Normandy Apple Tart (Tarte Normande)

Normandy Apple Tart is a classic French dessert that features a buttery, flaky pastry crust filled with sliced apples and a creamy Calvados-spiked filling. This tart is best served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream on top. It’s a perfect dessert for fall or winter gatherings and will satisfy any sweet tooth!

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you likely know I have a profound fondness for rustic French desserts. And this Normandy Apple Tart is high up on the list! It’s a delicious nostalgic dessert that I grew up with, and that I inevitably make again and again come each autumn.

This apple tart is called a “Tarte Normande” as it features staple ingredients from the Normandy region, including apples, cream and Calvados – the local apple brandy.  

As with most French regional recipes, there are countless variations of this Normandy Apple tart. But this version here is my go-to, made with a crisp “pâte sablée” (sandy crust), a calvados-spiked filling made with heavy cream, and delicious seasonal apples.

Ingredients you need for this Normandy Apple Tart

This Normandy Apple tart is a wonderful Fall and Winter baking project to help use up seasonal apples. There’s no doubt why it is a household favorite in France! Here is the full list of ingredients you’ll need to make this charmingly rustic dessert.

For the crust: 

1. White sugar. You need granulated sugar for both the crust and the filling.
2. Flour. All-purpose flour is best here.
3. Unsalted butter, cubed. You need to use very cold butter to create a perfectly sandy crust. My tip here is to take the butter out of the fridge, cut it in cubes and then place it back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using it in the recipe.
4. Egg yolks. 

For the filling: 

1. Apples. Firm baking apples such as Honey Crisp or Pink Lady work best for this tart, as they hold their shape when baked.
2. Eggs. Choose large eggs and make sure they are at room temperature. To do so, take them out of the fridge at least 2 hours prior to starting the recipe.
3. White sugar. 
4. Flour. All-purpose flour is best here.
5. Heavy Cream. In France, crème fleurette is largely used for making this Tarte Normande. This specific type of heavy cream is made from the cream that rises to the top of the milk. Crème Fleurette is usually around 30-35% milk fat, so you can use heavy cream as a substitute in North America.
6. Calvados. This apple Brandy brightens the apple flavor and gives a distinctive taste to this tart. For more notes on Calvados, read the “What is Calvados?” paragraph below.

Onto the details…

The Pâte Sablée

The crust for this tart is known as a pâte sablée, translating to sandy crust. This type of crust is traditionally used in France for the making of tart shells meant to host a creamy filling, often topped with fruits – such as in a Classic French Strawberry Tart. It is buttery, not too sweet, with a lovely sandy texture. Yet it is sturdy enough to hold the cream and apples.

The pâte sablée is baked “à blanc”. This means it is first par baked without any filling. The apples and cream are added later, for a second baking period.

What is Calvados and where to find it?

Calvados, is an apple brandy made in Normandy, France. It is very popular in France and can be found in virtually every grocery store or liquor store. If you’re interested, I shared a few years back this story about visiting a Calvados distillery in Normandy.

In North America, Calvados can be purchased in specialty liquor stores and through online retailers. Some popular options for purchasing Calvados include Total Wine & More, BevMo!, and Astor Wines & Spirits.

Online retailers like Drizly, Wine.com, and ReserveBar also offer a variety of Calvados brands for purchase and delivery.

What apples to choose?

There are many different apples that work well for baking this apple tart, but some of the best options include Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonathan, Rome, and Pink Lady.

These baking apples tend to hold their shape well when baked and offer a balance of sweet and tart flavors. It’s also important to choose apples that are firm and not overly ripe, as softer apples can turn mushy when baked.

Frequently Asked Questions

My pâte sablée was very tough, what happened?

The dough was likely overmixed. It is important to mix only until everything comes together cohesively into a ball.

My pâte sablée isn’t coming together into a ball, what should I do?

Every flour is different in regards to humidity as well as its ability to absorb moisture. If your pate sable isn’t coming together, you can add another splash of water, or 1-2 tablespoons of cold, cubed butter.

I don’t have Calvados, what can I replace it with?

Calvados is an apple brandy, so you can substitute any other apple brandy. If you don’t want to purchase apple brandy, you can use also any brandy or cognac. If you prefer to leave the alcohol out altogether, feel free.  

That being said, Calvados truly gives this tart its distinct flavor – so the taste will be slightly different (less apple-forward) if you opt for an alternative.

How to store this Normandy apple tart?

Chill it. After making (and enjoying) this Apple Tart – if you have any leftovers – you can cover it with plastic film and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can enjoy it chilled or reheated. For reheating, simply pop it in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes.

Can I freeze this apple tart?

I don’t recommend freezing this tart. The filling will likely become soggy when thawing and the crust will be soft.

Audrey’s baking tips

• Although you can use a store-bought pie crust for convenience, I think making your own pâte sablée (sandy crust) from scratch will go a long way. Don’t skip the chilling time in the fridge and remember to work quickly – avoid the crust from getting to warm or it will become sticky.
• This crust recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch (23cm) pie crust.
• You can prepare the crust the day before and keep it refrigerated for up to 24 hours, well-wrapped in plastic film. 

I hope you’ll love this Normandy Apple Tart recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More French recipes to enjoy apples:

• Gluten-Free Apple Crisp 
• Classic French Tarte Tatin
• Apple Cinnamon Galette 
• Spelt French Apple Cake 
• Apple Breton Pound Cake
• Skillet Caramelized Apple Cake
• Classic French Apple Cake 
• Classic French Thin Apple Tart

Normandy Apple Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

The crust:
1 ¼ cup (155g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
½ cup (1 stick/125g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes.
2 egg yolks
The filling:
4 baking apples
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (100g) sugar
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream (30% m.f)
2 tbsp (30ml) calvados
2 tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25g) sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte sablée. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible.

Add the egg yolks and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (205°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch tart pan.

Step 2 - Take the Pâte sablée out of the fridge. Place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 5mm (0.2inch) thickness.

Line the tart pan bottom with the crust – you can leave the bottom parchment paper underneath if you prefer. Don’t worry if the crust tears, you can easily patch it together and press to seal. Trim the edges all around and poke the bottom evenly with a fork.

Step 3 – Par-bake the crust. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the tart shell and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven, set aside on a cooling rack and remove the pie weights. Let cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F (180°C).

Step 4 – Prepare the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs, and whisk until slightly foamy and the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the heavy cream and the Calvados.

Sprinkle the flour atop and whisk until fully incorporated. If the mixture has flour lumps, don’t hesitate to pass it through a mesh strainer.

Step 5 – Peel and core the apples and cut them into large slices. I usually cut each apple into 12 slices. Place about half of the apples slices at the bottom of the parbaked crust, in an even layer. There is no need to arrange them nicely.

Place the other half of the apples slices over top, arranged this time in a circular pattern. Pour the cream filling in the center of the pan. Sprinkle the apples evenly with one to two tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, the filling looks set and the apples golden. If needed, pass the tart under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minutes, until the apples look more golden. Be very careful not to burn the crust or the apples!

Transfer tart onto a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan. Enjoy warm or cooled, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream on top.