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This caramel apple tart looks and tastes like you worked harder on it than you really did. Easier than pie and perfect for holidays or everyday cravings!
Tired of the same old pie or cake?
Make a quick apple tart and drown it in gooey salted caramel!
This apple tart with caramel sauce tastes like fall, but it’s just as good anytime you want something sweet and rewarding.
We’re keeping it simple with a store-bought crust, quick spiced apple filling, and from-scratch, buttery caramel you’ll want to lick off the spoon.
And with a cafe-display look and a perfectly messy-good texture in every bite, you’ll be glad you learned how to make salted caramel apple tart!
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Why choose between candy and fruit when you can have both with homemade caramel apple desserts?
After this fall tart, make sure to try caramel apple bites and caramel apple nachos next.
Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Tart Recipe
- With its centerpiece-worthy look, that familiar sweet-salty combo everyone loves, and simple ingredients, this caramel apple tart recipe is one of the best caramel desserts for the holidays and beyond!
- This apple tart with caramel sauce is basically three desserts in one. You get the cozy spiced flavor of an apple pie, the gooey richness of caramel apples, and all the no-top-crust goodness of a tart.
- This apple pie tart is easy to make your own. Swap the crust, play with different apple varieties, or tweak the caramel until it feels just right for you.
Ingredients
Pie crust – This salted caramel apple tart recipe keeps the prep work beginner-friendly by using store-bought pie crust!
But if you want a more hands-on dessert, this vegan pie crust is also perfect.
Lemon – Lends brightness to the decadent dessert and keeps the apples from browning too quickly.
Apples – You can use different apple varieties for a sweet-tart twist!
This is definitely one of the most beautiful dishes you can bake at home, so try to keep your apple slices nice and uniform.
Granulated sugar – Just a bit to boost the sweetness of our apple caramel tart filling.
Cornstarch – Helps thicken the apple filling.
Apple pie spice – A classic in fall tarts. You can also mix and match your favorite spices to showcase seasonal flavors!
Granulated sugar – For the caramel.
We’re using granulated white sugar, as brown sugar contains additional ingredients that can burn easily.
Water – Helps create a caramel sauce with just the right texture and sweetness.
Short on time? You can use store-bought caramel sauce or canned dulce de leche as your topping for this apple tart!
Kosher salt – A must for any good caramel recipe! It balances the sauce’s sweetness, making the luscious flavors of our apple and caramel tart pop even more. You can even sprinkle extra salt on top before serving the tart!
Heavy cream – For a rich and creamy homemade caramel sauce.
Unsalted butter – Makes the salted caramel topping rich and glossy. It also helps the heavy cream blend in smoothly!
Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce
Pears
Make this apple tart with caramel sauce even more interesting by mixing apples and pears in the filling!
Apricot glaze
Keep the apple topping from drying out by brushing it with apricot glaze halfway through baking and right after your caramel and apple tart comes out of the oven.
To make the glaze, just melt 2 tablespoons of apricot preserves in the microwave, then stir in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.
Vanilla ice cream and pecans
What’s better than a freshly baked apple tart with caramel drizzle?
A warm apple caramel tart topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream that’s gone slightly melted, plus chopped pecans for extra crunch!
Tips For Making This Recipe
Make the Prettiest Tart
For that straight-from-the-pastry-shop’s-display-case look, have the odd-sized apple slices as your base layer, then arrange the more uniform slices on top of your tart. You can also brush the apple topping with melted butter, then sprinkle a little sugar over the tart before baking for a golden finish.
Prevent a Soggy Crust
Worried that you’ll end up with a soggy crust? Use firm apples and bake the apple caramel tart in a fully preheated oven. I also recommend baking the tart on the oven’s lower rack.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
You can make this caramel apple tart ahead of time. Once cooled, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days without the caramel topping. To serve, reheat the apple caramel tart in the oven at 350°F for about 6 minutes, or if you’re short on time, pop it in the air fryer at 250°F for 2 minutes.
Apple Caramel Tart Recipe FAQs
Is there a difference between apple pie and apple tart?
Of course! An apple pie has both a top and bottom crust, while an apple tart only has a bottom crust, leaving its filling exposed. Apple tarts also have a more crumbly base, unlike the flakier crust of apple pies.
What are the best apples for apple tarts?
Firm, crisp apple varieties like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp are ideal for apple tarts because they hold their shape well during baking and don’t easily turn mushy in the oven.
Do you have to peel apples for apple tart?
It’s totally up to you! Peeling the apples makes them more tender, but if you prefer a bit more texture, leaving the skins on works just as well.
Should I drizzle the apple tart with caramel immediately?
You can wait until you’re ready to serve your caramel apple tart so the caramel doesn’t dry out. We want it perfectly gooey when the tart hits the table!
Can I use this recipe to make caramel apple tartlets?
We haven’t tested this recipe for mini apple tarts, but you can likely turn it into tartlets using puff pastry sheets cut into small rectangles. Thaw the frozen sheets, score a border around each rectangle, and prick the centers with a fork. Brush with egg wash and layer the spiced apples down the middle of each puff pastry rectangle. Finally, bake at 400°F for about 18 minutes, or until golden.
More Delicious Apple Recipes
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Gluten-Free Apple Muffins
- Apple Crumble Cheesecake
- Apple Crisp without Oats
- Snicker Apple Salad
I found this recipe for Poached Apple Cinnamon that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Caramel Apple Tart
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 apples, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
- 1 cup granulated sugar for the caramel
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Toss the apple slices in lemon juice to keep them from browning. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and apple pie spice, then mix until the apples are evenly coated.
- Roll out the crust and place it into the tart pan. Trim off any excess.
- Arrange the apples inside the crust. Pour in any leftover liquid from the mixture.
- Bake the apple tart for 45 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden.
- Once baked, remove the tart from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
- While the tart cools, prepare the caramel sauce. In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, and salt. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
- Once boiling, stop stirring to avoid scraping up any burnt bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Continue cooking the caramel sauce for 5 minutes, or until it turns a deep golden brown color.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and butter until smooth.
- Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the cooled apple tart, and you’re done. Enjoy!
Notes
- For that straight-from-the-pastry-shop ‘s-display-case look, have the odd-sized apple slices as your base layer, then arrange the more uniform slices on top of your tart. You can also brush the apple topping with melted butter, then sprinkle a little sugar over the tart before baking for a golden finish.
- Worried that you’ll end up with a soggy crust? Use firm apples and bake the apple caramel tart in a fully preheated oven. I also recommend baking the tart on the oven’s lower rack.
- You can make this caramel apple tart ahead of time. Once cooled, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days without the caramel topping. To serve, reheat the apple caramel tart in the oven at 350°F for about 6 minutes, or if you’re short on time, pop it in the air fryer at 250°F for 2 minutes.
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
