilled, making it ideal for a buffet, a picnic, or as a sweet bite for a packed lunch.
It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, cut into neat squares.
More desserts made with apples
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Quiker And Easier Than French Apple Tart
Verified Culinary AuthorityIngredients
- 6 apples
- 1 sheet puff pastry sheet about Ø 14 in - 35 cm in diameter
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or pistachio
Instructions
- Warm up the oven to 180∘C (355∘F).
- Unroll the pastry sheet (puff or shortcrust) directly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Peel the apples, then use a vegetable peeler or a mandoline slicer to cut them into very thin, uniform slices. Precision is not needed here-just focus on thinness.
- Spread the thin apple slices over the entire surface of the pastry dough, layering them closely to cover the dough completely.
- Drizzle the liquid honey over the apples. Add more if you prefer a sweeter tart, ensuring the slices are lightly coated.
- If using, sprinkle the crushed nuts (walnuts or pistachios) evenly over the top of the apples.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or follow the time specified on your pastry dough instructions until the crust is golden brown and the apples are caramelized.
- Remove the tart from the oven and let it rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, cut the tart into individual slices or squares.
- You can serve it warm or at room temperature
Video
Nutrition
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