This Apple Shortbread Tart is my “GO TO” dessert recipe. It’s one of my absolute favorite desserts… apples, cinnamon, topped with crumbly streusel on a buttery shortbread crust!
Do you have one of those recipes? You know…the recipe you love to make when asked to “bring the dessert” to a friend’s home for dinner. Or maybe it’s the recipe you make when you have guests over for dessert and coffee? Yep…this recipe for apple shortbread tart is MINE, and yes…it’s THAT good.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
How I Found This Recipe
I received this recipe on a little 3×5 card many years ago at a Christmas event for women at the church we attend. Since I never turn down a free recipe, I put it in my purse and brought it home. My thought was that “maybe someday” I would see if it was any good.
Well, that was a long time ago, but I tell you truthfully, I have made this delicious dessert so many times since then I’ve lost count! I’ve even “adapted” the recipe for other kinds of fruit and it works like a charm (peach and boysenberry), but this original version using tart apples is my absolute favorite!
The buttery, shortbread crust with the apples, cinnamon and crumbly shortbread topping is so good! I wish I knew WHO to thank for this, but, my little 3×5 card only had the recipe on it, with no source noted. So, to the random mystery person out there in the big ol’ world who created this recipe originally…THANK YOU! Update 5/11/14: Turns out one of my dearest friends provided the recipe card I picked up…go figure. Thank you, Shari!
Here’s How To Make This Apple Shortbread Tart
Begin by preparing the shortbread crust. It’s easy to do in a food processor. You can also use a hand held pastry blender to mix the ingredients. It’s important to add butter to make a good shortbread crust! Place all the crust ingredients in the processor, EXCEPT FOR THE EGG YOLKS.
Process until the butter has been reduced to the size of peas. Once the butter in the mixture has been reduced to the size of peas, add the egg yolks and process only until just combined.
Form The Crust In A Tart Pan
Firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a tart pan (with removable bottom). Remember to reserve some of the shortbread topping for later! Set the reserved shortbread topping aside, because it’ll be used later, to top the dessert.
Add Apple Filling and Shortbread Crumb Topping
Mix the apple slices with the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture in a large mixing bowl. Arrange the apple slices on top of the shortbread crust, mounding them up a bit in the middle..
The remaining shortbread crust mixture is sprinkled over the top of the apples as a streusel. Use all of the crumb topping to cover the entire surface. Now it’s ready to go into the oven!
Bake The Apple Shortbread Tart
Bake the fruit tart at 400°F for about 45 minutes. Once done, the fruit filling should be slightly bubbling around the edge, and the top will be golden brown. Here is what the apple shortbread looks like, fresh from the oven and cooling down a bit on a wire rack!
After the apple tart has cooled for 5-10 minutes, remove it from the tart pan. To do this, gently push up from the bottom to separate the bottom tray from the scalloped edge ring.
Time To Enjoy This Apple Shortbread Tart
Slice the apple shortbread tart into 8 pieces, and serve warm, or at room temperature. Sometimes I serve the apple shortbread tart with homemade vanilla ice cream and drizzle it with a warm golden caramel sauce, for an extra burst of flavor..
Here is the apple shortbread tart, served with a dark browned caramel sauce over the tart and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Can you tell I’ve made this dessert a LOT?
Now the only thing left to do is grab a fork! Dig in and enjoy a big old slice of this absolutely DELICIOUS apple shortbread tart! Caramel swirl ice cream was served with the apple tart this time (seen in photo below). Boy was it yummy!
Sure hope you will give this absolutely delicious apple shortbread tart a try. It is FANTASTIC, and I’m positive you will LOVE it! Have a great day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes.
Looking For More FRUIT TART Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several delicious fruit tarts you might want to check out, including:
- Peach Shortbread Tart
- Red, White and Blue Fruit Tart
- Lemon Cream Cheese Tart
- Boysenberry Shortbread Tart
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Recipe Adapted From: Shari Altree
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup COLD butter (cut in small chunks)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 1/4 pounds tart apples (about 6 med. apples - Gravenstein or Granny Smith for best results)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar , packed
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Blend all crust ingredients EXCEPT FOR EGG YOLKS until they are the texture of coarse meal. (You can use a fork, a pastry blender or a food processor). Add egg yolks and mix well to blend. **Set aside 1/4 of this mixture and save for later**. Using the remaining 3/4 of the crumbs, firmly pat them down over the bottom and up the sides of a tart pan with removable bottom disk or a large pie pan. Make sure crust is firmly pressed down into the pan and the sides to form a solid crust.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into thin slices. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 TBSP flour and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Mix well to coat apple slices.
Once apples and dry ingredients are mixed together, gently "pour" or spoon apples onto crust. Position apples so they mound in the center and fill in the crust.
Sprinkle reserved 1/4 of the crust mixture over the top. I find it helpful to hold one hand up around the edge of the pan to try and catch the crumbles before they fall off the tart. Just scoop up any crumbles that fall onto your work surface and put them back on that tart! Cover the entire top of the tart.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until the top begins to turn golden brown (approx. 25-30 minutes). Keep an eye on it and remove tart when golden brown. Let cool just a bit. If using a tart pan, hold your hand on the bottom of the tart and gently press upward on the metal disk to release the tart from the pan. Place the tart (keeping disk on the bottom of tart) on serving dish, slice and serve.
- Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream...and ENJOY!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!