This apple custard tart is a sweet, comforting dessert with complementary textures and great flavours. You'll get a crisp shortcrust pastry case, a creamy, smooth-set custard, semi-soft cinnamon apples and a sweet apricot glaze.

Apple custard tart slice on a white plate.

It looks super impressive, and there are a few elements to work on, but it's surprisingly easy to pull together.

The shortcrust pastry case, for example, is a simple blend of plain flour and icing sugar, rubbed together with butter to produce a crumb and then mixed with a little cold water to produce a lovely smooth pastry dough.

Overhead shot of the finished apple custard tart.

You'll use the pastry to line a tart case and then blind bake (without a filling) until just cooked. This is what ensures you get a lovely crisp pastry, even on the base.

For the custard, you'll combine eggs, flour, sugar and vanilla, stir in hot milk, then heat together until thick and delicious. You'll then spread the custard in the base of the pastry case.

Side on shot of the finished apple custard tart served on a decorative board.

The apples are super simple. They just need to be briefly marinated in sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice, then arranged in the pastry case on top of the custard. A final sprinkle of sugar and your tart is ready to bake.

Once baked, a drizzle of heated apricot jam makes the whole thing extra special and utterly irresistible.

Here's the full recipe for me apple custard tart, complete with lots of photos to help you every step of the way.

Ingredients

For the pastry

200 g (1⅓ cup) plain white flour (all purpose flour) sieved
15 g (2 tbsp) icing sugar (powdered sugar) sieved
100 g (7 tbsp) slightly salted butter cold and cubed
2-3 tbsp cold water

For the apples

600 g (21 oz) green apples peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
45 g (¼ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)

For the pastry cream

2 medium free range eggs
40 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
60 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
265 ml (1 cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

To top

45 g (¼ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)

To glaze

150 g (½ cup) apricot jam
1 tsp water

Equipment

Instructions

To make the pastry

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan-assisted, 400F).

Put the flour and icing sugar in a bowl.

Overhead shot of flour and icing sugar in a bowl.

Stir together.

Overhead shot of the bowl of icing sugar and flour mixed together.

Add the cold, cubed butter.

Adding butter to the bowl of icing sugar and flour.

Rub together until you have an even, slightly yellow crumb.

Rubbing the flour, icing sugar together in a mixing bowl.

Add 2 tbsp of cold water and stir through the crumb with a rounded knife together until it starts to clump together.

Overhead shot of the apple custard tart pastry mixture having added two tablespoons of cold water to the mix.

Squeeze some of the mixture together to see if it forms a dough. If necessary, add up to a further 1 tbsp, drop by drop, until it will come together in a smooth ball.

Overhead shot of a dough ball in a mixing bowl.

Press into a round puck, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge while you make the custard.

To make the custard

Put the eggs, flour, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Overhead shot of the custard ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Mix until smooth and set aside.

Overhead shot of the bowl of custard ingredients having been mixed together.

Warm the milk in a saucepan to almost boiling.

Warming milk in a pan until it's close to the boil.

Pour the hot milk into the bowl with the egg mixture, stirring all the time.

Adding the milk to the custard ingredients inside the mixing bowl.

Wash out the pan if it has any scalded milk in it, then return the mixture to it.

Adding the custard ingredients to the pan.

Heat gently until thick, stirring continuously with a silicon spatula to make sure the bottom of the pan doesn't catch. It should only take a couple of minutes to thicken up. Taste to make sure the flour is cooked out.

Stiring the custard through in the pan until it's thick.

Pour into a clean bowl.

Overhead shot of the finished custard poured into a clean mixing bowl.

Close cover, meaning the clingfilm is touching the surface of the custard to stop a skin forming. Set aside to cool.

Covering the mixing bowl of custard in film.

Make the pastry case

Roll out the pastry so that it is about 8cm (3 inches) wider that your loose-bottomed fluted, non-stick quiche tin.

Overhead shot of the pastry rolled out on a lightly floured surface.

Lift the pastry into the tin and make sure it's press into the corners all the way around.

Lining the pastry tin with the finished rolled out pastry.

Run a rolling pin across the top of the tin.

Trimming the edges off the pastry on the pastry tin by rolling a rolling pin across the top.

This should perfectly trim the pastry.

Overhead shot of the finished lined pastry tin.

Prick all over the base with a fork.

Overhead shot of the pastry tin having been priked with a fork multiple times.

Cover with a sheet of scrunched up baking paper and fill with baking beans, making sure they reach into the corners all the way round.

Lining the pastry with baking paper and then baking beans before moving to the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Overhead shot of the pastry having been in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the paper and baking beans and bake for a further 5-8 minutes until the base of the pastry case looks sandy with no grey patches.

Overhead shot of the pastry having been in the oven for a further 5 to 8 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 180C (160C fan).

Prepare the apples

Drain the apples, pat dry with some kitchen towel and place in a bowl.

Add the cinnamon, lemon juice and sugar.

Adding the sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice to the bowl of sliced apples.

Stir together.

Overhead shot of the apples once the cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice has been mixed in.

Assemble the tart

Pile the custard into pastry case.

Spread to the edges and level off.

Overhead shot of the pastry tin once the custard has been spread across.

Arrange the apple wedges in circles in the pastry case. Leave behind any liquid that has released from the apples.

Adding the apples to the pastry tin ontop of the custard.

Sprinkle the caster sugar over the top of the apples.

Adding caster sugar to the top of the finished tart.

Bake

Put the tart in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are just starting to brown.

Overhead shot of the tart having been in the oven for 45 minutes.

Towards the end of the baking time, make the glaze. You'll need to heat the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water. You can do this either in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in a pan on the stove.

Overhead shot of the glaze inside a small dish.

Once the glaze is heated and loosened, carefully push it through a sieve to remove any bits.

Overhead shot of the glaze having been in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Once the tart is out of the oven, drizzle the apricot jam all over the apples and use a pastry brush to spread evenly.

Overhead shot of the finished tart once the glaze has been added to the top.

Allow the tart to cool in the tin, then serve.

A finished slice of apple custard tart served on a white plate with a fork on the side.

What did you think of this yummy apple tart?

Print this apple custard tart recipe

Name: Apple Custard Tart
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 200 g plain white flour (all purpose flour) (sieved); 15 g icing sugar (powdered sugar) ( sieved); 100 g slightly salted butter (cold and cubed); 2-3 tbsp cold water; 600 g green apples (peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges); 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp cinnamon; 45 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar); 2 medium free range eggs; 40 g plain white flour (all purpose flour); 60 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar); 265 ml whole milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 45 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar); 150 g apricot jam; 1 tsp water

Here's the recipe for this apple custard tart again in an easy to print format.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Apple Custard Tart

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Desserts and sweet treats

Cuisine: British

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 12 slices

Author: Emily Leary

Ingredients

For the pastry

200 g (1⅓ cup) plain white flour (all purpose flour) sieved
15 g (2 tbsp) icing sugar (powdered sugar) sieved
100 g (7 tbsp) slightly salted butter cold and cubed
2-3 tbsp cold water

For the apples

600 g (21 oz) green apples peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
45 g (¼ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)

For the pastry cream

2 medium free range eggs
40 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
60 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
265 ml (1 cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

To top

45 g (¼ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)

To glaze

150 g (½ cup) apricot jam
1 tsp water

Equipment

Instructions

To make the pastry

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan-assisted, 400F).
Put the flour and icing sugar in a bowl and stir together.
Add the cold, cubed butter and rub together until you have an even, slightly yellow crumb.
Add 2 tbsp of cold water and stir through the crumb with a rounded knife together until it starts to clump together. Squeeze some of the mixture together to see if it forms a dough. If necessary, add up to a further 1 tbsp, drop by drop, until it will come together in a smooth ball.
Press into a round puck, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge while you make the custard.

To make the custard

Put the eggs, flour, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth and set aside.
Warm the milk in a saucepan to almost boiling, then pour the hot milk into the bowl with the egg mixture, stirring all the time.
Wash out the pan if it has any scalded milk in it, then return the mixture to it.
Heat gently until thick, stirring continuously with a silicon spatula to make sure the bottom of the pan doesn't catch. It should only take a couple of minutes to thicken up. Taste to make sure the flour is cooked out.
Pour into a clean bowl, close cover, meaning the clingfilm is touching the surface of the custard to stop a skin forming. Set aside to cool.

Make the pastry case

Roll out the pastry so that it is about 8cm (3 inches) wider that your loose-bottomed fluted, non-stick quiche tin.
Lift the pastry into the tin and make sure it's press into the corners all the way around.
Run a rolling pin across the top of the tin - this should perfectly trim the pastry.
Prick all over the base with a fork.
Cover with a sheet of scrunched up baking paper and fill with baking beans, making sure they reach into the corners all the way round.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Remove the paper and baking beans and bake for a further 5-8 minutes until the base of the pastry case looks sandy with no grey patches.
Turn the oven down to 180C (160C fan / 350F).

Prepare the apples

Drain the apples, pat dry with some kitchen towel and place in a bowl with the cinnamon, lemon juice and sugar. Stir together.

Assemble the tart

Pile the custard into pastry case, spread to the edges and level off.
Arrange the apple wedges in circles in the pastry case. Leave behind any liquid that has released from the apples.
Sprinkle the caster sugar over the top of the apples.

Bake

Put the tart in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are just starting to brown.

To glaze

Towards the end of the baking time, make the glaze. You'll need to heat the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water. You can do this either in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in a pan on the stove.
Once the glaze is heated and loosened, carefully push it through a sieve to remove any bits.
Once the tart is out of the oven, drizzle the apricot jam all over the apples and use a pastry brush to spread evenly.
Allow the tart to cool in the tin, then serve.

Video

Notes

Store covered in the fridge - it should keep for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.

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