Apple-Cranberry Puff Pastry Tarts are the perfect fall dessert, and it’s remarkably easy to make! Loaded with flavor from cinnamon-y apples, cranberries, and more, the light and flaky puff pastry is perfect with this easy apple dessert recipe!
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Making pastry is the hardest part of any tart, but with these Apple-Cranberry Puff Pastry tarts, all the hard work is done for you! All you need to do is make the topping, then bake them!
Loaded with bright apple flavor, cinnamon, and a touch of sweetness, these apple tarts are deceptively easy to make and oh-so good. I love that I can make a batch of them earlier in the day, too, and serve them later for dessert. However, they are even better warm with a scoop of ice cream.
I love all sorts of apple desserts, including apple blondies made with brown butter, apple pie cinnamon rolls, and apple muffins. So this dish is a winner for me, and everyone in my family loves it, too!
What you’ll love about Apple-Cranberry Puff Pastry Tarts
- They’re so easy to make, and you can make the topping ahead of time!
- These tarts are a perfect fall dessert!
- They’re not overly sweet, and you don’t even need a fork or spoon to eat them!
Ingredients
There are two parts to this recipe: the topping or filling, and the crumble. Both can be made ahead of time.
- Puff pastry – Use store-bought frozen puff pastry, just let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
For the Topping
- Butter – I use salted butter.
- Apples – Peeled, then sliced and chopped in half or thirds.
- Brown sugar – Light brown sugar is what you’ll need.
- Ground cinnamon – Fresh spices make all the difference!
- All-purpose flour
- Dried cranberries – Craisins work fine.
For the Crumble
- Butter – Yes, more butter!
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar – More light brown sugar.
How To Make The Best Apple-Cranberry Puff Pastry Tarts
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe near the bottom of this page.
- Preheat the oven to 400-F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring often until the apples soften.
- Add the cranberries and cook for an additional minute.
- Turn off the heat and cool slightly, then stir in the flour. Turn the heat back on and cook an additional minute or until thickened and bubbly.
- Set this mixture aside to cool.
- Unroll the puff pastry and use a 3-inch (or so) biscuit cutter to cut out puff pastry rounds and lay them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You’ll need 8-10 rounds for this amount of apple filling.
- Divide the topping, mounding it on top of each pastry round.
- Make the crumble by mixing the flour, sugar, and butter until crumbly. A fork works well for this. Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of the crumble over the top of each tart. You may have crumble left over.
- Bake the tarts in the preheated 400-F oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffy.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Keep the puff pastry cold until ready to work with it, and it’ll cooperate much better.
- Any kind of apples work in this tart recipe, but I prefer slightly tarter varieties so that the filling isn’t too sweet.
- Don’t fret if your puff pastry doesn’t get super puffy – the weight of the apples is holding it down.
- You can make all the components of this dish ahead of time. Just keep them chilled until ready to assemble and bake.
Recommended
Storage
These Apple-Cranberry Puff Pastry tarts are best eaten fresh; however, you can pop any leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days. Any longer, and the tart shells will start to get soggy.
Step By Step Process
Apple-Cranberry Puff Pastry Tart
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry
For the filling
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 apples peeled, sliced and slices cut into 1/2
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup craisins or dried cranberries
For the crumble
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400-F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring often until the apples soften.
- Add the cranberries and cook for an additional minute.
- Turn off the heat and cool slightly, then stir in the flour. Turn the heat back on and cook an additional minute or until thickened and bubbly.
- Set this mixture aside to cool.
- Unroll the puff pastry and use a 3-inch (or so) biscuit cutter to cut out puff pastry rounds and lay them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You'll need 8-10 rounds for this amount of apple filling.
- Divide the topping, mounding it on top of each pastry round.
- Make the crumble by mixing the flour, sugar, and butter until crumbly. A fork works well for this. Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of the crumble over the top of each tart. You may have crumble left over.
- Bake the tarts in the preheated 400-F oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffy.
- Let cool, and enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Keep the puff pastry cold until ready to work with it, and it’ll cooperate much better.
- Any kind of apples work in this tart recipe, but I prefer slightly tarter varieties so that the filling isn’t too sweet.
- Don’t fret if your puff pastry doesn’t get super puffy – the weight of the apples is holding it down.
- You can make all the components of this dish ahead of time. Just keep them chilled until ready to assemble and bake.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
