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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Apple Tarte Tartin

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.78 from 85 ratings French
Although I am personally not really a baked apple person, Apple Tart Tartin is really good. And what a lovely French dessert it aint! This turned upside down French dessert, originated from France from the 1880 hundreds, actually as a freak accident recipe. This apple crumble recipe’s apples cooked to long, and the chef tried to save the dessert by turning it into something else: well that something else is now classic Apple Tart Tartin! And everywhere in food magazines you always find Apple Tart Tartin, different variations, but yes, it stayed a classical! You get a lot of variations: pear, peaches, apricot, even pineapple! Quinces also get used in tart Tartin! And it is best to serve it with lovely home made vanilla ice-cream or Crème fraîche. This is a lovely idea to show off your Chef side if you are entertaining friends. If you do not have enough time for the home-made pastry, buy a good quality puff pastry, it works just as well! It is definitely worth making, although I would say this is an intermediate recipe and take up a bit more time to make, if you are a new cook. But with skill, anything can be mastered! Good luck and enjoy! If you like apples, try out the actual Apple Crumble.
A classic French upside-down apple tarte tatin with deeply caramelised apples.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 h 15 m
Total 1 h 35 m
Serves 6

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Ingredients

Pastry

  • 225 g flour, and extra for dusting
  • 15 g caster sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 125 g unsalted, chilled, cubed butter
  • 3 Tablespoons yogurt
  • TIP: Use a good quality puff pastry if you do not have the time to make home-made puff pastry

Topping

  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 180 g caster sugar
  • 1.4 kg Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored- each fruit cut into 6 large pieces
  • Pinch or 2 of ground cinnamon
  • OPTIONAL: 3 star anise as well as Calvados apple brandy(5-10 ml)

Method

Pastry

  1. Sift the flour, caster sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl

  2. Add the butter to the bowl and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs

  3. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and spoon in the yoghurt

  4. Mix with your hands to for a soft dough

  5. Cover in cling wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes

Topping

  1. Melt the butter in a 20 cm round moule a manqué tin(a heave based round tin, about 5 cm deep - or a heavy based large cooking pan)

  2. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved

  3. Occasionally brush the sides with water to stoop crystals forming- do not use a spoon, it will crystallise

  4. Preheat the oven to 220° Celsius

  5. Arrange the apples in the tin

  6. Pack them tightly in concentric circles(they shrink when cooking, so do not worry if they overlap slightly in the middle)

  7. Add the cinnamon, star anise and Calvados if using

  8. Increase the heat to medium and stir for 8-10 m minutes until caramelised- keep an eye, you do nott want it to burn or become too dark, it must have that look of a caramelised apple

  9. On a surface dusted lightly with flour, roll out the pastry to ta thin circle 4 cm larger than the tin

  10. Place the pastry over the apples and tin

  11. Using your fingers, ease the pastry in-between the apples and the sides of the tin to level off

  12. Using a knife you can make a few insertions in the dough

  13. Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and then set aside to cool slightly

  14. Turn out onto a serving plate

  15. TIP: Be careful as the hot caramel will run out and you could burn)

  16. Gently remove the tin, but work quite quick when turning around- making this one movement

  17. Serve slices hot or could

  18. TIP: A delicious way to serve is with Calvados- French apple brandy and topped with Crème fraîche

  19. TIP: Other variations include

  20. bananas, peaches, apricots

  21. pears and quinces. TIP: Puff pastry can also be used, the two popular pastries are short crust pastry and puff pasty

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