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    Home / Dessert / Tarte Tatin

    Tarte Tatin

    The famous upside-down French apple tart — apples caramelized in butter and sugar under a buttery pastry crust.

    ⏱ 30 minPrep time
    🔥 55 minCook time
    🍽 8Servings
    🏷 DessertCategory
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    Tarte Tatin is the famous upside-down apple tart: apples caramelized slowly in butter and sugar until burnished, then baked under a blanket of puff pastry and flipped onto a plate so the glossy fruit glistens on top. It is rustic, sticky, and utterly French.

    Born, so the story goes, of an accident at a hotel in the Loire Valley, it is now a beloved dessert across France. Serve it warm with a spoonful of crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream — the contrast is essential.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
    2. Cook the sugar in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat, undisturbed, until it turns deep amber.
    3. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and salt; the caramel will bubble.
    4. Arrange the apple quarters tightly, rounded side down, over the caramel and cook on the stovetop 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples soften and release their juices.
    5. Top with the puff pastry, tucking the edges down around the apples, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden.
    6. Rest 5 minutes, then invert the tart onto a plate. Serve warm with crème fraîche.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Use a skillet that goes from stovetop to oven — cast iron or a copper tatin pan is ideal. Invert the tart while still warm, or the caramel will stick.

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    Recipe details

    Prep30 min
    Cook55 min
    Servings8
    CategoryDessert
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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