Salted Caramel Apple Tart (Print Version)

Buttery crust with warmly spiced apples and rich salted caramel topped with flaky sea salt.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tart Crust

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
03 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

→ Spiced Apple Filling

07 - 5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 - 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Salted Caramel Sauce

15 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
16 - 3 tablespoons water
17 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
18 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
19 - 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for topping

# How to Make It:

01 - In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add cold diced butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water, pulsing just until the dough forms. Add more water if needed. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch tart pan, trimming excess dough. Prick the base with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with baking weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove weights and parchment. Bake for 8 additional minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool completely.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and lemon juice. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the apple mixture and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until apples are just tender but retain their shape. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
04 - In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water. Cook over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches a deep amber color, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in heavy cream, which will cause the mixture to bubble. Add butter and sea salt, whisking until smooth. Allow caramel to cool slightly before using.
05 - Arrange the cooled spiced apples evenly in the cooled tart crust. Drizzle approximately half of the salted caramel sauce over the apples.
06 - Bake the assembled tart at 350°F for 20 minutes, until the apple filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
07 - Drizzle the remaining salted caramel sauce over the cooled tart and sprinkle with flaky sea salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The contrast of buttery crust, warm spiced apples, and that hit of flaky salt creates a flavor experience that tastes restaurant-quality but feels oddly manageable to pull off at home.
  • You get to make real caramel from scratch, which feels like kitchen magic and somehow makes you feel like a different version of yourself.
  • It's the kind of dessert that works equally well served warm with ice cream or at room temperature with coffee the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the blind baking step—a soggy bottom crust is a heartbreak you can prevent with just a little parchment and some dried beans.
  • When making caramel, have your cream measured and ready before you start cooking the sugar, because once it reaches that deep amber color, you need to move fast or it will burn.
  • Apple variety matters more than you'd think; mixing types gives you better flavor and texture than using just one kind.
03 -
  • If your caramel seizes or looks grainy when you whisk in the cream, keep whisking—it usually smooths out as it cools, and even imperfect caramel tastes delicious.
  • Toast some chopped pecans or walnuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes and scatter them into the apple filling for extra crunch and a nuttier depth.
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