This apple frangipane tart combines a buttery pâte sucrée crust with rich almond filling and tender baked apples for a dessert that feels both rustic and refined.
Apple frangipane tart brings together the best of fall baking! This classic French tart transforms seasonal apples into an elegant dessert.
It’s the kind of showstopper that’s surprisingly simple to make but guaranteed to impress.
What Makes this Autumn Tart Special
- Even if you’re new to the kitchen, this apple frangipane tart is totally doable: the dough is forgiving, the filling comes together in minutes, and the result looks bakery-worthy.
- Works with pretty much any apple variety: Granny Smith, honeycrisp, gala.
- Or, you can make it with other fall fruits such as pears, figs, or persimmon.
Ingredients
There are three components to this dessert: sliced apple topping, almond frangipane filling, and pâte sucrée tart dough.
Best Apples for Baking
Granny Smith apples are best known for baking because they retain their shape well during cooking. As such they’re great for apple pie. However for this tart recipe, you may use Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Jonagolds, or whatever apples you happen to have on hand.
The variety of apple you use will determine the flavor profile of the final product:
- Granny Smith: Classic choice, tart flavor complements sweet filling
- Gala: Mild sweetness, good for subtle apple flavor
- Fuji and Jonagold: Semi-sweet, softer texture
- Honeycrisp: Sweet-tart balance, hold shape well
The best apple for this recipe is dependent on your taste preferences.
Almond Frangipane
Frangipane is a luscious almond custard filling that brings rich, nutty flavor to pastries and tarts. While traditionally made from scratch with ground almonds, butter, sugar, and eggs, this version takes a shortcut using almond paste for foolproof results.
What is almond paste? It is a dense, pliable mixture of finely ground almonds and sugar with a clay-like consistency. You’ll find it in tubes or cans in the baking aisle, typically near pie fillings and baking nuts.
NOTE: Almond paste and marzipan are not the same product.
Pâte Sucrée Dough
Pâte sucrée—French for “sugar dough”—is essentially cookie dough masquerading as pastry crust.
Mix it just like you would cookie dough: cream softened butter with sugar and eggs to form a tender, crumbly dough that’s incredibly forgiving to work with. It rolls out beautifully without fuss, and if it tears while you’re lining your tart pan? No problem. Simply press extra dough into any gaps or cracks—it seals right up.
Pâte sucrée is also used to make this almond pine nut tart and nectarine frangipane tart.
The only catch? Pâte sucrée needs to be par-baked before you add any filling, ensuring a crisp, golden base that won’t turn soggy.
Assembly
- Gather a fluted tart shell mold with removable bottom. Highly recommend using a 9.5-inch or 10-inch shell for this recipe.
- Line tart shell mold with dough. Dock dough with fork to prevent bubbles from forming during baking.
- Line dough with parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and top with weights. Any oven safe weights will do: fancy ceramic pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice.
- Partially bake tart shell. Remove parchment paper and weights. Let shell cool before adding filling.
- Core apples. Cut into thin slices. Use a mini offset spatula to carefully transfer fanned apple slices atop the filled tart shell.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds and sugar, as desired. Bake until the filling center no longer jiggles.
Baking Tips
Blind Baking
Blind baking means baking your pastry crust empty—before any filling goes in. Also called pre-baking, this technique ensures a crisp, flaky bottom that won’t turn soggy once filled.
During baking, the crust is lined with parchment and weighted down with dried beans or ceramic pie weights to keep the dough flat and prevent air bubbles from puffing it up.
There are two approaches: partial blind baking (for crusts that will bake again with filling) and full blind baking (for no-bake fillings like custards or fresh fruit).
Baking Visual Cues for Doneness:
- Crust is golden brown and almonds are toasted
- Apples are glued to the frangipane filling
- Frangipane is golden in color and no longer jiggles
Flavor Variations
There are several ways to customize and adapt this tart for the holiday season.
- Flavor the frangipane with ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg for added spice.
- Mix up the apple varieties for extra complex flavors (think of pairing together Granny Smith with a sweet variety for contrast.)
- Mix apples with sliced pears or sliced persimmon
- If using sweet apple varieties, add some fresh cranberries for color and bright tart flavor.
Serving & Storage
Let the tart cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing—this allows the frangipane filling to set properly. Cut into 8 wedges, distributing the slices evenly so each portion gets a balanced mix of fruit and creamy almond filling.
This tart keeps well at room temperature for up to a day, making it perfect for entertaining.
Serving Tips
This tart shines on its own, but a dollop of whipped cream, scoop of vanilla ice cream, or drizzle of caramel sauce takes it over the top. For an elegant presentation, dust with powdered sugar just before serving or garnish with toasted sliced almonds for extra crunch.
Storage Notes
This tart keeps well at room temperature for up to a day, making it perfect for entertaining.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Enjoy it straight from the fridge, at room temperature, or gently warmed in a low oven (about 10 minutes at 300°F) to revive that just-baked texture. It’s delicious any way you serve it!
More Apple Desserts
Apple Frangipane
Ingredients
Tart Shell (makes 2):
- 14 Tablespoon unsalted butter (198 g), softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60g), aka confectioners sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 large egg yolk, room temp
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (390 g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Frangipane Filling:
- ⅓ cup almond paste (3.5 oz/ 100 g)
- 3 Tablespoon granulated sugar (38 g)
- 6 Tablespoon unsalted butter (85 g)
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour (16 g)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Topping:
- 3 medium apples, use variety of choice*
- sliced almonds, to top
- turbinado sugar or granulated sugar , to top
Instructions
Tart Dough
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and egg yolk. Mix until well incorporated. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Add flour and salt. Mix on low speed just until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Dump out dough onto clean work surface. Gently press dough together. Divide dough into two equal parts. Flatten each part into a flat disc. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, or overnight.
- When ready to roll out dough, place one disc between two sheets of wax paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten dough into a circle about 11-inches in diameter.
- Peel off top layer of wax paper. Invert dough. Gently and quickly transfer dough to tart pan with the wax paper side up. Use your fingers to press dough against the sides and bottom of the pan. Remove wax paper. Trim overhang dough along the edges. Dock the bottom of tart. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge while oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Remove plastic wrap from tart. Line tart with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for another 6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare filling.
Frangipane FIlling
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- In a food processor fitted with blade attachment, combine almond paste, sugar, and butter. Pulse until well blended. Scrape down bowl as needed.
- Add eggs one a time, pulsing until incorporated. Add vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour. Process until mixture is smooth
Assembly and Topping
- Pour filling into slightly cooled tart shell.
- If desired, peel apples. Slice half lengthwise and core. Cut halves into thin slices about 1/4-inch thick. Slightly fan slices apart. Use a mini offset spatula to carefully transfer fanned apple atop the filled tart shell. Repeat with remaining fruit, spacing apples equally apart in tart shell.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds and turbinado sugar, as desired. Bake for 38-40 minutes until the filling center no longer jiggles. Allow tart to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. If desired, dust tart with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Tart can be left at room temperature for up to one day. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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