This gluten-free apple tart is the perfect fall breakfast, snack, or dessert, and a scrumptious way to use up your batch of apples from apple picking.
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- About This Gluten-Free Apple Tart Recipe
- Ingredients You Will Need For An Apple Tart
- About The Gluten-Free Flour Blend For This Recipe
- How To Make A Gluten-Free Apple Tart
- Tools For Baking Gluten-Free Apple Tart
- Can I Make This Dairy-Free?
- Tips For Baking A Gluten-Free Apple Tart
- How To Store Gluten-Free Apple Tart
- Can I Freeze Gluten-Free Apple Tart?
- How to Serve Gluten-Free Apple Tart
- Gluten-Free Apple Tart Recipe
- More Fall Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
About This Gluten-Free Apple Tart Recipe
This apple tart has been a dessert in my family for many years. My aunts have been making this for holidays and special occasions since I was a little girl and it's called Dutch Apple Slices. But once I was diagnosed with celiac disease, that meant no more of this delicious treat, until after lots of recipe testing and baking practice, I was able to develop a gluten-free version!
So with the help from my Aunt Jane sharing her recipe with me (Thanks, Janeybird!) and some gluten-free modifications, I've been able to replicate it in a celiac safe form that still tastes amazing!
The crust for this recipe is a homemade gluten-free pastry that rolls out nicely and creates a light, almost cake-like pastry. And with the sliced apples topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and melted butter, you'll love this recipe for dessert, breakfast, or even a snack!
And one of my favorite parts about this recipe is that it's quick. There's no leaving the dough in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes or anything like that. You just roll it out, place in your tart shell, and start the baking process.
Ingredients You Will Need For An Apple Tart
-Gluten-Free Flour: This will form the base of our crust. Please scroll down to see what gluten-free flour I recommend for this recipe.
-Granulated (White) Sugar: We actually won't use any sugar in our crust, this will just be for the apple topping.
-Unsalted Butter: We'll need cold, unsalted butter to form the tart, and then we will need melted unsalted butter for the topping.
-Baking Powder: This will help the crust rise and form into our dough.
-Salt: For balance. I used to omit salt in baking recipes, but it definitely helps!
-Milk: This is the liquid for our recipe to help develop the crust so we can roll it out.
-1 Egg: One egg will help with developing our crust.
-5 Apples, sliced thin: Tart apples are great for this, but you can use any apples you have on hand.
-Cinnamon & Nutmeg: These will be the spices on top of the apples that give it that extra autumn cozy and sweet flavor!
About The Gluten-Free Flour Blend For This Recipe
Gluten-Free Flour: I use Cup4Cup multi-purpose gluten-free flour for this recipe. It is my #1 choice for cookies, pastries, and yeast-based baked goods. Cup4Cup has given me great success in the kitchen over the last eight years, helping me to create delicious croissants, empanadas, naan, chocolate chip cookies, pierogi, bagels, and more. Please note if you use a different gluten-free flour your results may vary.
INGREDIENT CHANGE: Cup4Cup changed its Multipurpose recipe in August of 2024. It is now Top Nine Allergen Free and no longer contains milk powder. They also have reformulated the ingredients so it is now primarily rice-flour based. This ingredient change, according to the President of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, who I spoke to directly, should not affect recipes using Cup4Cup. So far, in my recipe testing, I have not noticed a difference in taste or texture using this new blend. Please be aware that might be different for you - you may need to adjust liquid or leavening agent. I will continue to provide updates as I continue my recipe testing. Thank you.
Please note if you use a different gluten-free flour your results may vary. Based on my own experience, I believe this recipe would also work well with GF Jules or King Arthur Measure For Measure. The only thing you may need to modify would be the amount of milk to form the crust.
How To Make A Gluten-Free Apple Tart
First, you'll make the tart shell, and whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, salt, and baking powder. Next, you'll add in the cold and cubed unsalted butter and combine everything until it resembles coarse crumbs. I like to do this by hand, but you can also use a pastry cutter or a fork.
After whisking together the eggs and the milk, you'll pour that mixture into the flour and stir it to form your dough. Then, you'll roll the dough out on a floured surface until about ¼ inch thick, then place it over your greased tart pan.
Then comes the fun part, the apples! With your sliced apples, arrange them in concentric circles around your tart shell. Then we bake it first without any topping for about 25 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
After that, our last step is to mix together the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and spread it over the apples. Then we bake again, for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and it's done!
Tools For Baking Gluten-Free Apple Tart
Rolling Pin & Pizza Cutter: This helps for both rolling out the gluten-free apple tart crust and for cutting off the excess. Both of mine are from TJ Maxx.
Tart Pan with False Bottom: I use this pan from Amazon, but be warned - you'll need to place something underneath it when baking to avoid spilling of the topping. (Trust me, I learned this the hard way!) I used a jelly roll pan (a baking sheet with sides).
Bench scraper: While I shape the dough with my hands, you can also use a bench scraper, like this one, to help shape your pastry.
Can I Make This Dairy-Free?
I haven't tried it, but you could! You'll need a solid vegan or dairy-free butter to substitute for the butter, and dairy-free milk. Also, you'll need to use a different gluten-free flour blend than Cup4Cup, as it contains milk powder. I think GF Jules would be a good substitute here as the components of GF Jules & Cup4Cup are similar, but GF Jules is dairy-free.
Tips For Baking A Gluten-Free Apple Tart
Don't make pastry on a hot day.
Warmer temperatures mean your pastry is going to be more difficult to work with or could possibly be extra sticky. Bake it on a cooler day to make this apple tart, if possible!
Be careful how you measure your gluten-free flour.
One of my top gluten-free baking tips is that if you aren't measuring by weight, then be sure to spoon your flour into your measuring cup, then level off with the back of the knife. This makes sure you get an accurate amount.
Follow. The. Recipe.
This recipe is specifically formulated using Cup4Cup Multipurpose gluten-free flour. If you decide to change anything or substitute other ingredients, they may come out differently than expected and I cannot speak to your results. My experience is in gluten-free and some dairy-free baking, but not allergy-free, vegan, or egg-free. You can always email me: [email protected] with any questions and I'm happy to help troubleshoot the best I can.
Refrigerate the dough if it is difficult to work with.
If you notice your butter is leaking through your dough as you are rolling it out, or that your dough is too soft and starts ripping, it might be too warm. Wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool. Then remove and try again. Trust me - don't try to force the dough to do what you want when it's too warm. Be patient, refrigerate, and try again. It definitely helps!
How To Store Gluten-Free Apple Tart
Once it's out of the oven, let the gluten-free apple tart come to room temperature on a baking rack. Then, cover it with foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remember, gluten-free baked goods taste the best when fresh, and will harden over time. You can pop a slice in the microwave or toaster oven to warm/soften when reheating or eating the next day.
Can I Freeze Gluten-Free Apple Tart?
You can also freeze this apple tart by wrapping it thoroughly in foil/plastic. It should keep in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes when ready to eat.
How to Serve Gluten-Free Apple Tart
Personally, I think this gluten-free apple tart is perfect as is! But if you want to jazz it up, try adding a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I'd also have it for breakfast with a bowl of Greek yogurt. Be warned, once you make this, you'll want to have it every single day. It's addicting and so so good!
I hope you love this gluten-free apple tart and enjoy it with your family too!
More Fall Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
Feel like an easy quickbread? This banana bread with walnuts is a winner!
Looking for a gluten-free scone recipe? Be basic and enjoy it with these gluten-free pumpkin scones and maple frosting.
Want to practice your pie making skills? Homemade apple pie hits the spot. Gluten-free but no one will know!
Ready to take your baking skills to the next level? Try these delightful, buttery, and flaky gluten-free croissants.
Discover all the gluten-free baking recipes on the blog right here.
Here's the recipe for gluten-free apple tart!
If you love this recipe, please leave a comment! Thank you so much!
Gluten-Free Apple Tart Recipe
Gluten-Free Apple Tart
A delightfully decadent dessert for fall, featuring apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and gluten-free pastry!
Ingredients
For the gluten-free tart shell
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend, like Cup4Cup
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ⅔ cup of regular milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 5 apples, thinly sliced
For the topping
- ¾ cup melted unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, and salt and whisk together. Cut in the cold, cubed butter and mix with your hands or with a fork/pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Pour this mixture into the gluten-free flour mixture and stir, forming a dough.
Onto a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until it's between ¼'' or ⅛'' thick, and lay it into a greased false bottom tart pan. Layer your sliced apples in concentric circular pattern and press lightly into the dough. Bake for 25 minutes (Just the apples and the tart shell, no topping!) at 425 degrees, then remove.
Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, spread over the apples. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake another 20 minutes.
Remove to a baking rack to cool completely, then remove side of the false bottom pan and serve. Best served warm!
Notes
Gluten-Free Flour Blend: This recipe was specifically made using Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour. If you are using another gluten-free flour blend your results may vary and you may need to adjust the amount of liquid (milk) to create your dough.
Dairy-Free: To make this dairy-free, you'll need to substitute dairy-free butter and milk, and use a different gluten-free flour blend, as Cup4Cup contains milk powder.
Storage: Once the apple tart has cooled to room temperature, cover it with foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Baked goods that are gluten-free will harden over time, so it's best served and eaten fresh.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 442Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 86mgSodium 278mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 4gSugar 32gProtein 4g
The nutrition information on each recipe card is provided as a courtesy and for your convenience. The data is calculated by Nutritionix. You are encouraged to make your own calculations based on your ingredients and preferred nutritional facts calculator. While I try to make sure they are accurate, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of these calculations.
Do you like apples?
What's your favorite apple-themed dessert to make in the fall?
Tell me in the comments below!
Sherry Woolley says
Hi there
I made this and it's delicious but
I found that there was way too much butter mixture so didn't even put it all on and it was wet after the cooking.
Was there a misprint in the 3/4 c butter ? And what was that layer for?
Thank you
Sherry
Jennifer Fitzpatrick says
Thanks for your feedback, Sherry! I don't believe it was a misprint - but it could be too much, and next time you can always leave off the topping if you didn't care for it.
sophia says
absolute waste of time and resources. i followed the recipe to a T and the dough was liquidous. not rollable at all. did anyone actually try making this before posting the recipe? terrible.
Jennifer Fitzpatrick says
Sorry this happened, Sophia! While I'm not in the kitchen with you, so I can't speak to exactly what went wrong - I can tell you that I spent my own time, money, and resources making this tart multiple times to ensure it works. Those are my pictures, my words, and my instructions in the recipe. As a follow up, may I ask, so I can help further - 1) Did you read the entire recipe post, and not just the recipe card? I include extra tips and information in the post itself. 2) Did you use Cup4Cup Flour? Or something else?