These mini apple tarts are super easy to make with only a handful of ingredients and your favorite pie crust. They’re perfectly golden individual tarts packed with full flavors of fall. Plus, they’re a wonderful way to inspire kids to get baking. With a gluten-free option.
Autumn inspires all kinds of baked treats, and these easy mini apple tarts are perfectly spiced. With golden brown crunchy crusts that can easily be made from a pre-packaged pie pastry and the flavor of juicy apples and cinnamon, I really recommend giving them a try this season!
On my other blog, I’m gearing up for a little holiday fest, and I posted these Gluten-free Mummy Hand Pies. They’re so adorable and easy to make with just a cookie cutter and a little jam. I think they’re great any time of year, but with the mummy theme, I thought it best to keep them for Halloween.
These mini apple pie tarts are as fun and tasty as the mummy pies! They’re a great way to get the kids to help with baking as well.
These tarts are fun to make and easy to eat, and who doesn’t like the taste of a good apple pie?
Ingredients
- Refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie crust dough
- Maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon
- Pure vanilla extract
- Salt
- Granny Smith apples
Yield
For my tart 4 3/4″ tart pans, each pie crust was around 65 grams when rolled out. That gives you enough for 5 1/2 mini tarts.
So you can either make 5 mini tarts with no crust decorations or 4 with some decorations.
How to reheat
If you have remaining mini tarts, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
If you like them warm, reheat them. Just place them in the microwave for about 45-seconds.
Can I freeze them?
Yes! Let the tarts cool completely, then place them on a baking sheet.
Flash freeze them for about an hour. Once frozen, wrap each tart in plastic wrap and place in a sealable freezer bag.
They should store nicely for around a month.
To thaw: remove the tarts from the freezer bag and unwrap them from the plastic wrap. Put them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
Tips
- I used 4 ¾ mini tart pans, but you can use what you have; just know the yield will differ according to the size.
- You can even use a muffin tin if you don’t have individual tart pans. But use a regular muffin tin and not a mini muffin tin. 😉
- I like to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper because it’s simple and clean, but you can use a lightly floured countertop if you prefer.
- If you want something more decorative than lattice work on the tarts, you can use cookie cutters or a knife and decorate the way you like them. I think leaves would be cute; just get creative!
- You can make this recipe using other fruit like pears or peaches, so save the recipe for year-round baking.
Gluten-free option
I used this Gluten-free Pie Crust. It made these apple tarts so simple. It’d also be great in these Apple and Blackberry Hand Pies!
Feel free to use whatever is easy to work with. I wouldn’t recommend a paleo pie crust, unless that pie crust was developed to be used for an apple pie.
So many paleo pie crusts get soggy and are pretty unappetizing, to be honest.
What apples are the best for tarts?
Granny Smiths are the classic sweet yet tart apples perfect for pies and tarts and other baked goods.
They’re pretty much my go-to baking apples, but you might prefer a different kind; that’s fine. Bake with what you like, and you’ll be sure to like it! 😉
Jonagolds taste a little honey-sweetened and hold up well in the oven.
Honeycrisps stay firm and crisp which might be a good texture for these tarts.
The Braeburn bakes up nicely without getting mushy which is great for apple pastries!
I think any one of these types of apples would be ideal, but use what you like and what you have!
What is the best way to grease a muffin tin?
If you are using a muffin tin instead of mini tart pans, the easiest way to grease the pan is by using cooking spray.
If you’d rather not use cooking spray, you can apply melted butter to a pastry brush or wadded-up paper towel to get the butter applied in all the small areas. It definitely will help prevent the tart crust from sticking to the side of the pan.
Apple skin on or off?
It’s a long-going argument that basically comes down to personal choice.
Unpeeled apples add a bit more color and texture to the pastry but may keep it from melding together.
Peeled apples are soft and delicate with no toughness from the skin.
Serving suggestions
Again, I like things simple and even simpler! I have to say that I don’t think apple pie is incredibly exciting, so I like to add a little extra, especially if we’re having guests.
So here are some suggestions on toppings and more to add to these mini apple tarts.
Mix in some dried fruit like cranberries, and cherries or add walnuts to the apple mixture for a little extra crunch. Just don’t go overboard on the amount because it all has to fit in those mini tins.
If you’d like a streusel topping on the tarts, you can mix a little flour, oats, brown sugar and butter until it becomes coarse crumbs and top away.
This Vegan Caramel Sauce or this Super Easy Salted Maple Caramel Sauce would also be great. But my favorite is plain old vanilla ice cream!
Other great recipes
- I’ve got some great dessert recipes on the site, so be sure to check them out and get ready for some holiday baking!
- This Healthy Chocolate Cake is super rich, decadent and good for you! It can easily be made gluten-free and vegan yet still tastes like the best chocolate cake ever!
- These Italian Almond Cookies are my favorite cookie treat and not only for the holidays. They’re elegant yet easy and are naturally good for you! Grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free.
- These Oatmeal Cookies Without Butter are perfect for those back-to-school blues. They’re super easy to make, are butterless and can be made with regular, gluten-free, or whole wheat flour. Plus, they’re naturally dairy-free with a vegan option.
- I like a little citrus in my fall, and these Lemon Bars with Oatmeal Cookie Shortbread Crust are terrific! They’re honey-sweetened, so not overly sweet.
- This Honey Pumpkin Pudding is super easy and tastes like pumpkin pie filling in a jar. Perfect for a quick and easy dessert for entertaining. Paleo and dairy-free option.
That’s it! I hope you love these Mini Apple Tarts. If you make them or any of the recipes you find here, be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think. Enjoy!
Mini Apple Tarts
Ingredients
- 3 large Granny Smith apples
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pie crust for a 9 or 10" pan refrigerated or homemade
- pinch of flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C). Grease 4 mini tart pans. Mine were 4 3/4”.
- Mix together the filling ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 5-10 minute or until the apples are soft. They shouldn't be mushy - just soft! Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Roll the pie crusts to be about ⅛” between two pieces of parchment paper. You can alternatively use a lightly floured countertop, but I think parchment is easier.
- Use a small, sharp knife to cut two circles out of each crust - each one should be ½” wider (all around the circle) than the size of the tart part.
- Put one of the circles into the prepared pan and gently press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Cut any excess dough off the top.
- Gather up the remaining dough, roll it out again, and repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining 2 pie pans.
- Sprinkle each one with a bit of flour (to help prevent the dough from getting soggy).
- Divide the filling between the 4 pie pans.
- Use the leftover crust to create a lattice pattern, cut out leaves using cookie cutters or a knife, or whatever you’d like as decoration.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges have browned and the apples are tender.
- They can be served warm or at room temperature.
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Comments & Reviews
Charlotte Moore says
Honeycrisp is my favorite apple. I love the sweet, tart, crispness and firmness of it.
These are cute pies but I have to wait later to cook with apples. I am in a peach mode. HA!! Just got 6 boxes last Saturday in SC. We picked up 45 boxes in all.