Easy Apple Tart Recipe (with Almond Paste Filling)

The end of the year means plenty of holiday dinners to cook for — or at least it does in my house. We’ve hosted Thanksgiving for several years in the past before kids. I really wish I could share everything we usually make with all of you, but I don’t think I could squeeze it into one post, or even a week of posts! So I figured, why not highlight my favorite contribution to the meal, also known as apple tart with almond paste filling.

I know a tart isn’t exactly like a pie… but they are similar. I like to think of them as cousins. This easy apple tart is so good that I’m actually considering forgoing the traditional two crust apple pie I usually make. The flavors are similar (but this is… dare I say, better?), and I kind of love that it’s so much easier to make than a pie, peeling and slicing only a few apples versus a whole basket. It also tastes just as delicious with a serving of ice cream and a mug of apple cider on the side.

Helpful tools

You don’t need anything special for my easy apple tart recipe. I usually use my food processor to make my all-butter pie crust and my easy almond paste, but you could use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment instead if that’s what you have or make everything by hand.

And of course you’ll need an 8″ or 9″ tart pan to bake the tart in.

Ingredients and substitutions

As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:

1. All-purpose flour – the base of the pie crust. I always have AP on hand and find that it works really well in the crust, but pastry flour could also be used.
2. Unsalted butter – make sure that it is very cold for the crust — I keep it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to use it. I also use a little bit of butter for the apple topping, but I melt it first.
3. Granulated sugar – adds sweetness to the crust and helps with browning. I sprinkle it on top of the apples as well to enhance their natural flavor.
4. Salt – key for enhancing the flavor and balancing out the sugar in the crust and the homemade almond paste.
5. Almond meal/flour – the nutty, almond-flavored base for the paste. Opt for almond meal or flour. If you can’t find either, I recommend adding blanched almonds to a food processor and pulsing until they are finely ground.
6. Powdered sugar – also for the almond paste. Powdered sugar adds sweetness without messing with the texture.
7. Egg white – binds the almond flour and powdered sugar together to create a paste. You can use pasteurized egg white from the carton, you’ll need a smidge more than 2 tablespoons to substitute for 1 fresh egg white which is about 33 grams.
8. Almond extract – highlights and enhances the almond flavor making it more pronounced.
9. Honeycrisp apples – crisp and sweet Honeycrisp are my favorite option for this easy apple tart as they also hold their shape well when baked. Fuji, Gala and Pink Lady are good alternatives. Granny Smith is a bit too tart for this recipe. Choose apples that are similar in size so you end up with uniform slices for the topping to make it look pretty.
10. Cinnamon – just a little bit adds warmth and spice, and contributes to the signature apple pie flavor.

How to make my easy apple tart recipe

The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Start the pie dough

Turn the dough out and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Prepare the almond paste

Note: Homemade almond paste can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 10 days. And if you don’t want to make it from scratch, you can use store-bought. I usually buy Odense Almond Paste since it’s always available where I live.

Assemble the apple pie tart

Remove the pie dough from the fridge. Roll it out into a circle that’s about 2-inch larger than the tart pan. Transfer the circle to the pan and press into the bottom and sides. Remove any overhang with a rolling pin, cover the dough in plastic, and place in the freezer to chill while the oven is preheating.

Tip: Before preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, move the rack to the lower third. This ensures that the crust bakes evenly without overcooking or burning the apples on top.

In the meantime, peel and cut the apples into ⅛-inch thick slices. Remove the crust from the freezer and add the almond paste. Lightly spread and press down so that it covers the bottom evenly.

Arrange the apple slices on top of the almond paste in concentric circles in one layer, overlapping each piece, as shown in the images. Brush with melted butter, combine the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle the mixture on top.

Bake for 50 minutes, then let the apple almond tart cool on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!

Note: If your oven runs hot, you may need to shorten the bake time or tent the tart with a piece of foil toward the end to avoid burning. 

More baker’s tips

• Spread or roll the almond paste – homemade almond paste if softer and easier to spread than store bought one. However, if you made the almond paste ahead of time and it’s been in the fridge for a few days, it may be harder to spread. You can roll it out into a circle between a piece of parchment paper and the plastic wrap like I did in this almond rugelach recipe.
• How much almond paste to use – my homemade almond paste recipe yields about 7 ounces or 198 grams.
• Use jam to brush the apples – a reader recommended using apricot jam to brush the apple layer to better protect the apples from over-drying during baking.

Storage

If you think you’ll finish this apple pie tart within a couple of days, feel free to store it covered at room temperature. Otherwise, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

My easy apple tart recipe also freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap the entire tart (or individual slices) in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection against freezer burn and freezer smell.

You can serve leftover chilled or at room temperature. If you like your tart warm, I recommend heating it up in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Single slices can also be reheated in a toaster oven if you have one.

From frozen, you can let the tart thaw overnight in the fridge and serve chilled the next day or warm it up as directed above. Or you can also pop the tart directly in the oven without letting it thaw and allow it to heat for a bit longer, 20-25 minutes. If it starts browning too quickly, I add a piece of foil loosely on top to prevent it from burning.

FAQs

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