Caramel Apple Crumble Tart

This caramel apple crumble tart is the best of both worlds for me. I love apple pies, crumbles, cinnamon, pecan nuts, tarts and of course, caramel. So why not combine the whole lot together and make the perfect dessert? 

Whereas a proper crumble is more of a pudding, with its fruit on the bottom, an apple and caramel crumble pie is much more elegant for serving if you are entertaining. It slices beautifully, so that you can see the layers before you drizzle over some extra yummy caramel sauce.

Of course, you can go completely over the top with a dollop of cream too!

Bon appétit!   

This is the sort of dessert that I love in the Autumn and Winter, when there is an abundance of apples. There's something really comforting and nostalgic about the combination of apples with cinnamon and nutmeg that never goes out of fashion because it tastes so good!

I do love the crunch of a crumble, but it often looks untidy when you serve it, so I've made a caramel apple crumble tart. This means that you get the best of both worlds and can serve this dessert on a plate or in a bowl, hot or cold too.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you will love this dish
• 🥘 INGREDIENTS
• 🍽 EQUIPMENT
• 🔪 INSTRUCTIONS
• ⏲️ Baking Time
• 🥗 Serve with
• 🥙 Substitutions
• .📖 VARIATIONS
• 🍣 Storage
• 🍱 Prepare in Advance
• 🤔FAQs
• 📋 Recipe
• Desserts
• 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you will love this dish

✔️10 delicious servings.

✔️Make in advance.

✔️Great for entertaining.

✔️Family friendly flavours.

💙 Save this recipe for later

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🥘 INGREDIENTS

• Granny Smith apples - these apples are quite tart which balances the flavour of the salted caramel. They also hold their shape well when baked and are easy to find all year round.
• Plain flour - the same as all purpose flour. The cheapest is fine for this pastry and crumble topping.
• Butter - salted butter is fine, but not the variety with salt crystals.
• Pecan nuts - optional but delicious. Pieces are cheaper than whole ones as they will be chopped.
• Cornflour or cornstarch - this helps to absorb and thicken the excess juices from the apples.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg - because they love apples! The nutmeg is best freshly grated and I also love to add it to a white sauce.
• Salted caramel sauce - bought or home made salted caramel sauce.
• Lemon juice - fresh, or from a bottle is fine, as it is just to stop the discolouration of the apples.
• Soft brown sugar - adds a nutty rich flavour to the crumble topping.
• Rolled oats -these add extra crunch and texture to the crumble.
• Ground almonds - replaces some of the normal amount of flour in the crumble for extra nuttiness.

The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.

🍽 EQUIPMENT

• 23cm or 9 inch loose bottom tin
• food processor preferable
• rolling pin or just use a glass bottle

🔪 INSTRUCTIONS

Although dessert pastry often has sugar in it, I've kept the tart shell simple because I am adding sugar and caramel to the filling. 

I prefer to use a food processor because I can start by getting the nuts chopped, then make the pastry and then the crumble topping. You can use your fingers, a pastry cutter or just a fork.

Pulse together the butter and flour, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then add a little cold water until it comes together in a ball.

Shape the dough into a round and press flat. This makes it easier to roll out later. Place the dough in a bag or wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20-30 minutes in the fridge.

💭 TOP TIP

• It's really important to chill the dough as the actof mixing with the flour heats the butter and makes it difficult to roll out. By chilling the dough there is also less shrinkage when it cooks.

Roll out the pastry to line a loose bottomed 23cm tin.

Peel the apples, quarter them and remove the core. Cut into about 1 cm cubes. By cutting them smaller they will still keep their shape but the tart will be easier to cut.

Toss the apple pieces in lemon juice as you peel then stir in the remaining filling ingredients.

Put the apple mixture to one side and make the crumble.

Pulse together butter and flour and then stir in the pecans, oats, ground almonds, cinnamon and sugar.

Spread the apple filling over the pastry case then add generous dollops of salted caramel sauce.

Next add the crumble topping. Lightly press the crumble down and place the tin on a baking sheet.

⏲️ Baking Time

Bake at 200C/400F/180FAN/ Gas5 for about 45 minutes until golden.

Leave in the tin for at least 10 minutes before turning out.

🥗 Serve with

You can eat the apple and caramel crumble hot from the oven, warm or cold.

• Custard
• Cream - whipped, single or a dollop of extra thick double cream or, for total decadence, clotted cream.
• Ice cream - a rich, creamy vanilla would be perfect
• Crème fraîche - this is a type or soured cream from France, with a higher fat content that is really versatile in cooking as it doesn't tend to split when it's heated. It''s a perfect substitute for cream and has a long fridge life.
• Caramel sauce

🥙 Substitutions

• Nuts and oats - if you prefer not to use them or don't have them to hand then use the same quantity of flour.
• Butter - you can use baking spread or margerine but the taste won't be as good.
• Granny Smiths - other varieties that work well are Jonathan, Jonagold, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or just cooking apples

.📖 VARIATIONS

• Apples - try using pears instead.
• Pecans - walnuts or hazelnuts would also work.

🍣 Storage

• Refrigerator - cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Freezer - divide into portions in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheat - warm in the oven.

🍱 Prepare in Advance

• Make the tart, cool, cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

🤔FAQs

Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais

More fruity desserts to try

• Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone
• Raspberry Frangipane Tart
• Strawberry Galette
• Strawberry  Crème Brûlée
• Lemon Crème Brûlée Tart
• Cherry Clafoutis
• Raspberry Parfait

📋 Recipe

🍲 Food Safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using gas.

Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.

However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.

Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.

However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.