If apple pie and apple crumble decided to become one, this Easy Apple and Cranberry Crumble Tart would be the resulting dessert. This tart is made from a crumbly, buttery pastry filled with a deliciously spiced apple and dried cranberry center.
If you love Easy Tart, Pie, and Cheesecake Recipes, don't skip this Passionfruit Cheesecake or this Biscuit Base Lemon Meringue Tart.
Why This Easy Apple and Cranberry Crumble Tart Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Easy Apple and Cranberry Tart
- Ready in: 1hr 40 minutes
- Serves: 12 slices
- Main ingredients: Butter, sugar, flour, eggs, apples, spices, and dried cranberries.
- Perfect for: The warm spices make this recipe perfect for Thanksgiving or Fall baking.
- Why I love it: The pastry is made in a food processor and grated into the bottom of the tin and over the filling, so you don't need to be an expert in rolling and shaping pastry to make this delicious apple tart.
- Calories: 435kcal
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If you love tart recipes, try out this recipe for a traditional South African Milktart or this recipe for a Mulberry Pie. If you would like to make mini tarts, try this recipe for Mini Apple Crumbler Tarts.
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Key Ingredients
- Sunflower oil - if you can't find sunflower oil, choose a neutral-tasting vegetable oil substitute like canola oil. Oil stays liquid, so it coats the flour proteins more thoroughly than butter can. This actually inhibits gluten development more effectively, which is what gives you that tender, sandy, crumbly texture rather than a chewy or tough one.
- Green apples - I don't really like red apples! So, I always use green tart apples when baking. For this recipe, I used Granny Smiths and they worked wonderfully. Other apple variations you can try are Pink Lady or Honey Crisp. You want to choose a firm flesh apple that will hold its shape during cooking and baking. I recommend using fresh apples not tinned apples.
- Dried cranberries - Apples and cranberries are such a great combination but if you don't have access to dried cranberries you can choose to use sultanas or raisins instead, or even leave out the dried fruit.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Instead of using dried cranberries, use fresh cranberries and add some orange zest and a splash of orange juice to the apples when combing the ingredients for the filling. Pecans and walnuts would also be great additions to the filling. This tart would be delicious served with this Vanilla Bean Custard or this Salted Caramel Sauce from my Mini Apple Crumble Tarts recipe.
How to Make an Easy Apple and Cranberry Crumble Tart
How to Make Homemade Crumble Pastry for a Tart
- Step 1: Add the oil, butter, and sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until light in color and well creamed-about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 2: With the motor of the mixer running add the eggs one at a time. Allow the first egg to mix thoroughly before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Beat until well combined.
- Step 3: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the egg and sugar mixture at once and beat at low speed until the dough is just combined.
- Step 4: Dive the dough into two balls and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Place them into the fridge to firm up until needed.
How to Make an Apple and Cranberry Filling
- Step 1: In a large pot set over medium-low heat, add the butter and sugar. Allow the butter and sugar to melt slowly.
- Step 2: Peel and cube the apples into chunks about 2.5cm (1inch) thick. Add the prepared apples, lemon juice, cranberries, salt, cinnamon, and cloves to the pot, and allow them to soften slightly for 5 minutes. Do not overcook them.
- Step 3: Combine the corn flour and water together in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the apple filling and mix well. Allow the corn flour mixture to thicken up the apple filling, this takes about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Step 4: Brush a loose bottom tart pan with melted butter and grate one disc of pastry into the base of the tart. Press the pastry with your fingertips to create a tart shell.
- Step 5: Making sure it is even on the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Fill the tart shell with the cooled apple mixture and grate the second disc of pastry over the top of the apple mixture.
- Step 6: Bake the apple crumble tart in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top of the tart is light golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool in the pie pan for about an hour. Remove the tart from the tin and place it onto a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and serve it with ice cream or cream.
Storage
Store any leftover apple crumble pie in an airtight container at room temperature. The tart will keep for about 3 to 4 days. To freeze the tart, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. It will keep for about 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating it in the oven before serving.
Expert Tips
- Use firm great tasting apples for this recipe.
- Use an oven thermometer to test the oven temperature before baking
- Do not overcook the apples on the stovetop.
- Allow the pastry to chill slightly in the fridge before grating it, this makes it easier to handle.
- The tart is done baking when the top of the crumble is golden in color.
- Do not remove the tart from its tin too early, otherwise, the tart may crumble.
Easy Apple and Cranberry Crumble Tart FAQs
Yes, you can substitute about 100-130 grams of fresh cranberries for the 65 grams of dried cranberries in this recipe. I'd recommend roughly chopping the fresh cranberries first, since whole berries are quite firm and tart. Fresh cranberries also release more liquid as they cook, so you may want to let the filling simmer slightly longer before adding the cornflour mixture, and consider adding an extra tablespoon or two of sugar to balance the tartness.
Yes, there are a few ways to prep this tart in advance. You can make the pastry up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge until you're ready to assemble. The apple cranberry filling can also be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. For the best texture, I recommend baking the tart on the day you plan to serve it, though you can also bake it a day ahead and gently reheat it in the oven before serving.
Grating the chilled pastry rather than rolling it out creates a genuinely crumbly, textured crust and topping, instead of the smooth, flaky layers you'd get from a rolled lattice top. It's also quicker and less fiddly than rolling and cutting strips, since you simply grate the dough straight over the tart using a box grater. Chilling the pastry well beforehand makes it much easier to grate cleanly.
This comes down to personal preference but a warm apple crumble tart served with cold ice cream is the best way to enjoy this dessert. Warm up the tart in a preheated oven for a few minutes or in an air fryer. Do not overheat.
More Easy Baking Recipes with Apples
If you're making this recipe as part of your annual love affair with Fall baking, I have more recipes for you to try! Like this Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting or this delicious Pumpkin and Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae!
📖 Recipe
Easy Apple and Cranberry Crumble Tart
Equipment
- 1x 24cm (9 inch) diameter loose bottom tart tin
Ingredients
Crumble Pastry
- 180 grams unsalted butter
- 70 grams white sugar
- 45 ml sunflower oil
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 360 grams cake flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Apple Filling
- 850 grams apples, peeled and cubed
- 70 grams unsalted butter
- 170 grams light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 60 ml lemon juice
- 65 grams dried cranberries
- 1½ tbsp cornflour
- 40 ml cold water
Instructions
Crumble Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and brush a loose bottom tart pan with melted butter.
- Add the oil, butter, and sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until light in color and well creamed-about 2 to 3 minutes.
- With the motor of the mixer running add the eggs one at a time. Allow the first egg to mix thoroughly before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Beat until well combined.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the egg and sugar mixture at once and beat at low speed until the dough is just combined.
- Dive the dough into two balls and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Place them into the fridge to firm up until needed.
Apple and Cranberry Filling
- In a large pot set over medium-low heat, add the butter and sugar. Allow the butter and sugar to melt slowly.
- Peel and cube the apples into chunks about 2.5cm (1inch) thick. Add the prepared apples, lemon juice, cranberries, salt, cinnamon, and cloves to the pot, and allow them to soften slightly for 5 minutes. Do not overcook them.
- Combine the corn flour and water together in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the apple filling and mix well. Allow the corn flour mixture to thicken up the apple filling, this takes about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Grate one disc of the chilled pastry into the base of the tart tin. Press the pastry with your fingertips to create a tart shell. Making sure it is even on the bottom and sides of the tart pan.
- Fill the tart shell with the cooled apple mixture and grate the second disc of pastry over the top of the apple mixture.
- Bake the apple crumble tart in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top of the tart is light golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool in the pie pan for about an hour. Dust with icing sugar and serve it with ice cream or cream.
Notes
- Do not overcook the apples on the stove. You want the apples to keep their shape but be a little soft. Remember they will soften further in the oven.
Claire says
Such an easy recipe to follow and it came out perfectly