This Apple Tart is a stunning fall dessert that combines shortcuts like store-bought pie crust with special touches like pecan butter and homemade caramel sauce.

A slice of apple tart drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with chopped pecans, on a small plate.

Apple Tart Recipe with Pecan Maple Butter

My first class in culinary school was an entry-level pastry class, and it seemed like almost all we did was make fruit tarts. I think because they usually turn out beautiful enough to sell at a pastry shop (which the school did, with all of the student work) but they’re easy enough that somebody in an entry-level class can make them with relative ease.

This apple tart recipe is adapted from one of my culinary school textbooks. It takes techniques I learned in school, like beautifully arranging apples and using a simple glaze to lock in moisture, combined with some shortcuts like store-bought pie crust and caramel sauce you make in the microwave, to create a stunning dessert that will get rave reviews.

Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Tart Recipe

  • Combining seasonal flavors like apples, pecans and maple syrup, it’s the ideal dessert for fall gatherings or Thanksgiving.
  • The finishing product is so stunning that you’ll want to snap a photo, but arranging the apples this way is actually super simple. A novice home cook can make this!
  • While a store-bought pie crust saves time, the easy homemade pecan butter adds a special touch, so it’s a nice balance of semi-homemade.
Ingredients on a light surface, including Granny Smiths, pecans, butter, pie crust, vanilla, sugar and caramel.

Caramel Apple Tart Ingredients

  • pie crust – we’re using a refrigerated pie crust for this caramel apple tart, for ease. The Pillsbury kind in the red box is great. You want the raw dough kind that’s rolled up, not the shell kind that is already shaped into a pan.
  • apricot preserves – the main component of the glaze we’ll brush over the tart to seal in moisture and make it nice and shiny.
  • apples – I think Granny Smith are the best choice here, as they bake up tender but still hold their structure.
  • caramel sauce – the finishing touch for drizzling over the tart. I like to use our Microwave Caramel recipe (swapping half of the heavy cream for bourbon, if desired), but you can also use a store-bought caramel sauce.

Maple Pecan Butter Ingredients

  • pecans – the star of the pecan butter that is the base of our tart.
  • egg – helps bind the pecan butter together.
  • sugar – to sweeten the pecan butter, and also to sprinkle over the tart before baking so that it gets nice and golden brown.
  • butter – adds richness to the pecan butter and is also brushed over the tart to encourage browning.
  • maple syrup – adds flavor complexity to the pecan butter and helps make the glaze.
  • vanilla extract – enhances the flavor of the pecan butter.
  • salt – balances the sweetness.

How to Make an Apple Tart with Pie Crust

A food processor filled with pecan butter.

1. MAKE PECAN BUTTER. Process the egg, pecans, sugar, butter, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until smooth in a food processor.

Before and after photos showing pecan butter being spread into a tart shell.

2. SPREAD. Gently roll the pie crust into a 13-inch round, then press it into a tart pan. Spread the pecan butter evenly over the bottom of the crust.

A series of three images showing sliced fruit being arranged in a tart shell.

3. APPLES. Arrange the apple slices over the pecan butter in any design you prefer. Brush the apples with melted butter and sprinkle them with sugar.

A silicone brush spreading apricot glaze over an apple tart recipe.

4. BAKE. Bake the tart until the apples are golden brown and tender. Melt together some apricot jam and maple syrup and brush this glaze over the tart twice (once halfway through cooking and once again as soon as it comes out of the oven).

A slice of caramel apple tart on a small plate.

Home Chef Tips

  • Spread the work out for this recipe for apple tart over several days by making some elements in advance. The caramel can be made and kept in the fridge up to a week. The pecan butter can be made and kept in the fridge 3 days.
  • The glaze made with apricot jam and maple syrup is a trick I learned in culinary school. It locks in the moisture of the apples so that they don’t dry out if the tart sits for a little while before serving. It also adds another layer of sweetness, and makes the tart nice and shiny.
  • We’ve found that the best way to cut the tart is by gently sawing through the apples with a serrated knife, then pressing down the rest of the way with a large chef’s knife.
The finished product of a recipe for apple tart on a textured baking pan.

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Apple Tart Variations

  • WALNUT BUTTER – Use walnuts to make the nut butter instead of pecans!
  • ADD PEARS – Swap out half of the apples for pears for a unique twist.
  • SPICED APPLES – toss the apple slices with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (or pumpkin pie spice) for warm spiced flavor.
A pie serving lifting a piece of caramel apple tart recipe out of the pan.

Caramel Apple Tart Recipe FAQs

What are the best apples for apple tart?

Tart apples like Granny Smith are ideal for apple tarts because they hold their shape during baking and have a tangy flavor that balances the sweetness of the sugar. Other good options are Braeburn and Golden Delicious.

Apple tart vs apple pie?

The main difference between apple tart and apple pie is the crust. Apple pies usually have a double crust (top and bottom), while tarts have a single bottom crust.

How do you keep the bottom of an apple tart from getting soggy?

To prevent sogginess, bake the tart in a fully preheated oven on a lower rack.

A slice of a fall dessert being served from a textured baking pan.

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A slice of apple tart drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with chopped pecans, on a small plate.

Apple Tart with Pie Crust

Author: Lori Yates
Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
This Apple Tart is a stunning fall dessert that combines shortcuts like store-bought pie crust with special touches like pecan butter and homemade caramel sauce.
5 from 1 rating
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Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 6 ounces toasted pecan halves (about 1 1/2 cups), plus additional for garnish
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup divided
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 refrigerated pie crust
  • 5 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
  • 1 batch Microwave Caramel Sauce (if desired, substitute bourbon for up to 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream)

Instructions

  • Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In food processor fitted with knife blade attachment, process egg, pecans, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon butter, vanilla and salt until smooth.
  • Press pie crust into 9-inch tart pan; cut off excess crust hanging over edge. Spread pecan mixture evenly over bottom of crust.
  • Arrange apples over pecan butter. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush over surface of apples. Sprinkle tart with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
  • Transfer to oven and bake 1 hour or until apples are golden brown and tender, placing a pie protector or foil over edges of tart if edges begin to brown too quickly. While tart is baking, microwave apricot preserves in small microwave-safe bowl 15 seconds or until melted. Add remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup and whisk to combine. Brush half of this glaze over tart halfway through baking time. Brush remaining glaze over tart when it is removed from oven at end of baking time. Transfer tart to wire rack and let cool 20 minutes before serving.
  • Slice and serve tart garnished with additional pecans and Microwave Caramel Sauce.
Calories: 469kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 175mg, Potassium: 273mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 387IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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