The difference between Apple Tarts and Tarte Tatin

In France, classic apple tarts (tartes aux pommes) usually come in pretty crusts, sometimes filled with “compote” (apple sauce) or frangipane (almond cream), are topped with neat apple slivers, baked to golden perfection and often finished up with a shiny apple or apricot glaze. These apple tarts are the ones you will find across French bakeries, and the ones French people often buy to serve for dessert at their Sunday family lunch.  

On the other hand, a Tarte Tatin is more of a home bakers’ recipe – which you won’t necessarily find in most bakeries. This tart is quicker and simpler to make than a classic bakery-style apple tart, which make it more approachable. It doesn’t require any thin apple slices but instead preserves the taste and shape of the apples, making them the trues stars. 

What I love most about the tarte Tatin is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. The crust can crumble, the caramel can drip, a few apples can fall out of line. It’s fine. Tarte Tatin will always look appetizing and taste fantastic, no matter what. 

A Tarte Tatin is a perfect recipe for home bakers of any skill level. 

Breaking it down

Despite its complicated reputation, the tarte Tatin is a simple concept: apples, caramel, and crust. The tart is baked upside down, with caramel and fruit at the bottom and the pastry on top. Once inverted, the lustrous caramelized apples are unveiled. With only a few ingredients and an understanding of key factors and techniques, you’ll be a master of the Tatin in no time. 

So, make sure you read my tips for a perfect Tarte Tatin before your start. These may look a bit lengthy, but they explain all the key components and steps of this recipe: the choice of the best baking vessel, the best apple variety, the proper time taken on the stove to cook the apples, etc. Combined, these components and tips will make for a successful Tarte Tatin.

Tips for a perfect Tarte Tatin: 

• The baking vessel: Choose a cast-iron skillet.

I have tested this recipe with different baking vessels: a pie dish, a cake pan and a cast-iron skillet. The skillet made for the most successful recipe, by far! As pictures here, I use a 9-10” (22.9cm-25.4cm) cast iron skillet. Starting your oven on high (430F/220C) and using a skillet is ideal to give an initial heat shock to the tart. This provides faster and proper baking. With the other baking vessels, I had to cook the Tarte Tatin on lower heat for longer, which made the apples turn overcooked and mushy, while the crust was still barely cooked. A skillet tolerates and retains higher heat, which makes it the best vessel to create the best caramelization, crisp crust and proper overall baking.

• The apple variety: Choose Honeycrisp apples.

I have tested this recipe with different apple varieties, including Royal Gala, Melrose, Braeburn, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. Honeycrisp apples provided the best results. They turned so sweet and tender, but not mushy at all. Many recipes out there suggest the use of both Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. Using different apple varieties is something I always do when I bake American-style apple pies, to provide both sweetness and tartness. But when I tried this option with the Tarte Tatin, the Granny Smith actually turned mushy, while the Honeycrisp kept a nice texture. The version using solely Honeycrisp was just perfect, working with my suggested cooking time and method (if you use other apple varieties that work well, let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear it).

• Do not underestimate the initial stove-top cooking process. 

Taking the proper time to cook the apples on the stove-top first is an essential step. Do not rush it. You want the apples to release their juices in the skillet, so they don’t sweat it out in the oven later. Otherwise, you’ll end up with juice oozing out of the pan when baking and a soggy crust. Once the apples have sweat their juices out and are lightly caramelized (20 to 30 minutes, depending on your stove top), gently transfer them with a slotted spoon to a cooling rack, so they drain properly and cool down. The remaining apple juice in the skillet then gets reduced and turned into a caramel.

• Don’t forget the salt!

A generous sprinkle of salt (ideally fleur de sel) will make the apples shine even more and bind all the ingredients together beautifully. I think the step of salting the apples – after cooking them on the stove top and right before returning them to the skillet and into the oven – brings so much life to this tart. Think of it as salting your meat before your cook it. It brings tenderness, life and so much more character. For the fleur de sel, I use Fleur de Sel de Guerande. As a substitute, Maldon salt works great too.

• The crust: Homemade is the way to go!

This recipe can be made with a store-bought pie crust if you wish. Although, I highly recommend you make your own crust here, as it will make a big difference. This crust recipe is specifically tailored to a Classic Tarte Tatin. It is buttery and crisp -firm enough to be kept together for the final flip-, but slightly more delicate and crumbly than a classic pie crust – which is exactly what you want for a Tarte Tatin. It has to be a little more messy than your average apple tart.

• The Caramel

Note that the time needed for cooking the caramel will depend on your stove-top and on what kind of skillet you are using. Keep a close eye on the caramel color as it simmers and aim for a golden hue—not amber. Since color can be hard to judge in a dark skillet, occasionally smear a small amount of caramel onto a white plate to check progress. 

• The Flip

The feat of flipping the tarte Tatin upside-down after baking can seem intimidating, but really, don’t stress out about it. Run a knife around the crust, place a plate on top of it, hold the plate and skillet firmly, and flip. If any apples move around or remain stuck to the skillet, simply place them back onto the tart before sliding it onto a serving tray.

I hope you’ll love this Classic French Tarte Tatin as much as I do! Enjoy it warm or after a few hours in the fridge, to allow the apples and crust to firm up so you can serve clean slices. A dollop of crème fraiche on top is mandatory—in true French fashion.

More French Apple Recipes you may like: 

• Classic French Apple Cake
• Breton Apple Pound Cake 
• Cinnamon Apple Galette 
• Thin Apple Tart (Tarte fine aux pommes) 
• Skillet Caramelized Apple Cake from Brittany
• Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Classic Tarte Tatin

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.1/5

( 44 voted )

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (12.5g) sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice

For the Tarte Tatin:
6 medium Honeycrisp apples
2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped
1 tsp fleur de sel (or sea salt flakes)

Instructions

Make the crust:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. In a small bowl, whisk together with a fork the egg yolk and lemon juice, and add to the other ingredients. Combine until the dough comes together into a ball. If it feels too dry, you can add a 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water. Wrap in plastic film and chill until needed (minimum 30 minutes, maximum 24 hours).

Make the pie :

Peel, core and cut the apples in quarters. As you go, reserve the apple quarters in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons (30ml) of lemon juice, to prevent them from browning. Stir the apple quarters as you go to make sure they’re always lightly coated in lemon juice.

In a 9-10” (22.9cm-25.4cm) cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, with the sugar and vanilla bean scrapings. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid starts to simmer. Add the apple quarters, stir to coat and turn the heat down to low.

Cover with a large sheet of foil (so the steam is kept inside) and cook for 20 minutes until the apples are tender (but not mushy), stirring occasionally and pouring the liquid in the pan on top of the apples (always place the foil back). With a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the apple quarters to a cooling rack and sprinkle evenly with the fleur de sel (or sea salt flakes). Bring the heat to high and simmer the remaining liquid until it turns into a golden caramel.

Remove from the heat.

Turn your oven to 430F(220C).

Take the crust out of the fridge, transfer it to a lightly floured working surface and roll it out to a 12-inch (30.5cm) circle.

When cool enough to handle with your fingers, place the apple quarters back into the skillet (over top the caramel) in a circular pattern, with the  “outside of the fruit” side down.

Cover with the crust and tuck the edges of the crust into the pan. Poke four tiny holes into the crust with a knife (for the steam to escape while baking).

Bake for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Turn the oven down to 375F(190C) and bake for 20 more minutes, until the crust is golden.

Transfer the tart to a cooling rack for 5 minutes, and flip upside down onto a serving plate (do not wait any longer before you flip it, or the caramel will harden and the apples will remain stuck to the bottom of the pan). Use oven gloves or kitchen towels to protect your hands when you flip the tart as some remaining juice may still spill on the side of the skillet.

Serve warm (commonly with dollop of crème fraiche on top), or chilled.

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