Apple Brown Butter Tart is the kind of dessert that makes simple ingredients feel special. Tender apples, rich browned butter, creamy custard, and a buttery pastry crust come together in an elegant tart that’s perfect for fall baking, holiday dinners, or a weekend dessert.
The star of this apple tart is the brown butter custard. Browning the butter adds a deeper, nutty flavor that complements the natural sweetness and slight tartness of the apples. Instead of an overly sweet dessert, you get a balanced combination of buttery richness, warm apple flavor, and creamy custard in every bite.
For the best apple brown butter tart, choose apples that hold their shape during baking while providing enough tartness to balance the custard. Thin, even slices also help the apples cook at the same rate and create an attractive finished tart. If you’re making this for guests, the finished tart is especially nice served slightly warm or at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly whipped cream.
This recipe also makes a beautiful addition to a fall dessert table. If you’re looking for something a little different from traditional apple pie, an apple custard tart offers the familiar flavor of baked apples in a more refined presentation. The brown butter adds an extra layer of flavor that makes this tart memorable without requiring complicated pastry techniques.
Whether you’re baking for Thanksgiving, a dinner party, or simply have a basket of apples waiting to be used, this apple brown butter tart is an impressive dessert that’s still approachable for a home baker.
Not quite what you are looking for? Try these other sweet recipes: Luscious Lemon Squares, Easy Chocolate Ice Cream or Salted-Caramel Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
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Apple Brown Butter Custard Tart
Apple Brown Butter Custard Tart – How to improve on a basic apple tart recipe? Add brown butter, of course.
- Total Time: 3:00
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- Vegetable oil spray
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Filling
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 large Granny Smith apples (6 to 8 ounces each)—peeled, cored and cut into 6 wedges each Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and egg yolk mixture and process just until the pastry comes together. Turn the pastry out onto a work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Press the pastry evenly into the tart pan and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
- Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill loosely with pie weights. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set. Remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for about 20 minutes longer, until the tart shell is lightly browned all over.
- In a very large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar; cook over high heat until just brown. Add the apples, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until lightly caramelized, 12 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, cook the remaining stick of butter over moderate heat until the milk solids brown and the butter is fragrant, about 7 minutes. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, then beat in the browned butter, scraping the milk solids into the custard mixture.
- Pour the custard into the shell; arrange the apples in a single layer of slightly overlapping circles. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is puffed and richly browned. Transfer to a rack and cool before serving.
- Prep Time: :20
- Cook Time: 1:00
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven