Tarte Tatin
Caramelized apples baked under puff pastry, flipped to serve — Sologne's accident-turned-classic.
Ingredients
- 8 Apple (tart)
- 200 g Sugar
- 100 g Butter
- 400 g Puff pastry
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Lemon (optional)
Method
- Before you turn on any heat, peel, core, and quarter the apples, then toss them with lemon juice to stop them browning.
- In an oven-proof skillet, melt the butter over medium. Sprinkle the sugar and salt evenly. Cook 6 minutes WITHOUT stirring until it turns amber.
- Arrange apples cut-side up tightly in concentric circles in the caramel (they will shrink). Pack in any leftover pieces around the edges.
- Cook over medium 12 minutes, basting once with the caramel, until the apples soften and the caramel deepens to a dark amber.
- While the apples cook in the caramel, quickly roll the puff pastry into a round 3 cm wider than the skillet. Slide it onto a plate and back into the fridge to stay cold until needed.
- Drape the pastry over the apples. Tuck the edges down inside the pan with a knife. Cut 4 small vents in the top.
- Bake at 200°C (400°F) 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and deep golden.
- Rest 10 minutes so the caramel settles. Loosen the edges with a knife.
- Place a serving plate on top of the skillet. With potholders, flip decisively. Serve warm, ideally with crème fraîche.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Tarte Tatin
Tarte Tatin is the famous upside-down caramelized apple tart from the Sologne region of France, said to have originated from a happy kitchen accident at the Hotel Tatin. Apples are cooked in butter and sugar until they turn a deep amber caramel, then covered with pastry and baked, and the whole thing is flipped out so the glossy, caramel-soaked fruit sits on top. What defines it is that direct-caramel cooking: here the sugar is left undisturbed over medium heat until it turns amber, then the apples soften and stew in it while basting, before the puff pastry goes over the top. Tart apples and a squeeze of lemon keep the sweetness in check and the fruit from browning before it hits the pan.
The result is apples that are meltingly tender and burnished, sitting in a bittersweet caramel that has soaked into the fruit and glazed the crisp pastry beneath. It is richer and more dramatic than a plain apple tart, the caramel carrying a faint edge of bitterness that keeps it from being sugary. Traditionally it's served warm, often with crème fraîche or a scoop of ice cream to melt against the heat. The nerve-wracking flip is the signature moment, so let it rest a couple of minutes before inverting to firm the caramel just enough to release cleanly.
Tarte Tatin: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Tarte Tatin?
A serving has about 540 calories — 4.2g protein, 68.6g carbs, 29.5g fat, 4.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Tarte Tatin gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Puff pastry. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Tarte Tatin dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Butter, Puff pastry. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Tarte Tatin take to make?
About 75 minutes start to finish, but only around 25 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Tarte Tatin?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out lemon — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Tarte Tatin make?
This recipe makes 8 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.