Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe - My Sweet Precision (2024)

Published: · Last Updated: by Heather · 29 Comments

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This apple Tarte Tatin recipe is a classic French dessert. It features delicious caramelized apples and a buttery pastry crust. In this post, I walk you through Julia Child's recipe step-by-step to ensure success! This is one of my favorite fall desserts and the finished product will easily be a show stopper at your next dinner party!

Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Key ingredients and why we use them
  • Equipment
  • Frequently asked questions
  • More about Julia Child's recipe
  • Try these other apple recipes
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Why you'll love this recipe

Taste and Texture: Tarte Tatin consists of caramelized apple slices oven-baked in a skillet with the pastry on top. When done, it is turned upside-down, so the crust is on the bottom, and the apple slices remain in a design on top. The process of caramelizing the apples makes this dessert a delicious treat that is both sweet and tart.

Difficulty: This recipe is one of the easiest desserts I’ve attempted to make, but also has its distinct challenges. It’s easy because it’s baked upside down and the final presentation requires simply flipping the pan upside down! The tricky part is caramelizing the apples!

Key ingredients and why we use them

This apple Tarte Tatin recipe has a few key ingredients that I want to talk about a little more. Using quality ingredients is key to success with this recipe!

Apples: Apples are the star of this recipe. The best apples to bake with are firm enough to hold their shape during the baking process.I recommend golden delicious apples in the recipe below.

Butter: Cold butter is a must in this recipe. This is how you achieve that flaky and delicious crust that you want. I recommend using a quality brand of unsalted butter.

Cake Flour: This recipe uses a small amount of cake flour. Cake flour has a lower protein content and will produce a dough that is a little more tender. You don't want to omit this when making this recipe.

Equipment

Perhaps the most notable part of this recipe is the pan I used to cook the tart. On a trip to Paris last fall, my parents visited E. Dehellerin. Tucked away on rue Coquillière not too far from the Louvre, this store has sold cookware for professionals and serious home chefs since 1820. Julia Child was a regular here purchasing kitchenware while attending school at Le Cordon Bleu.

Knowing that E. Dehellerin is famous for their copper, my dad purchased a Tarte Tatin pan explicitly made for this recipe. I was pleased to learn that not only does copper conduct heat faster, but it also does so much more evenly. This combination is perfect for temperature control when working with sugar at a high temperature. Thanks, dad!

Frequently asked questions

How to test if my tart is ready to be unmolded?

After you take your tart out of the oven, you can test whether it’s ready to be unmolded. Simply tilt the pan, and if the juices are runny rather than a thick syrup, boil down rapidly on top of the stove. However, be sure not to evaporate them entirely, or the apples will stick to the pan.

What if my apples stick to the pan?

If a few apples stick to the pan—which does happen—fear not! Simply rearrange the slices as necessary. This almost always happened to me, so it's pretty common.

What kind of apples are good for Tarte Tatin?

The best apples to bake with are firm enough to hold their shape during the baking process.I recommend golden delicious apples in the recipe below.

More about Julia Child's recipe

The following recipe is courtesy of Julia Child’s book The Way to Cook, published in 1994. A Christmas gift from my dad several years ago, this is a magnificent cookbook in which Julia distills her knowledge from a lifetime of cooking into one book. She states that this recipe is her fourth and definitive recipe for Tarte Tatin in the book.

Try these other apple recipes

Don't stop baking with this apple Tarte Tatin recipe! Check out some more of our delicious apple recipes linked below.

  • Apple Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake
  • Apple Praline Cake
  • Homemade Apple Pie
  • Apple Cake

Ourrecipe indexis a great place to search all My Sweet Precision recipes!

Recipe

Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe - My Sweet Precision (8)

Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe

This apple tarte tatin recipe is a classic French dessert. It features delicious caramelized apples and a buttery pastry crust. In this post, I walk you through Julia Child's recipe step-by-step to ensure success!

Print Pin Comment

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Chill Dough Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours

Yield: 8

Equipment

  • 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet or copper tarte tatin mold

Ingredients

Pastry Dough

  • ¾ cups flour
  • ¼ cup cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening chilled
  • ¼ cup ice water

Tart Tatin

  • 6 golden delicious apples cored, peeled, and halved
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • whipped cream or vanilla ice cream optional as accompaniment

Instructions

Preparing the Dough

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the flours, sugar and butter. Pulse 5 or 6 times in ½-second bursts to break up the butter. Add the shortening, turn on the machine and immediately add the ice water, pulsing 2 or 3 times.

  • The dough should look like a mass of smallish lumps and should just hold together in a mass when a handful is pressed together. If the mixture is too dry, pulse in more water by droplets.

  • Turn the dough out onto the work surface and with the heel of your hand, rapidly and roughly push egg-size blobs into a 6-inch smear. Gather the dough into a relatively smooth cake, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

Preparing the Apples

  • Quarter, core, and peel the apples; cut the quarters in half lengthwise.

  • Toss in a bowl with the lemon and ½ cup of sugar, and let steep 20 minutes so they will exude their juices. Drain them.

Caramel Glaze

  • Set the frying pan over moderately high heat with the butter, and when melted blend in the remaining 1 cup sugar.

  • Stir about with a wooden spoon for several minutes, until the syrup turns a bubbly caramel brown – it will smooth out later, when the apples juices dissolve the sugar.

Arranging Apples in Pan

  • Remove from heat and arrange a layer of apple slices nicely in the bottom of the pan to make an attractive design.

  • Arrange the rest of the apples on top, close-packed, and only reasonably neat. Add enough so that they heap up 1 inch higher than the rim of the pan – they sink down as they cook.

Preliminary Stovetop Cooking

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F for the next step, placing the rack in the lower middle level. Set the pan again over moderately high heat, pressing the apples down as they soften, and drawing the accumulated juices up over them with the bulb baster – basting gives the apples a deliciously buttery caramel flavor.

  • In several minutes, when the apples begin to soften, cover the pan and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes, checking and basting frequently until the juices are thick and syrupy. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly while you roll out the dough.

The Dough Cover

  • The dough cover. Roll the chilled dough into a circle 3/16 inch thick and 1 inch larger than the top of your pan. Cut 4 steam holes, ¼-inch size, 1 ½ inches from around the center of the dough. ween the apples and the inside of the pan.

  • Working rapidly, fold the dough in half, then in quarters; center the point over the apples. Unfold the dough over the apples. Press the edges of the dough down bet

Bake and Serve

  • Bake and serve. Bake about 20 minutes at 425 degrees F. Bake until the pastry has browned and crisped.

  • Being careful of the red-hot pan handle, remove from the oven. Still remembering that the pan is red-hot, turn the serving dish upside down over the apples and reverse the two to unmold the tart. Serve hot, warm, or cold, with the optional whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes and Tips

After you take your tart out of the oven, you can test to see whether it’s ready be unmolded. Simply tilt the pan, and if the juices are runny rather than a thick syrup, boil down rapidly on top on the stove. However, be sure not to evaporate them completely or the apples will stick to the pan. If a few apples stick to the pan—which does happen—rearrange the slices as necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 602IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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Did you make this recipe?! First, let me say THANK YOU for giving it a try!

Please leave us a rating and feedback in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what went well — and didn't — with a recipe!

Happy Baking!
Heather

Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe - My Sweet Precision (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep Tarte Tatin from getting soggy? ›

However, I recommend you make the recipe all in one go to avoid the pastry going soggy. If you plan on making this in advance and caramelising the apples first, then wait for them to cool completely before adding the pastry. So make the recipe all in one go, leave the tart to cool then upturn onto a serving plate.

What is unusual about Tarte Tatin? ›

Named after the woman who invented it, the Tarte Tatin (tart tah-TAN) is a famous French "upside-down" caramelized apple tart or Tarte aux pommes (caramélisé). Basically, the apples are underneath the dough – topsy-turvy indeed.

Does a Tarte Tatin need to be served immediately? ›

The best way to eat it is 1-2 hours after cooking, when it is still warm and the pastry is crisp. You can cook the tart a day in advance, keep it in the mould and reheat it at 150°C for 20 minutes.

Which fruit is the principal ingredient of a traditional Tarte Tatin? ›

The tarte Tatin (French pronunciation: [taʁt tatɛ̃]), named after the Tatin sisters who invented it and served it in their hotel as its signature dish, is a pastry in which the fruit (usually apples) is caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked.

What is the best pan for Tarte Tatin? ›

The Silverwood Bakeware Tarte Tatin Pan is perfect for avid bakers. Resilient and heavy-duty, it will not warp, rust or peel. The alloy core spreads heat fast and evenly, producing perfect baking in a reduced time.

How do you keep the bottom of a tart from getting soggy? ›

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar.

What is the English name for a tarte tatin? ›

Dessert was an expertly-made tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream. This is a great recipe for tarte Tatin, the French version of an apple pie.

What does tatin mean in English? ›

(tɑːˈtæ̃) adjective. caramelized and baked in the manner of an upside-down cake. an apple tart Tatin.

What can I use instead of a tarte tatin tin? ›

You could use a cast iron ovenproof pan but as these are sturdier in construction than a tart tatin pan it will need to be preheated in the oven for slightly longer than the thin metal pan. We would suggest giving it 10-15 minutes in the oven before using.

When to flip a tarte tatin? ›

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. If serving immediately: let cool for 15 min, place a plate over the pan, and quickly flip the pan over. If serving later, reheat the pan to loosen up the caramel (the apples can get stuck if the pan if the caramel has thickened too much) before flipping.

Why is my tarte tatin bitter? ›

Let the mix cook on a medium heat checking the color as it cooks. When the mix becomes brown and thick (not dark brown) remove the pan from the heat. Watch closely because if caramel burns will become bitter.

Can I freeze a tarte tatin? ›

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 1 day ahead of time. How to Store: Cover the tarte Tatin and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze this covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before slicing and serving.

Which apples for tart? ›

Also, be sure to use apples suitable for baking, such as Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, Gala, or Honey Crisp. These apples hold their shape when cooked, while non-baking apples turn into applesauce.

Is Tarte Tatin Cookie a boy or girl? ›

Tarte Tatin Cookie is an experienced, wizened dragon hunter who is very fond of and protective of Dragon City. She is shown to have a deep resentment of dragons, viewing them as threats to Cookies with the knowledge of their history with Cookies.

What is the meaning of tarte? ›

Translation of tarte – French-English dictionary

a steak/apple pie. tart [noun] a pie containing eg fruit or jam. an apple tart.

How do you keep tart crust crispy? ›

Prebake your crust

“Whenever it's possible, I prebake the crust,” says cookbook author and famed baker Dorie Greenspan. “It's such a good way to keep the bottom crisp and tasty.” This works best with single-crust pies, like Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Chess Pie.

How do you keep bottom puff pastry from getting soggy? ›

Pastry being soggy in the middle is a result of the pastry being undercooked. Don't place the pastry on too high a shelf in the oven. One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

Why are my butter tarts soggy on the bottom? ›

If your butter tarts turn out too soggy, it's likely your filling was too watered down or your pastry was rolled too thin. Next time, make sure your pastry is rolled out to a 1/4-inch thickness. It may take a couple tries to perfect your butter tart, but you can do it!

How to store tarte tatin overnight? ›

Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days. (This key step reduces the amount of liquid in the tart.

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