Apple Frangipane Tart (on Puff Pastry

This delightfully simple Apple Frangipane Tart is about to make your day. Thinly sliced apples baked into a soft and buttery almond filling, all on a sheet of crisp puff pastry, it comes together fast, feels a little fancy, and is perfect for cozy brunches, Holiday dessert tables, or an any day breakfast treat.

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My Apple Frangipane Tart, a simple variation on a French apple tart, brings together the delicious elements of crisp puff pastry and tart apples nestled on top of a frangipane filling. This simple, rustic recipe is inspired by my Summer peach frangipane galette, but with more of a c weather vibe.

This simple apple tart is quick to make, easy to customize, and perfect for when you want to make something that tastes like you spent all day on it but only took you a few minutes. No one needs to know 🤫

Why you'll love this recipe

• Easy - Uses store bought puff pastry so you can skip the hard part and get straight to baking.
• Cozy - Warm apples and almond filling make this perfect for cold weather brunches.
• Fast - No fuss steps and it bakes in under 30 minutes.
• Impressive - Looks like a bakery tart even though it is simple to assemble.
• Flexible - Swap apples, add spices, or use my rough puff pastry if you want a homemade touch.

What is Frangipane?

Frangipane is a soft almond filling, also called almond cream, made by beating butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and almond flour into a creamy mixture. When baked under fruit, it puffs gently and turns golden, creating a tender base that tastes like warm marzipan without being overly sweet.

Besides my peach galette, I also use varying amounts of frangipane in my pear galette, almond sweet rolls, almond croissants, almond croissant muffins, and my blueberry bostock on brioche bread. It is one of those back-pocket pastry tricks that makes anything look and taste fancy.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The photo below shows everything you need to make this recipe. Let's go over the major ingredients and how they can be substituted if needed.

• Puff Pastry - Use store bought frozen or refrigerated versions or swap in my rough puff pastry to go full-out homemade.
• Apples - Honeycrisp or Gala work best, but Pink Lady or Fuji also slice well and hold their shape during baking. Granny Smiths are also good, although I find them to be a bit too tart for my taste.
• Almond Flour - Blanched almond flour is ideal. Almond meal or ground almonds also works but gives a more rustic texture.
• Almond Extract - Adds stronger almond flavor. You can use vanilla extract if needed, but the almond flavor in your finished tart will be more subtle.
• Butter - Unsalted is best. Salted works too, but may alter the overall flavor.
• Egg - Used in the frangipane and for the optional egg wash. No substitution recommended here.
• Honey - An optional finish to the tart, I like to warm up a little honey and water and brush it over the warm apples. You can skip it completely or swap out for warm apricot jam.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

You can switch this recipe up in so many ways. Here are a few ideas to try.

• Cinnamon Sugar - Add cinnamon to the sugar that you sprinkle over the apples before baking.
• Pear Frangipane Tart - Replace the apples with thinly sliced pears, but make sure that your pears are quite firm so they don't bake mushy.
• Spiced Apple Tart - Add cardamom, nutmeg, or ginger to the almond filling.
• Maple Glaze - Add a tablespoon of maple syrup to your frangipane and brush warm tart with a little more for extra fall sweetness.
• Caramel Apple Tart - Drizzle cooled tart with a spoonful of caramel sauce.

Quick Recipe Video

Step-by-Step Instructions

This apple frangipane tart is simple to assemble, and my step by step photos will walk you through each part of the process so you can follow along easily.

• Prepare: Line a large sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper, or aluminum foil. If using aluminum foil, spritz lightly with nonstick spray. Place an oven rack near the bottom of your oven. 

Step 1: In a medium bowl cream together unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in one egg and almond extract.

Step 2: Add almond flour and beat until fluffy. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients or refrigerate up to three days.

Step 3: Roll out your thawed puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper to about 9" x 12", or as thin as you can. Use the back of a knife to make a very shallow score about 1 inches from the edge all the way around your puff pastry. 

Step 4: Use a toothpick, fork, or a skewer, to poke holes into the crust to prevent it from puffing while baking (which, as you can see from the photo, I forgot to do 🤪). Transfer to a sheet pan and spread your almond cream in an even layer up to the line.

Step 5: Using a very sharp chef knife, or a mandolin, slice your apples about ⅛ inch thick. (whether or not to peel the apples is a personal preference.)

Step 6: Shingle the apples on top of the tart, leaving a little space between rows. Place your tart into the refrigerator, or freezer, while you preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 7: Remove tart from chilling and poke those holes if you forgot before 😑. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of all of the apples. Place small cubes of butter on top. If desired, use a pastry brush to brush the edge of the tart with an egg wash made from one egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water.

Step 8: Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges of your puff pastry are golden brown and the almond cream is puffy and golden. For a nice shine, I like to brush the tops of the warm apples with 1 tablespoon of honey mixed with 1 tablespoon of hot water. This is optional.

Remove from the baking sheet and let cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying. I like to serve with some sweetened yogurt for breakfast or vanilla ice cream for dessert.

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