Consomee

Tarte Tatin

⏱ ~85 min (est.)MediumDessertFranceVegetarian
Tarte Tatin

If you've got puff pastry, braeburn apples and creme fraiche, you're most of the way to this French dessert: about 85 minutes of cooking across 12 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 12 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.

You'll mainly reach for oven and frying pan / skillet. At medium difficulty across 12 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.

What you'll need

Servings4

Shopping list (3)

Pantry staples (you likely have these)

🔁 Unit converter
=

How to make it

  1. Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round on a lightly floured surface and cut a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick all over with a fork, wrap in cling film on a baking sheet and freeze while preparing the apples.
  2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
  3. Peel, quarter and core the apples.
  4. Put the sugar in a flameproof 20cm ceramic Tatin dish or a 20cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium-high heat.
  5. Cook the sugar for 5-7 mins to a dark amber caramel syrup that’s starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the 60g diced chilled butter.
  6. To assemble the Tarte Tatin, arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion.
  7. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps.
  8. Brush the fruit with the melted butter.
  9. Bake in the oven for 30 mins, then remove and place the disc of frozen puff pastry on top – it will quickly defrost.
  10. Tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and, with a knife, prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape.
  11. Bake for a further 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
  12. Allow to cool to room temperature for 1 hr before running a knife around the edge of the dish and inverting it onto a large serving plate that is deep enough to contain the juices. Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

You'll use: Oven · Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Baking sheet · Steamer

Watch how it's made

Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.

Ingredient substitutions

Butter
olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Creme Fraiche
sour cream · Greek yogurt

What to serve with Tarte Tatin

Tips & common questions

How long does Tarte Tatin take to make?

About 85 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 12 steps and 6 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of butter?

Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Tarte Tatin vegetarian?

Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.

Recipe data for Tarte Tatin via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.