Updated November 11, 2018
French apple tartlets or mini apple tarts are best fall desserts. The base is thin and flaky shortcrust pastry with warming spiced apple filling. These tarts are decorated with apple slices, glazed with apricot jelly and sprinkled cinnamon. The whole house will smell amazing and you will feel the taste of fall in every bite!
These French apple tartlets are mini version of our French apple tart. Sometimes it is better to serve individual desserts for few guests (or just for you and your partner). So if you craving for the fall desserts or apple pie, you can make these small batch French apple tartlets! It will take you about 30 minutes to assemble and bake these fall desserts.
You can find more info about which apples are best for baking in our Baked apples and Apple cranberry crisp posts. Generally, for the filling of the tart use apples that become soft during the cooking that are easy to smash into the jam. On the other hand, use firm apples that hold the shape for the topping – decoration.
Generally, if you go shopping for apples I recommend choosing Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold, Gala, Honey Crisp and others. You can use different types of apples for more complex flavor.
How it tastes
The desserts are full of fall flavor of apples and cinnamon. Apricot jam is there for the sweetness, as I didn’t add much sugar. By the way, I chose low-calorie and low-sugar jam. It is classic French combination that goes just perfect together!
As far as classic goes, these apple tartlets have much less sugar. Because the apples are sweet, cinnamon and nutmeg add spice notes that are enough to enjoy these individual apple desserts. You can always sprinkle some icing sugar on top!
By the way, one French apple tartlet has 600 calories. And you can divide one tart into two servings, if you wish so.
How to make French apple tartlets
French apple tartlets are pretty easy apple desserts! Moreover, these simple apple pies might become your all-time favorite.
Apple tart crust
First, make pastry crust. Combine sieved flour with sugar and cinnamon or chai powder. Add cold butter cubes and start mincing with your fingers just until it comes together and resembles crumbs. Start adding a teaspoon of ice water until you can form it in a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces for two ramekins. Form the crusts in round tart ramekins and leave them in the fridge. This recipe makes two 5.7 inch/14.5 cm mini tarts.
By the way, you can use food processor to make the crust, pulse about 10 times to combine butter with dry ingredients. Then, while the motor is running, start adding ice cold water just until the dough comes together. However, it is pretty easy to make with your two hands!
Moreover, you can make these apple tartlets with defrosted frozen puff pastry instead of making shortcrust.
Apple tart filling
Meanwhile prepare apple tart filling. Peel apples, cut them and place in a pot with little bit of water or apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add half a cup of sugar. However, it will be more sweet after adding some apricot jelly on top. You can also add a little bit of lemon juice.
Let the apples with water, sugar and spices come to a boil, then simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until apples are soft and mash them with a back of wooden spoon or masher. You will have jam with small pieces of apples, don’t blend it!
Moreover, you can use store-bought apple jam or make your own sugar free homemade applesauce that can last up to a week in your fridge.
Preheat the oven and remove the crusts from the fridge. Prick the crusts with fork, so they won’t rise or place parchment paper with beans on top. Bake crusts 10 minutes until golden brown.
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Apple tart topping
Meanwhile cut apple into slices as thinly as you can. You can use a mandolin or just apple cutter / core remover and a sharp knife to make beautiful and thin sliced apples with skin on.
Fill shells with apple jam and arrange the apple slices on top. Smear the top or tarts with apricot glaze and bake about 10 minutes more! Apricot glaze makes French apple tartlets more shiny, flavorful, colorful and moist.
I recommend adding more apricot glaze right after baking. Sprinkle some cinnamon on hot apple tartles and if you wish – icing sugar.
Serving French apple tartlets
French apple tarts can be served warm or cold, sprinkled with some sugar or cinnamon. You can add ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt on top or on the side. Enjoy with your favorite tea or coffee, looking through the window on the autumn sky.
You can wrap these apple desserts in plastic and refrigerate up to 5 days.
Freezing apple tartlets
So you can make these apple tarts ahead of time. Freeze French apple tartlets, wrapped in plastic cling film up to 3 months. Defrost them in the fridge for couple hours. Then heat the oven, glaze apple topping with apricot jam and bake until warmed – around 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon when hot!
I would recommend freezing the tarts right after filling them with cooled apple jam. You can also freeze with apple slices on top. However it will be more beautiful if you prepare apple while tarts are defrosting. You just need to have few apples and apricot jam in your pantry to finish these desserts.
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French Apple Tartlets
- two 5,7 inch / 14,5 cm round dishes.
- Oven
- sieve
- mixing bowls and spoons
- wooden spoon
- small pot
- a fork
- parchment paper and baking beans
- mandolin or sharp knife
- 110 g flour
- 60 g butter
- 1½ tsp chai powder or combine sugar and cinnamon 1:1
- 2-3 tsp water or apple juice
- 180-200 g apples peeled and core removed
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg ground
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 apple
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon or icing sugar
- For shortcrust pastry combine sieved flour with other dry ingredients. Add cold butter, cut into cubes and start rubbing with your fingers until crumbs come together.110 g flour, 1½ tsp chai powder, 60 g butter
- Start adding a teaspoon of cold water until you can form it in a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Form the crusts in ramekins and place them in the fridge.2-3 tsp water
- Preheat the oven to 355 F / 180 C.
- Make apple tart filling (apple jam). Cut apples and place them in a pot with water, sugar and spices. Let it come to a boil, simmer 10 minutes until apples are soft. Smash apples with a back of wooden spoon, leaving some apple pieces. Let it cool.180-200 g apples, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 2-3 tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- Prick the crusts with fork and place parchment paper with baking beans on top. Bake crusts 10 minutes until golden.
- Meanwhile cut apple into slices as thinly as you can, using mandolin or sharp knife.1 apple
- Fill baked empty shells with apple jam and place around apple slices, overlapping one on the other. Brush the top of apples with apricot jam, add apricot pieces (from the jam) in the center of the tartlets.2 tbsp apricot jam
- Bake French apple tartlets 10-15 minutes more.
- Brush baked apple tartlets with more apricot jam. Sprinkle some cinnamon or icing sugar on top of baked apple tartlets.2 tbsp apricot jam, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Enjoy warm or cold, with some ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt.
YUM! Saving this 🙂
Thanks!
I can just imagine how wonderful the house smells while these beauties bake. They look delicious too.
Absolutely! House smelled like Apples and Cinnamon 🙂
I love making tarts but they always seem so difficult. I bet I could totally make these apple tarts. Thanks for the easier recipe!
Thanks Emily! No, these are absolutely easy to make! Give this recipe a try.
oh how pretty this is and so creative it just shouts fall all over it too love this
Thank you, Claudia! Just all things fall in one dessert.
Mini desserts are my favorite! I like serving individual desserts too. These little apple tarts are adorable.
Thank you! If you don’t need an apple pie for a crowd, you can prepare some small desserts like these.
Just pinned this gorgeous tartlet recipe and will love to make someday! I love it that you suggested Chai powder for the crust…great idea! Beautiful photos too…makes me really wish I had some right now! 🙂
Thank you, Traci! I love adding Chai powder to trifles, pancakes and all baking stuff.