This easy vegan French apple tart will make you feel like you've just visited a boulangerie-pâtisserie! The buttery crust follows my easy vegan pastry recipe that stays crisp when baked and comes together in the food processor.
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French apple tart (or Tarte aux Pommes) can be made in several ways, some popular fillings include pastry cream (a firm custard), baked custard (like this tarte Normande), or frangipane which is an almond-flavored sweet pastry cream.
Note: This is an improved version of my original recipe posted in 2021. I doubled the frangipane filling and included real vanilla for a more pronounced flavor!
🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this delicious vegan apple tart from scratch:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Homemade Shortcrust Pastry: The pastry ingredients include vegan butter, all-purpose flour, sugar, sea salt, vanilla extract, and a dash of non-dairy milk.
- Fresh Apples: You want a good sweet-eating apple variety such as Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, or Gala. You can also go for Granny Smith apples for a more tart flavor, like in my vegan apple pie and apple crumble recipes.
- Vegan Block Butter: This is used in the filling and the pastry. You need block-style butter, not spreadable margarine from a tub.
- Vegan Yogurt: You can also use unsweetened applesauce.
- Vanilla Pod: Nothing beats the flavor of real vanilla. But if you don't have a vanilla pod you can also use vanilla bean paste or extract, or almond extract instead.
- Ground Almonds: One of the main ingredients for frangipane, adds a delicious flavor and texture to the tart filling.
- Baking Powder: Traditional frangipane usually won't have baking powder, however, this recipe uses it as a leavening agent in place of the eggs which is found in the classic version.
- Apricot Preserves: This adds sweetness and shine to the sliced apples and acts as a barrier keeping the pastry crisp underneath the almond filling. I use Bonne Maman apricot conserve.
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🔪 Instructions
This vegan apple tart is made in 3 steps: shortcrust pastry, frangipane, and apple topping. You can read this comprehensive guide on how to make vegan shortcrust pastry for detailed step-by-step images and instructions.
Once you have parbaked the crust, here is a visual of how to prepare the filling and topping: (please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and instructions):
Step 1: Gently heat the apricot jam glaze in a saucepan and using a pastry brush, brush about half of it over the base and sides of the pastry crust. Reserve the other half for coating the apples later.
Step 2: Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and add them to a large mixing bowl with the sugar with the leftover vanilla pod. Rub the vanilla into the sugar, then remove the pod and any stringy residue from it (if there is any).
Step 3: Add the softened vegan butter and beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the yogurt in 2-3 parts along with the almond extract if using, whisking each time until everything is creamed together.
Step 4: Fold the ground almonds, baking powder, and flour using a spatula until combined - do not overmix.
Step 5: Spoon the vanilla frangipane mixture into the cooled tart shell and spread it out in an even layer using a baby offset spatula.
Step 6: Quarter and core the apples and slice them very thinly. If you have a mandolin this is very helpful to get even slices.
Step 7: Arrange the apples in a circular assembly on top of the frangipane layer.
Step 8: Use the remaining apricot jam to glaze the apples with your pastry brush and sprinkle flaked almonds over the top. Bake at fan 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown
💭 Expert Tips
Prep the shortcrust pastry in advance if you’re looking to save time. Make the pastry dough up to a month ahead and freeze it until ready to use, or blind bake and refrigerate the tart shell the day before preparing the other elements of the recipe.
Use room temperature ingredients for the filling. The vegan yogurt (or apple sauce) and butter should be at room temperature to ensure they mix and emulsify.
Par-bake the crust. This will help to prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy and ensure everything is evenly baked.
Allow the tart to cool completely before removing it from the tart pan. The tart will rise once baked and deflate slightly once cooled (this is normal).
This tart tastes even better the next day after sitting in the fridge overnight. The almond frangipane firms up and the flavors intensify.
🍽 Serving Ideas + Variations
- Eggless Custard - This tart would be amazing served up with some ready-made custard or you can make this easy vegan custard from scratch.
- Toppings: Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, coconut yogurt, or whipped vegan cream.
- Puff Pastry: Arrange the apple slices on storebought or homemade vegan puff pastry and skip the filling.
- Pears: If you have a lot of pears to use up you can swap them in for the apples.
- Spiced Apple Filling: Toss the apple slices in half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to bring out those fall flavors. You can also sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the apples before baking.
- Apple Tartlets: Make individual servings like in my mini lemon tarts. You may have to adjust the baking time, so check them for doneness at the 25-minute mark, then allow extra time if needed.
💬 FAQs
Yes, once cooled place the tart in an airtight container and refrigerate. Consume within 2-3 days for best results.
Yep! Any leftover tart (not that there will likely be any left!) can be frozen. Wrap the tart in plastic wrap or place it in a sealed container before freezing.
🍎 More Vegan Apple Desserts
📖 Recipe
Vegan French Apple Tart With Frangipane
Equipment
- 9-inch tart tin (1.5-inch height)
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 batch vegan shortcrust pastry *see note 1
- 80 g (⅓ cup) apricot jam
Frangipane (9" tin with 1.5" height - half the ingredients for a more shallow tin).
- 100 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- 120 g (4.25 oz) vegan butter room temperature
- 80 g (⅓ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt or unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 120 g (½ cup) ground almonds
- 60 g (½ cup) plain flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder sifted
Apple Layer
- 2 apples fuji, gala, pink lady or braeburn work well
- apricot jam reserved from above
- 1 tablespoon flaked almonds optional
Instructions
- Update: Based on feedback, I have updated the original recipe to double the frangipane filling. It fills a 9-inch (1.5-inch height) tart tin. If you prefer the original or own a shallow tart tin, simply half the frangipane ingredients.
- Make the pastry: Make a batch of this vegan shortcrust pastry and par-bake it as up to part 4 of the recipe instructions. Allow the pastry to cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven: 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F for 30-40
- Apricot glaze: Gently heat the apricot preserves in a saucepan and use a pastry brush to coat the base and sides of the pastry crust. Reserve the remaining apricot glaze for coating the apples later.
- Flavor the sugar: Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and add them to a large mixing bowl with the sugar with the leftover vanilla pod. Rub the vanilla into the sugar, then remove the pod and any stringy residue from it (if there is any).
- Cream the filling: Add the softened vegan butter and beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the yogurt in 2-3 parts along with the almond extract if using, whisking each time until everything is creamed together. Do not worry if the mixture appears split at this stage, it will come together in the next step!
- Fold dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the ground almonds, flour, and baking powder. Fold them into the butter mixture using a spatula until combined - do not overmix.
- Fill the tart: Spoon the vanilla frangipane mixture into the cooled tart shell and spread it out in an even layer using a baby offset spatula. Note: There should be around a 1 cm gap at the top of the tin to allow space for apples and rising during baking.
- Prep apples: Quarter and core the apples and slice them very thinly. If you have a mandolin this is very helpful to get even slices.
- Toppings: Arrange the apples in a circular assembly on top of the frangipane layer. Use the remaining apricot jam to glaze the apples with your pastry brush and sprinkle flaked almonds over the top.
- Bake: In your oven preheated to 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F for 30-40 minutes until the apples have browned slightly and are tender when pierced with a fork. If the edges are browning too quickly, take the tart out and carefully cover the outer crust with some foil.Note: The tart will rise once base and deflate slightly once cooled (this is normal). Allow the tart to cool completely before removing it from the tin.
- Serving: For best results chill the tart for a couple of hours or the day before serving.
- Storage: Once cooled place the tart in an airtight container and refrigerate. Consume within 3 days for best results.
Notes
- You can prepare the shortcrust pastry in advance if you’re looking to save time. Make the dough ahead and freeze until ready to use, or blind bake and refrigerate the tart shell the day before preparing the rest of the tart.
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