This apple tart with puff pastry is proof that desserts don't have to be complicated to taste amazing! With just five ingredients and five easy steps, you get flaky golden pastry filled with cinnamon-flavored sweet-tart juicy apples and a little creamy richness!
After making these scrumptious cherry puff pastry and strawberry puff pastry tart, I just knew I had to make apple puff pastries! What I love about this recipe is how effortless it is! Fancy enough for a dinner party, and simple enough to whip up for a tea time or weeknight dessert.
No complicated techniques or fancy ingredients- just store-bought puff pastry, apples, and cream cheese! In less than an hour, you'll have a warm, cozy, fruit tart that's impossible to resist!
For a fun variation with puff pastry, you can try making puff pastry apple donuts, strawberry turnovers, or this decadent chocolate pastry braid!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨ This apple puff pastry tart features flaky, golden puff pastry topped with a layer of creamy, sweetened cream cheese and thinly sliced apples
✨ It’s a super quick take on an apple pie - only 45 minutes from rolling to baking
✨This apple tart has a perfect blend of crispy, creamy, and fruity flavors
✨ It’s an impressive dessert, a teatime snack, and great for brunch
Recipe Ingredients
Puff pastry: Ready-made pastry is available everywhere, online and in supermarkets. Buy the best you can find. But if you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and make it from scratch at home.
Apples: Choose any variety you prefer. Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, all will work here. You can even combine different varieties. Definitely pick something crisp that can hold its shape after baking.
Cream cheese: This adds a wonderful creamy tang to the apple tart! Use homemade cream cheese or store-bought.
Please see the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Apple Puff Pastry Tart
Step 1: Flour your work surface lightly, then roll the puff pastry into a 12-inch-long rectangle.
Step 2: Place the puff pastry on a parchment-lined tray. Pick up a sharp knife and score a half-inch border around the perimeter of the puff pastry.
Step 3: Combine homemade cream cheese and icing sugar in a mixing bowl, then spread it over the puff pastry.
Step 4: Spread evenly and then layer sliced apples on top along with cinnamon and granulated sugar.
Step 5: Bake the apple tart with puff pastry for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden, flaky, and bubbling with juices.
Final step: Serve warm.
Pro Tips
- After cutting the apples, I tossed them in lemon juice, so they didn’t oxidize while I prepped the rest of the recipe. The juice lends only a tiny hint of lemony note at the back of the apple puff pastries.
- Not all apple pastry puffs have cream cheese, but I want to give this pastry with apples an extra layer of indulgence. Since I recently made a batch of cream cheese at home (the easiest recipe ever), it was fun to add it.
- I swear by store-bought puff pastry - The magical ingredient makes everything so very, very quick and simple.
- Bake the puff pastry apple tart while the pastry is still cold. It’ll lift more, forming those bakery-style flaky layers. If the pastry is too soft, place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
- You can bake it as a full, big puff pastry as I did with my strawberry one. Or smaller hand-held pies like my cherry pastries and strawberry turnovers.
- Like all puff pastries, these apple tarts are best enjoyed the day they are made. But my household doesn’t mind eating them cold, either. If you have leftovers, feel free to reheat them in a preheated oven for 3 to 4 minutes, and they’ll warm right up.
How To Serve
This apple tart is fabulous on its own and doesn't need any toppings. But if you feel like indulging a bit, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Serve it with a warm cup of tea or coffee, or even homemade apple cider to make your dessert time more cozy!
📖 Recipe
The Best Apple Puff Pastry Tart
Ingredients
- 17.6 oz Puff pastry
- 1/2 cup Cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp Icing sugar
- 2 Apples, sliced
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1.5 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp Granulated sugar, for topping Optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C/ 400 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, roughly about 10 x 12 inches.
- Place the pastry on the prepared tray.
- Score the pastry around the edges, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around.
- Lightly whisk the cream cheese and icing sugar.
- Spread on the rolled-out pastry, leaving 1/2 inch edge all around the pastry.
- Lightly toss the apple slices with lemon juice and place them on top of the cream cheese.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon powder and granulated sugar on top.
- Bake at 200 C / 400 F for 25-30 minutes, until the apples are lightly caramelized and the pastry, golden brown.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy warm!
Video
Notes
- After cutting the apples, I tossed them in lemon juice, so they didn’t oxidize while I prepped the rest of the recipe. The juice lends only a tiny hint of lemony note at the back of the apple puff pastries.
- I wanted to give this pastry with apples an extra layer of indulgence. Since I recently made a batch of cream cheese at home (the easiest recipe ever), it was fun to add it.
- I swear by store-bought puff pastry - The magical ingredient makes everything so very, very quick and simple.
- Bake the puff pastry apple tart while the pastry is still cold. It’ll lift more, forming those bakery-style flaky layers. If the pastry is too soft, place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
- You can bake it as a full, big puff pastry as I did with my strawberry one. Or smaller hand-held pies like my cherry pastries and strawberry turnovers.
- Like all puff pastries, these apple tarts are best enjoyed the day they are made. But my household doesn’t mind eating them cold, either. If you have leftovers, feel free to reheat them in a preheated oven for 3 to 4 minutes, and they’ll warm right up.
Aruna says
Hi Natasha. Thank you for this recipe! I bought puff pastry sheet from a supermarket. Do they come in different sizes? The one I have is a tiny square. Will that roll into a 10*12 inch rectangle? I tried rolling it and it became really thin. It didn't look like the one in your photos. Could you please tell me which brand/size of sheet you have used here? Thanks in advance, Aruna
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Aruna, so I use puff pastry sold in a local store in Gurgaon. It does come in different sizes. Mine weighs 500 gms and easily rolls out into a 10*12 rectangle. However, if yours is a small one, you can definitely use that, just roll it into a smaller rectangle or square, maybe a 6" or 8" one. Hope this helps.:)