Add the classic French flavors to the Thanksgiving dinner! Try French apple tart and give a perfect ending to your Thanksgiving feast. It’s truly delicious and a confectionary masterpiece. It has a crispy pastry with tender apples in it.

The applesauce added to the tart makes it utterly divine. It’s crispy on the outside yet moist and creamy on the inside. So, let’s brighten up our Thanksgiving feast with the French classic flavors. You can also add butter extract or any of its substitutes to liven up the tart.

The French apple tart is a classic Thanksgiving tart recipe. This sophisticated dessert is also known for having a beautiful pattern of cascaded apples in the tart. You can also arrange the apple slices your own way. If you don’t have the same type of apples, you can use mixed apples for this recipe. Remember, don’t pull the pastry from the tart pan as it can cause shrinkage of the pastry when you bake it.

To make a French apple tart, you need to make sure you have all the equipment and ingredients required. Read the lists of equipment and ingredients below. Once you have all of these, then we’ll start with the recipe instructions. Follow the instructions carefully to have the French apple tart exactly as described below. But before you read out the entire recipe, check out other dishes from the dessert section of our blog.

1. Pumpkin Parfaits– Want to make a delicious pumpkin dessert this pumpkin season? Try pumpkin parfaits. This delicious dessert is layered with a cream cheese mixture and a pumpkin mixture. Both these mixtures have a touch of orange juice to make it refreshing.

2. Butter Brickle Cookies– Butter brickle cookies are crispy cookies filled with buttery goodness. These cookies are flavored with butter, vanilla, and sugar. These cookies are crunchy on the outside and chewy inside and are filled with toffee bits.

3. Four Flavor Sheet Pan Pie– The four flavor sheet pan pie is your hero when you can’t decide on one flavor of pie. The pie crust is common but it divided into 4 parts. In each quarters, there are different flavored fillings. You’ll get apple pie, sour cherry pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie as a package.

4. Pumpkin Pie With Walnut Crust– Ditch your usual pie crust and replace it with a delicious walnut crust for Pumpkin pie. The walnut crust give the smooth creamy pumpkin filling a crumbly texture and nutty taste. There are also all the holiday spices to warm up your heart.

What Equipment Will You Need For French Apple Tart?

• Bowl-  Use a small bowl to prepare the apricot glaze for this recipe and to keep sliced apples and melted butter before using them in the recipe. Use a large bowl to make the pastry dough. 
• Tart pan- Use an 8-9 inch tart pan for this recipe. Make sure the bottom of the pan is removable. 
• Saucepan- To cook apples for the apple tart, you need a non-stick saucepan. 
• Spatula- Use a spatula to stir the ingredients for the apple tart. 
• Spoon- Add the applesauce to the tart and spread it using a spoon. 
• Foil- Use aluminum foil to wrap the edges of the tart and cook the tart under the broiler. The foil traps the moisture while it’s cooking. 
• Blender- Use a blender or a food processor or a mixer to combine all the ingredients for the pastry dough. 
• Sieve- To strain the apricot glaze and remove the apricot clumps, you need a sieve. 
• Oven- Oven is the major equipment for this recipe. You cannot bake the tart without an oven. 

How Much Time Do You Need To Make French Apple Tart?

What Ingredients Will You Need For French Apple Tart?

• All-purpose flour- All-purpose flour is the main ingredient for the pastry dough. All-purpose flour will also be used to roll the pastry for the tart.
• Sugar- Use a one-fourth cup of granulated white sugar, add sweetness to the apples in the tart and you can top this tart with powdered sugar. 
• Salt- Salt is added to balance the sweet flavors of the apple tart. 
• Butter- Keep a half cup of butter at room temperature for a few minutes before using it in the recipe. Prefer unsalted butter over salted butter. The butter is used to cook the apples for the tart, is added to the pastry dough, and is brushed over the apples before baking the tart. 
• Egg- Beat a large egg with the butter mixture for the pastry. It softens the pastry and makes it flavorful. 
• Apricot preserves- Use a half cup of apricot preserves to make the apricot glaze. The apricot glaze seals the crust and prevents it from becoming soggy. 
• Water or Grand Marnier- Add a tablespoon of water to the apricot preserves to make the apricot glaze. You can also use Grand Marnier, Cognac, Calvados, or Rum in place of water. 
• Applesauce- Use lightly sweetened applesauce to add more flavor of the apples to the tart. The applesauce added to the tart keeps the arranged apple slices intact and adds more taste to the apple tart. You can make the applesauce at home or use store-bought applesauce. 
• Apples- Use three medium-sized firm-textured apples for this recipe. You can use Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Jonathan, or any other type of apples. You can also use mixed apples for this recipe. 
• Cinnamon- Use ground cinnamon to add mild spiciness to the apple tart. 

Steps To Make French Apple Tart

1. Roll The Pastry For Pastry Crust

Beat butter and sugar in a mixer until soft and fluffy. Gradually, add the egg while continuously beating the mixture. Now, add flour and salt until it forms a dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about an hour until it’s firm.

Roll the pastry and place it in the tart pan. Press it slightly against the bottom and sides of the pan. Prick the bottom of the pastry in the pan using a fork. Refrigerate it for about 20 minutes after removing the excess pastry. 

Lay parchment paper over the crust and add rice or beans to it. Evenly distribute it over the pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven (400 F) for about 20 minutes. Now, remove the rice and parchment paper, reduce the temperature to 350 F, and bake the pie crust again for about 5 minutes until the crust is golden brown and dry. 

2. Give The Apricot Glaze

Heat the apricot preserves in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, strain it and discard the lumps (if any). Add water or the Grand Marnier to it. Brush this apricot glaze over the pie crust. 

3. Make The Apple Tart

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and add about 4 tablespoons of sugar to it. Add apple slices, sauce, and ground cinnamon to it. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the apples begin to soften. Remove from the heat and let it cool. 

Now, spread the apple sauce in the pie tart and arrange the apples in it in the form of concentric circles. Brush them with a tablespoon of butter and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the apples are soft. 

Top the tart with powdered sugar and cover the edges with foil. Place it under a preheated broiler until the tart edges are crispy and brown. Let it cool completely and then glaze it with warm apricot glaze. Serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

Nutritional Information

How Will French Apple Tart Look and Taste?

So! Finally, we’re ready with our Thanksgiving dessert! French apple tart has crispy pastry with delicious golden brown apples decorated in it. It looks as perfect as its taste. Every bite is filled with the flavor of apples with the hint of apricot from the apricot glaze. The applesauce adds to the impeccable taste of the tart. It’s sweet with a mild spiciness of cinnamon. This tart is baked to perfection and goes well for a celebration meal. Try this sensational dessert for the Thanksgiving meal and enjoy your holiday feast. 

Recipe Card

Did you try this French apple tart recipe? Tell me in the comments below about your recipe. You can also try out other holiday recipes to enjoy your Thanksgiving feast.