Description
Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Tart features a buttery almond flour crust, layers of tender apples, and rich homemade caramel. Finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, this tart looks bakery-perfect but is surprisingly simple to make—all without gluten.
Ingredients
For the Crust
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (or solid coconut oil), cubed
1 large egg yolk
For the Filling & Topping
3–4 medium Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream (or canned coconut cream for dairy-free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
1. Make the Crust Dough: In a food processor, combine almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, and salt. Pulse to blend. Add cubed butter and pulse until crumbly. Add the egg yolk and pulse until dough just comes together.
2. Form the Crust: Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, pressing up the sides. Prick bottom with a fork. Freeze 15 minutes.
3. Pre-Bake Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake chilled crust 12–15 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
4. Prep Apples: Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
5. Make Caramel: Heat granulated sugar in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and amber. Lower heat, whisk in cubed butter carefully, then slowly whisk in cream and vanilla. Stir until smooth, remove from heat.
6. Assemble: Pour half the caramel into the crust. Arrange apple slices in circles on top. Drizzle remaining caramel over apples.
7. Bake: Bake 25–30 minutes, until apples are tender and caramel is bubbly. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt immediately after baking.
8. Cool Completely: Let tart cool fully in the pan on a wire rack to allow caramel to set before slicing.
Notes
Always use cold butter for the crust—warm butter leads to greasiness.
Don’t skip chilling the crust before baking; it prevents soggy bottoms.
For dairy-free, swap coconut oil and coconut cream.
Use a tart pan with removable bottom for easy release.
Cool completely before slicing to avoid a messy caramel spill.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg