Looking for something to do with all of those apples you picked at the orchard (or simply bought at the grocery store)? This apple tart is it – it’s so easy, simple, and delicious. With maple syrup spiced with cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg, baking this tart results in the most beautiful aroma in your kitchen. Possibly better than any seasonal candle you can get your hands on. Whether you make the pie crust yourself or buy frozen, this is such a great go-to dessert recipe for the Fall.
Easier than Apple Pie
I love pie, don’t get me wrong, but a tart or a gallette is simply much easier to make and serve than a pie. None of that “the first piece is always the ugliest” mess. Since tarts are flat they are much easier to slice and serve.
It is also very simple to make. All you need to do is slice your apples – opt for a sweeter varietal like honey crisp. For the tart in the photographs, I used Stayman-Winesap apples. If you haven’t heard of these before, they’re red-green when ripe and have a tart yet rich wine-like flavor. Stayman-Winesaps happen to be what is grown at the local orchard, Windy Hill, I picked my apples from. They also make cider with these apples, and it is some of the best cider I’ve ever had. Definitely worth a trip if you live in North Carolina.
The syrup is so simple as well – grab the highest quality maple syrup you can get your hands on. Add your cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and butter and let it simmer before adding vanilla extract. The scent is heavenly.
Experiment with how you arrange the apple slices and shape the crust. You can have a rustic, mesmerizing circular tart or make one in the shape of a square.
You could even manipulate the pie crust dough into mini single serve hand pies or anything else. This recipe will work no matter what. Have fun with it! I’ve made at least four of these so far and have had a great time trying new shapes and arrangements.
Looking for something else to do with all of your apples? Try my brie, caramelized onion, and apple crostini (they’re a real crowd-pleaser!)
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Spiced Maple Apple Tart
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Spiced maple syrup with cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and vanilla envelopes sweet apples in this crisp, warming tart.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- Your preferred store bought crust
- Try this made-from-scratch pie crust recipe
- A small amount (~1/2 tbsp) of coarse sugar and cinnamon mixed together for sprinkling
- ~1 tbsp of butter, melted, to brush the edges of the crust
Filling
- 2–4 medium apples, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (choose high quality, the darker the color the deeper the flavor)
- 3.5 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A few grinds of black pepper
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Thaw and unroll pie crust according to package instructions, or make according to your favorite crust recipe if making from scratch.
- Move onto the filling when you have your dough thawed, flat on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and ready to go.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat maple syrup in a small pot or saucepan over medium-high heat, or until the syrup begins to bubble.
- Add cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and your 4 tbsp of butter to the syrup. Stir thoroughly until the butter is melted. Reduce to a low simmer and let the spices infuse for about 2 minutes.
- Spoon about 1/2 of the syrup onto the pie dough and spread around evenly. I like to spread the syrup all the way out to the edges so that even if I have a bite of just crust, I still get a bit of that spiced maple flavor.
- Arrange your apple slices in an aesthetic pattern.
- Pour/drizzle the rest of the spice maple syrup evenly over the top of the apples.
- Fold the edges of the pie dough over the filling.
- Brush the crust edges with melted butter, and sprinkle very lightly with a little bit of your sugar & cinnamon mixture.
- Pop the tart in the oven for roughly 30 minutes until the dough is fully baked (check for lightly golden edges).
- Remove from oven, and serve!
Sydney is a 29-year old American living between France and Italy. She has a WSET Level 2 certification in wine, along with a degree in environmental engineering and an MBA. She loves exploring local farmer’s markets, haunting her favorite wine bar, and discovering new restaurants.
Wholesomm has definitely showed me the wonder of a Galette…! They’re SO much easier than making a pie and they not compromise on taste/texture. This was a perfect recipe post apple picking when there were simply just too many apples. It’s such a simple dessert to make with friends or for company. The smell alone is worth it, and it’s such a comforting treat that can be pulled together in a short amount of time!
Author
Thanks, Catherine! It’s definitely dangerous how easy it is to throw one of these together…I was eating them all the time in the Fall after apple picking!