Chocolate Caramel Apple Tart
This chocolate caramel apple tart, made with a minimal amount of ingredients, is both paired-back and bursting with flavor. It boasts a bittersweet bed of dark chocolate and juicy sweet apples tossed in caramel sauce, all baked to golden perfection inside some flaky puff pastry.
Best For: Dessert
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Yield: (1) 12 in. x 9 in. tart
Ingredients
- 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry, thawed
- 3 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced (we like a sweet-and-tart mix of Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1 bar of 70% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (don't alter this one! chips and morsels don't work)
- Heavy whipping cream
- Optional: additional chocolate to drizzle on top, powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- If you're making caramel sauce from scratch, do that first. Allow the caramel to cool and thicken before using.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out thawed puff pastry into a 13 in. x 9 in. rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Poke holes with a fork around the middle of the pastry to allow steam to escape during the bake. Return tray to the fridge so the dough stays cold while you prepare the apples.
- Toss thinly sliced apples in a bowl with salt. Pour in caramel sauce and toss once more until evenly coated. Note: If using store-bought caramel sauce, heat it in the microwave on high for 15-30 seconds so it's somewhat runny. This makes it easier to toss with the apples.
- Remove puff pastry from the fridge and arrange coarsely chopped chocolate in an even layer over top, leaving a 1 in. border all around. Layer the apples in 3 rows on top, overlapping as you go. Fold in the edges of the pastry to create a crust. Return tart and baking sheet to the fridge for another 15 minutes to firm up before baking.
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Brush edges of the tart with heavy whipping cream (about 2 Tbsp), then bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, drizzle any leftover caramel sauce and melted chocolate on top or dust with powdered sugar. Best enjoyed the same day, but will keep for 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Chilling: You want to allow the tart to firm up before baking to keep the pastry dough as cold as possible. This will result in the flakiest apple tart! Trust me.
- If the crust unfolds while baking, don't stress out–this happened to me every time I tested the recipe. The folded edge is less about presentation and more about making sure sure none of the ingredients seep out during the bake.