Can't decide between apple crumble and apple tart? Then why not combine the two in a sumptuous cinnamon-spiced Apple Crumble Tart. The apples are sauteed in spices and brown sugar and the pastry crust is blind baked. A delicious crumble tops the tart which combines oats, brown sugar and flaked almonds for crunch, sweetness and texture.
Watch the Wholesome Apple Crumble Tart web story!
This is a real down-to-earth wholesome, rustic Apple Crumble Tart. Dark brown sugar is used throughout which gives a nutty flavour, enhanced by flaked almonds.
Love Crumble? Biscoff Apple Crumble is a total dream!
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Why make this Apple Crumble Tart?
...apples sauteed in sugar and spice✔️
...crunchy, nutty crumble topping which offsets the soft apples✔️
...cinnamon pastry blind-baked so that we avoid a soggy bottom!✔️
Why sautee the apples first?
Rather than just add the apples to the blind-baked pastry base, I prefer to sautee them first (as I did in my Apple Crumble Tartlets and my Vegan Apple Cake), the reasons for sauteeing are...
- allows you to test the apples for sweetness, so that you can stop cooking at the level of sweetness you prefer;
- allows you to reach the right level of bite in your apples, not too hard and not too soft;
- starts the cooking process before adding to the tart case;
- evenly distributes sugar and spice within the apples.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Bramley apples (or any crisp apples): are best to use as they retain their shape when cooked. You can also make this Apple Crumble Tart with normal eating apples, if so saute them for a shorter amount of time.
Rolled oats: these are the best oats to use because they are larger, but you can substitute with porridge oats.
Dark brown sugar: gives a delicious nutty flavour but feel free to use light brown sugar, granulated or caster (superfine) sugar as they all work well.
Plain (all-purpose) flour: used in the pastry and crumble.
Unsalted butter: I grate my butter for the pastry and crumble topping, simply because it mixes in far more quickly. You can use salted butter if you prefer, if so omit the fine salt in the pastry.
Egg yolk: used to bind the pastry together and add some extra fat in order to keep it soft.
Salt: to bring out flavour.
Milk: to bring the pastry together or you can use cold water.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg: can be substituted with mixed spice.
Golden syrup: added to the sauteed apples for extra flavour. Substitute with maple syrup or an extra tablespoon of brown sugar.
Instructions
See end of post RECIPE CARD for precise quantities and instructions.
Pastry Case
Picture 1: whizz your flour, salt and icing sugar in your food processor to combine (or mix in a large bowl). Dot over grated butter and pulse about 20 times to turn into a sand-like consistency (or rub the butter between fingers).
Picture 2: mix in your egg yolk, vanilla extract and milk. Pulse again until the mixture starts to clump into soft lumps.
Picture 1 Picture 2
Picture 3: tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together into a ball. Roll out and then fit into your tart tin. Fold the sides in a little so that you are not stretching the dough into the tin.
Picture 4: trim the edge and then push the pastry up a little so that it is raised just above the top edge of the tin. Prick the base and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to allow it to set.
Picture 3 Picture 4
Picture 5: line the pastry case with foil and add a layer of baking beans (or rice) to weigh it down, then bake for 20 minutes.
Picture 6: remove the foil and baking beans and bake for another 10 minutes until golden and there is no uncooked pastry showing through, the base needs to be fully baked.
Picture 5 Picture 6
Apple Crumble Topping
Picture 7: as before, add grated butter to flour and cinnamon and pulse until sand-like.
Picture 8: stir in your brown sugar, oats and flaked almonds until equally mixed in.
Picture 7 Picture 8
Spiced Apple Filling
Picture 9: slice your apples to half a centimetre in thickness and then place them in a bowl along with lemon juice whilst you cut up the rest. Dry your apples in a clean cloth as we need them to be dry before we saute them.
Picture 10: toss your dried apples in brown sugar.
Picture 11: heat your butter in your wok or frying pan, add your apples and cook for 5 minutes. Add your spices, vanilla extract and golden syrup and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Picture 12: place into your pastry case and then pour over 3 tablespoons of the remaining liquid over the top.
Picture 11 Picture 12
Picture 13: Sprinkle over your crumble mixture, ensuring all of the apples are covered. Press the crumble down a little to secure it and then bake for 30-35 minutes.
Top Tips
- This apple crumble tart recipes use is a soft pastry, therefore if it splits as you are fitting it into your tin, simply take some spare pastry and push it into the split and it will affix without needing water.
- Your apples will oxidise (brown) very quickly so I advise to:
- place them in water that is very cold;
- add ice to the water to ensure it stays cold;
- add the juice of 2 fresh lemons as the acid stop oxidisation;
- pop a plate on top of the apples to keep them below the waterline.
Variations
An almond flour crumble topping works really well, simply replace the flaked almonds and plain flour with almond flour and reduce the butter by 20 grams because there is extra fat in the almonds.
Did you try this recipe?
Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the Recipe Card below.
Storage
Kept refrigerated this Apple Crumble Tart will keep for up to 5 days. It will also freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQ
When pushing your pastry into the sides of your tin or pie dish, ensure that the pasty along the sides is a little thicker than that of the base. To do this push the excess that overhangs the sides down into the tin, to create a thicker layer. Run your rolling pin over the top to trim off the excess pastry in order to give a neat finish and then squeeze the pastry on the sides up a little so that it is slightly raised above the edges by about half a centimetre. This will ensure your pastry keeps its shape whilst allowing for shrinkage in the oven as it bakes.
Pricking the base with a fork is called "docking" because it does just that, it stops the pastry from puffing up when baking by allowing air to escape through the holes.
Linked Recipes
Apple and Oat Cookies
Delicious Apple and Oat Cookies full of soft oats, apple chunks and the warm flavours of maple syrup and cinnamon.
A great cookie treat to enjoy in the autumn/fall months.
Deep and Spicy Apple Pie
This is one real deep apple pie, flavoured with a little cinnamon. The apples are dosed in boiling water first to start the cooking process.
Apple Crumble Tartlets
Apple Crumble Tartlets 🍏 are a gorgeous 3-in-1 treat. An apple and sultana filling, spiced with cinnamon and maple syrup, surrounded by a soft, sweet pastry and topped with an oat and almond crumble topping. Fabulous hot or cold.
Recipe
📖 Recipe
Apple Crumble Tart
Here's what you'll need...
- Food processor optional
- Foil
- Baking beans
- Vegetable peeler
- Knife to chop apples with
- Large wok or non-stick frying pan
- 2 Wooden spoons
- Fork or tongues
- Paper towel or 2 clean tea towels
Ingredients you'll need...
Pastry Case
- 220 g Plain (all-purpose) flour 1 Cup + 9 tablespoons
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Fine salt
- 40 g Icing sugar ⅓ Cup
- 115 g Unsalted butter ½ Cup - cold, straight from the fridge plus a little extra softened to grease your tin.
- 1 Egg yolk from a large egg (US = extra large) must be cold
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoon Milk cold
Apple Crumble Topping
- 75 g Plain (all-purpose) flour ½ Cup
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 55 g Unsalted butter 4 tablespoons, cold straight from the fridge
- 50 g Dark brown sugar ¼ Cup packed
- 40 g Rolled oats ½ Cup
- 2 tablespoon Flaked almonds
Apple Tart Filling
- 4 Bramley apples or crisp, tart apples such as Granny Smiths weight once peeled and sliced should be 680-700 grams.
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 75 g Dark brown sugar 6 level, packed tablespoons
- 20 g Butter
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon Golden syrup
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Here's what we do...
Pastry Case
- Using your pastry brush, grease your tart tin with your extra softened butter, making sure you get into the fluted sides.
- Place your flour, cinnamon, salt and icing sugar into your food processor and whizz a few times to mix in. Check that it has all mixed in evenly. If not using a food processor, mix in a large mixing bowl.
- Grate your butter, or cut it into very small cubes and place it over the flour mixture in your food processor, pulse about 20 times to turn to a sand-like consistency. If not using a food processor rub the butter in with your fingertips.
- Add your egg yolk, vanilla extract and milk and pulse about 10-15 times, stop when the mixture starts to form little clumps.
- Lightly flour your work surface and tip the pastry mixture out, bring it together into a ball but do not knead.
- Roll your pastry out into a circle measuring 30 centimetres wide. Keep flouring under the pastry at regular intervals and turning it over, to prevent it from sticking.
- Drape your pastry over your rolling pin, so that it hangs over it equally on either side, and then drape it over your tin.
- Gently push the pastry into the base and fluted sides of the tin. Squeeze down any excess pastry on the sides, so that the sides are a little thicker than the base.
- Roll your rolling pin over the top of the tin to trim the excess (or trim using a knife) and then gently squeeze the pastry up a little so that it sticks up about half a centimetre above the edge of the tin. This way if it shrinks a little when baking it will still be the height of the sides of the tin.
- Prick the base of the pastry case with a fork and then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, preheat your oven to 160°C Fan/180°C/350°F/ Gas mark 4.
- Cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the base and sides of the pastry case. The foil needs to be tucked over the edges to cover the pastry completely.
- When you have fitted the foil cover it with a layer of baking beans (or you can use rice) and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and baking beans and bake for another 10 minutes by which time the pastry should be fully baked and golden.
Apple Crumble Topping
- Mix together your flour and cinnamon in your food processor (or in a large bowl).
- Grate your cold butter, (or chop into small chunks), place over the top and pulse about 15 times to turn to a sand-like consistency (or rub in with fingers).
- Tip the mixture into a large bowl and stir in your brown sugar, oats and almonds. You may need to rub the brown sugar between your fingers to break it down if it is in lumps.
Apple Tart Filling
- Fill your large bowl with very cold water and add your lemon juice.
- Lay out some clean paper towel (kitchen roll) or 2 clean tea towels.
- Peel and core your apples (one at a time) and then cut up into slices of 1 centimetre in thickness, then immediately place them into your water so that they don't oxidise (turn brown). See Notes below.
- Place your butter into your wok or large frying pan and melt over a medium heat.
- While your butter melts, dry your apple slices on the paper towel or clean tea towels. Discard the water and dry the bowl as well.
- Return your apples to the bowl and mix in your brown sugar until the apples are fully coated.
- Tip the apples into your wok or large frying pan, turn the heat up to medium and toss them around with 2 wooden spoons, like a salad, for 5 minutes.
- Add your cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and golden syrup and continue to sautee for another 2-3 minutes. The apples should have a little resistence left when tested with a skewer, we want some bite left in them so that they are not too soft.
- Using a fork or some tongues, place the apple slices into your pastry case, trying to ensure as few gaps remain as possible.
- Pour over 3 tablespoons of the liquid left in your wok/frying pan.
- Carefully tip over your crumble topping spreading it out to the sides.
- Pat the crumble down a little to secure it.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a few cracks appear on the top of the crumble and it has turned a more golden colour.
- Serve immediately with ice cream or custard.
Supporting Notes
- This is a soft pastry, therefore if it splits as you are fitting it into your tin, simply take some spare pastry and push it into the split and it will affix without needing water.
- Your apples will oxidise (brown) very quickly so I advise to:
- place them in water that is very cold;
- add ice to the water to ensure it stays cold;
- add the juice of 2 fresh lemons as the acid stop oxidisation;
- pop a plate on top of the apples to keep them below the waterline.
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