Description
This Salted Caramel Apple Tart is a luscious grain-free and paleo-friendly dessert perfect for fall. Featuring a buttery almond and coconut flour crust, thinly sliced Pink Lady apples spiced with cinnamon and apple pie spices, and drizzled with a rich dairy-free salted caramel sauce made from coconut milk and coconut sugar. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and sure to impress with its beautiful presentation and comforting flavors.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp pure maple sugar or organic coconut sugar
- 7 Tbsp palm oil shortening or grass-fed butter, or a combination of both
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 3 Pink Lady apples, peeled and sliced thin (about 1/8-1/4 inch thick)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
- 3 Tbsp organic coconut sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp apple pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Caramel:
- 2/3 cup full fat coconut milk (or coconut cream for thicker caramel)
- 3 1/2 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough/Crust: In a food processor, pulse the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, sea salt, and sugar with the palm shortening and/or butter until crumbly. Add the egg and pulse until a dough forms. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare the Salted Caramel: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut milk or cream with coconut sugar. Whisk continuously and bring to a boil. Continue whisking and cooking for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens, reduces, and turns a deep caramel color. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and sea salt. Set aside to cool slightly, whisk gently before using.
- Prepare the Apple Filling: In a mixing bowl, toss the thinly sliced apples with lemon juice, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly to coat all the apples evenly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Assemble the Tart: Remove the chilled dough and flatten it while still wrapped in plastic wrap. Unwrap and transfer it into a 9-inch round or 14x5-inch rectangular tart pan. Press the dough gently across the bottom and sides, patching any cracks if needed. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 7-8 minutes until just set and slightly puffed.
- Add Filling and Caramel: Remove the crust from the oven and evenly spread the apple mixture inside, keeping it level with the sides of the crust without overfilling. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the salted caramel sauce over the apples.
- Bake the Tart: Return the tart to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the apples are tender and the crust is golden brown. After about 20 minutes, cover the edges with foil to prevent burning.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the tart from the oven and immediately drizzle at least 3 more tablespoons of the salted caramel sauce over the apple filling. Allow the tart to cool before slicing. Serve with ice cream and extra caramel sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- The crust dough can be fragile; patch cracks as needed and chill again if it softens too much.
- Use Pink Lady apples for a tart, crisp flavor, or substitute with Honeycrisp or Granny Smith if preferred.
- The salted caramel can be made thicker by using coconut cream instead of coconut milk.
- To prevent the crust edges from burning during baking, tent with foil halfway through the baking time.
- Store leftover tart covered in the refrigerator; caramel will thicken when chilled.