CLASSIC FRENCH TARTE TATIN RECIPE (French Apple Tart)

Last Updated:

12/15/2023

a slice of a French apple tarte (tarte tatin) with a dollop of cream on the top sat on a triangular spatula next to the rest of the pie.

Classic French Tarte Tatin Recipe (French apple tart)

The Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert typically made with caramelized apples. What’s special about this famous French pastry is the caramelization process of the apples before adding the dough. This was allegedly borne of a baking accident in the kitchen of the Hôtel Tatin run by the Tatin sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline, in Lamotte-Beuvron, France in the late 19th century. Caroline Tatin was the hostess and Stéphanie Tatin ran the kitchen. Legend has it she forgot to add the pastry dough before the baking process to create her specialty apple pie. In a panic, she added what was meant to be the pastry base on top of the apples afterwards, which is what created the now famous upside-down, caramelized French pastry. It was apparently a huge success with hotel guests. A French classic was born.

This French-style apple tart uses simple ingredients, and is served topped with fresh cream or crème fraîche.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 1 30

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 6 people

Equipment

1 cast-iron skillet or Tatin mold
1 Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Pastry

250 g of flour
125 g of butter
5 g of salt
1 egg yolk
50 ml of water

Filling

6 to 8 apples such as granny smith apples or golden delicious apples
100 g of butter
80 g of sugar

Whipped Cream

150 g 35% cream, chilled
20 g of icing sugar

Instructions

Pastry

Cut out the flour, butter and salt with a pastry cutter. Make a well, pour in the egg yolk and water. Knead the dough briefly and form a smooth ball. Leave to cool in the refrigerator.

Apple Filling

Peel the apples. With a sharp knife, cut them into quarters and remove the seeds.
In the sauté pan or Tatin mold, put half the sugar and start the caramel over medium heat.
As soon as the first colors appear, add the rest of the sugar, mixing gently with a wooden spoon.
Being careful not to burn yourself on the hot caramel sauce, arrange the apple quarters in the sugar mixture in the shape of a rose.
Add the pieces of butter, regularly spaced, between the apple slices. Leave to stew gently for a few minutes and then set aside to cool.

ASSEMBLY OF THE TATIN

Spread the dough to a thickness of two millimeters, cut into a circle slightly larger than the mold. Place the dough on the cooled apples.
Bake in an oven at 180°C for around 25 minutes, until you obtain a colored pastry. Let the tart cool.

DEMOLDING AND SERVICE

Heat for a few moments over low heat then un-mold onto a round serving plate. Serve with créme chantilly (whipped cream), crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
To make the crème chantilly, combine the chilled cream and icing sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until medium peaks (semi-sturdy, maintaining its shape but with a slight droop) are formed. Be careful not to over whisk.

Notes

Allergens: lactose, egg, gluten

FAQs

WHAT FRUIT IS USUALLY USED IN A TARTE TATIN?

Apple is the common fruit used in a classic tarte tatin. However, other fruits such as peaches and pears are also popular choices. HIP Paris favorite Amanda Bankert from Boneshaker Donuts makes a fabulous plant based banana tarte tatin in her book Voilà Vegan.

WHAT KIND OF APPLES ARE BEST FOR A TARTE TATIN?

It’s highly recommended you use firm and crisp apple varieties. Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp apples are all good choices.

WHAT IS THE BEST PAN FOR A TARTE TATIN?

The ideal pan for the Tarte Tatin should be a circular shaped cast-iron skillet, stainless steel, or an oven-safe ceramic-coated non-stick skillet or cake pan work too. You can also purchase specific Tarte Tatin pans.

HOW DO YOU KEEP A TARTE TATIN FROM GETTING SOGGY?

There are a few tricks to prevent the pastry from turning soggy. One is to peel the apples and leave them in the fridge uncovered overnight to allow them to dry out. The caramelization will hide any discolouration of the apples. Be sure to allow the Tarte Tatin to cool after removing it from the oven before you flip it. This will also prevent sogging.

CAN YOU REHEAT A TARTE TATIN

This gorgeous apple tart is best served fresh. If you would like to reheat it after keeping it in the fridge, ensure you allow it to return to room temperature before reheating it in the oven.

CAN I FREEZE A TARTE TATIN

Wrap the Tarte Tatin well in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Uou can freeze it for up to 2 months.

WRITTEN BY

Ferrandi Paris

Ferrandi is a professional training school located in central Paris. Established by The Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP), the school is part of École Grégoire-Ferrandi and specializes in training students for work in hospitality management and French cuisine. It has trained some of the outstanding chefs of our day including Joël Cesari – Michelin starred chef at La Chaumière, George Duran – Television personality, host of “Ultimate Cake Off”, Didier Elena – Two Michelin starred chef at Les Crayères, Essex House, Adeline Grattard – Michelin starred chef/owner of Yam’Tcha, Jacques Lameloise (fr) – Knight of the Legion of Honor and chef/owner of Lameloise, holds three Michelin stars, William Ledeuil – Chef at Ze Kitchen Galerie, holds one Michelin star, Lachlan MacKinnon Patterson – 2008 James Beard award winner, celebrity competitor on Top Chef Masters, Claire Saffitz – Contributing Food Editor at Bon Appétit Magazine, star of popular series “Gourmet Makes” on the Bon Appétit YouTube channel and Matthieu Viannay – Two Michelin starred chef at La Mère Brazier.

CLASSIC FRENCH TARTE TATIN RECIPE (French Apple Tart)