Apple Frangipane Tart
Apple Frangipane Tart is a classic and elegant treat fit for any dessert table. A crisp, sweet-crust is filled with rich almond frangipane filling, baked with sliced apples and finished with apricot preserves.
I know you probably hate that “If you had to choose…” question. I mean, most of the time it’s impossible to answer.
Buuuutttt, if I had to choose a favorite dessert of all-time, this Apple Frangipane Tart would certainly be in the running.
This, to me, is a perfect dessert. It’s got everything I love; a crunchy crust, fruit, rich almond frangipane and even the finishing touch of sweet/tart apricot preserves hits just the right note.
Why you’ll love this Apple Frangipane Tart:
I swear, this really is an easy recipe. If you watch the video you can see how quickly the frangipane comes together. It’s a totally unfussy recipe that doesn’t have to be coddled or handled delicately. Just mix it up and spread it into the tart shell.
I like to run the tart under the broiler to brown the tips of the apples, which highlights the petal pattern. Warm apricot preserves creates a glistening finish for the tart.
Perfectly simple, perfectly beautiful and perfectly delicious!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Apples – A firm apple that doesn’t fall apart when baked works best. Granny Smith is a good option that is widely available.
- Rum – The rum is optional, but remember that alcohol enhances other flavors.
- Tart dough – A sweet crisp crust is made with short dough.
- Almond flour – Frangipane is, by definition, an almond batter. You can grind almonds to a fine powder to make your own almond flour or buy pre-made almond flour.
- Apricot Preserves – The preserves add a sheen to the tart and a slightly sweet/tart zing.
How to make Apple Frangipane Tart
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and aerated.
- Add the eggs and flavorings.
- Add the almond flour.
- Mix to combine.
- Spread the frangipane into the blind-baked tart shell.
- Peel, core and slice the apples to 1/4″ thick.
- An apple peeler is perfect for this task.
- Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the frangipane.
- Bake the tart until the apples are soft and the frangipane is set.
- You may run the tart under the broiler to brown the edges of the apples.
- While the tart is still warm, gently brush the apples with apricot preserves. The preserves will melt and absorb into the tart.
Pastry Chef Tips for making Apple Frangipane Tart
- The tart dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen for up to a month.
- The tart shell can be prebaked the day before.
- The frangipane batter can be prepared and refrigerated for 2-3 days before assembling and baking the tart.
Storage
Apple Frangipane tart is best the day it is baked, but will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to a week and frozen for 3-4 months.
Watch the recipe video to see how to make an Apple Frangipane Tart.
More fabulous tart recipes
- Tart Bourdaloue
- Bakewell Tart
- French Apple Tart
- Fig Tart
- Fresh Fruit Tart
- Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Tart
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Apple Frangipane Tart
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Tart dough
- 8 ounces granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 4 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 4 ounces almond flour (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dark rum (divided)
- 3 apples ( )
- 6 ounces apricot preserves (1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Roll 1 recipe Tart dough to fit a 12" fluted tart pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork and refrigerate until firm.
- While the tart shell chills, preheat the oven to 350 °F. Bake the tart shell until it's light brown around the edges and pale in the center, about 10-15 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool while you make the filling. Keep the oven on.
- In a mixing bowl, cream 8 ounces granulated sugar and 4 ounces unsalted butter together until light and aerated. Scrape the bowl and the beater. Add ¼ teaspoon table salt and 2 eggs and mix to combine. Add 4 ounces almond flour, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of the rum.
- Spread the frangipane evenly into the tart crust. Peel, core and slice 3 apples to ¼" thick. Arrange the apple slices in a pretty petal pattern, starting with the outside edge and working your way towards the middle. Bake until the apples are tender and the filling is set, about 45 minutes.
- Turn on the broiler and run the tart under the broiler for a minute or two to brown the top of the tart. Warm 6 ounces apricot preserves in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of rum. Brush the warm preserves over the warm tart. Cool to room temperature.
- Best served at room temperature.
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HELP! Right in the middle of making this. The recipe says 4 oz of almond flour, 1 cup. 8 oz is a cup. So, am I adding 4 oz. or 8 oz?
A cup of water weighs 8 oz, but a cup of almond flour weighs 4 oz. So use 4 oz of almond flour.
Way too sweet. Made this before, but cut sugar. Forgot to cut sugar today and it’s not good.
Very good, but way too sweet for French dessert. One cup of sugar is way too much IMO.
I made this for Thanksgiving. It looked more impressive than a pie, tasted better, and was so easy! No complaints from the family, but I went scant on the rum and almond extract and it’s still a little strong for me (though not overpowering by any means). Next time I’ll do a little less than half what’s called for for each. We have a convection oven, so by 10 minutes the crust was already quite tan. So, it got a little darker than I’d like by the time the filling was set (not close to burnt or anything, just dark). If you have a convection oven check your crust closer to 8 minutes in.
Five stars. There’s nothing quite like a recipe that makes you feel like someone on Great British Bake Off without any of the challenging parts 🙂
Seriously!!?? Your directions are terrible. I’m a baker. If someone is not a baker!!? Their crust will come out terrible. When u blind bake? How about telling them to dock it!! With a fork! Line it with aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans! So it doesn’t shrink. I really can’t believe it. Also I wud not add rum! It’s almond. How about Amaretto?? Very scary. Also u put the glaze on when it comes out of the oven!! I worked in a pastry shop in London while going to Cordon Bleu. All I did was tarts!!
Why are you so angry? Normally I would delete a overtly hostile comment but I just don’t understand why you’re so enraged? Ummm, in the first step it says to “Prick the dough all over with a fork”. Since you’re such an expert baker I’m surprised you don’t know that there’s no need for foil or pie weights when you use a fluted tart pan with short dough. I don’t even know what to say about your apoplexy over the rum. All that being said, if you’re a formally trained pastry chef with so much knowledge perhaps you should start your own website instead of harassing others.
This has got to be one of the best replies I have ever read to such a rude and aggressive comment. I am making this for the second time – I have had to vary the recipe slightly as one of my guests is severely gluten intolerant so I’m making a pastry with almond meal. The recipe is great – thank you for sharing it.
@Lynn, you’re an ass. Go bake from your impeccable memory.
If making and baking the case in advance how should I store it please?
The tart can be held at room temperature for a day. Longer than that you can refrigerate or freeze. Bring it back to room temperature before serving.
@Eileen Gray,
Well said.
When you make the frangipane filling ahead of time and refrigerate, do you take it out to let it warm up a bit before baking or straight into the oven? If it’s straight into the oven, does that change the baking time? Doing planning for family Christmas and really excited to try this recipe!
I assume you mean the frangipane is not in the tart shell. I take it out of the fridge and immediately spread it into the shell. Add the apples and bake. There is not need to wait for it to warm up. The baking time is always just an estimate since it can vary for a million reasons. Start checking at 30 minutes and bake until the apples are tender and the frangipane is set.
What is the best kind of apple to use?
Any good baking apple will work. Generally, harder and slightly tart apples are good for baking. Granny Smith is the best supermarket apple for baking.
I was wondering how long you can store the frangipane refrigerated before baking? I need to bak 10 tarts and would like to do as much in advance as possible. Thank you!
You could keep it refrigerated for 2 days and frozen for several weeks. If you’re baking 10 tarts you could make the filling and divide it up into the 10 portions needed. Then freeze and take out the number you need each day for baking.
Will using more than 3 apples alter the recipe too much?? Will it prevent the pie in the oven from setting? Love this recipe but only made it once and thought it could use some more apples! We are Apple lovers here but I’m worried it would be too heavy on top?
Probably not. Of course it depends on the size of you apples and the variety. A hard apple like granny smith won’t give off as much juice as a softer apple. As long as you’re not piling up the apples I think it will be ok.
@Eileen Gray, thank you!!! I’m using honey crisp
I made this for a family gathering a few years ago and now it is requested every time! Big hit with both adults and kids – everyone is always impressed by the look of this tart. They think it must have taken forever to make, but it’s really so simple. I like to serve the tart with a little mascarpone – divine! This is my go-to recipe for family gatherings.
Ok, My husband asked me to make this tart for every event and non event moving forward. LOL. It is really heavenly. Very well done, Carmn
This was good but it’s not my favorite. The almond extract was very strong. I think next time I will half it. The crusty was also very crumbly. That could have been me and not the recipe though.
Of course you can adjust the extract to taste. Also, different brands of extract will have different pungency and flavor. Do you mean the crust was crumbly before being baked or after?