French Brown Butter Apple Tart Recipe — Rustic Caramelized Apples

This is my take on Phyllis Grant’s brown butter apple tart from Food52. It’s lightly sweet with a savory edge — perfect for brunch alongside a selection of cheeses and a crisp green salad.

For convenience I use a refrigerated pie crust, but if you prefer a homemade dough by all means use it. A buttery pie crust or even frozen puff pastry will also work well depending on the texture you want.

The brown butter dressing gives the tart its subtle savory note. If you can, use scraped vanilla bean seeds; otherwise a teaspoon of vanilla extract is a good substitute. A small amount of chopped fresh rosemary adds an aromatic finish that complements the apples and brown butter.

Preheating a baking sheet ensures a crisp crust. Cover the sheet pan completely with foil before preheating — this makes cleanup easy if any sugary juices spill during baking.

I used seven medium apples (about 6.5 ounces each) for this tart. Leaving the skins on gives the baked apples more color and texture; peeling them yields a softer bite. Slice the apples thin so they cook quickly and arrange them in overlapping circles for an attractive presentation.

Note on slices: Making perfect apple rings usually wastes some fruit. Save the scraps for compote, applesauce, or toss with lemon and use in a salad.

When the tart comes out of the oven, brush a thin layer of warmed apricot jam over the apples for a glossy finish and a touch of sweetness. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you like.

Delicious served warm, with cream or ice cream for a comforting dessert.

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french brown butter apple tart

Adapted from Food52

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

• 1
  single crust recipe of your favorite pie or tart dough
  (or refrigerated prepared pie crust)
• 6
  to 8 Granny Smith apples
• 3
  tablespoons
  salted butter
• 1/2
  vanilla bean, halved & scraped of its seeds
• 1/2
  teaspoon
  pure vanilla extract
• 1
  teaspoon
  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1
  egg
• 3
  tablespoons
  heavy cream
• 4
  tablespoons
  turbinado sugar
• 3
  tablespoons
  apricot jam, with any large chunks of fruit finely chopped

Instructions

1. Take your dough out of the fridge 20 minutes before rolling it out (or 1 hour before if it’s in the freezer).

2. Preheat your oven to 450° F. Fully cover a sheet pan (at least 12 1/2 inches wide) with foil and place it in the oven to heat.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, swirling occasionally. It will foam and sputter; after 3–4 minutes it will smell nutty. Watch closely: when the sizzling quiets and little brown bits appear, remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk in the vanilla bean seeds (or extract) and chopped rosemary.

4. Cut a 12-inch square of parchment. Roll the dough to about a 12-inch round, then transfer it to the parchment. Don’t worry about perfection — the edges will be folded over.

5. With the apple stem facing north, slice thin circles off two opposite sides of each apple until you reach the core. Repeat for all apples. Reserve the remaining apple pieces for another use.

6. Starting about 2 inches from the dough edge, arrange overlapping apple discs in concentric circles, finishing with a small flower-like cluster in the center. Brush all exposed apple surfaces with the brown butter, vanilla, and rosemary mixture. Fold the dough border over the outermost apple discs to create a rustic edge.

7. Whisk the egg and heavy cream together and brush the exposed dough border with the mixture. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the apples and dough. Refrigerate any leftover egg wash for future use.

8. Carefully slide the tart, on its parchment, onto the preheated sheet pan. Bake until the apples are golden and the crust is crisp, about 20–25 minutes.

9. Warm the apricot jam and brush it over the hot apples to glaze. Serve immediately.