These apple custard tarts are going to be your new quick go to when the moment calls for a dessert or sweet that doesn't set you back hours in the kitchen. Quick and easy to make with homemade stewed apples and store bought pastry they come together with minimal effort. With a recipe you can rely on you will find yourself making these apple and custard tarts again and again!
Recipes like the Apple Crumble Tartlets, Slow Cooker Pork Chops With Apples and the Apple Sauce For Pork Belly all use apples as the star of the show.
The Blueberry Croissant Bake and Microwave Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding are other sweet ideas you might like to try when the idea of dessert comes to mind.
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the apple custard tarts recipe in the points below:
- Simple ingredients: you will be able to get everything that you need to make these tarts from the local grocery store. They are year round available ingredients that are easy to get your hands on.
- Quick and easy: with a quick 12 minute oven bake time, you know you are onto a winner that you can turn to when time is of the essence. These mini custard tarts won't set you back hours in the kitchen and can be whipped up quick smart as needed 😉👌.
- Kid-friendly: sometimes when we begin talking desserts we are using ingredients that are a bit much for the little ones. Not these apple custard tarts. The flavors are delicious yet simple making the tarts the perfect sweet treat for all ages.
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the apple and custard tarts recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Lemon juice: we use a little bit of lemon juice when we are cooking the apples. Bottled lemon juice is fine!
- Brown sugar: we use a small amount of brown sugar in the apple mixture.
- Water: a little bit of water (tap water) in the pan with the diced apples helps to soften them. This water gets absorbed by the apple pieces as they cook.
- Granny smith apples: these bright green skinned apples are perfect to use in a wide variety of baked apple treats. We simply peel then dice them and they are good to go!
🍮 Custard Filling Ingredients
- Vanilla extract: a touch of this for sweetness/flavor.
- Sugar: caster sugar is ideal.
- Heavy cream: another ingredient for the custard filling. We need about a cup of this.
- Eggs: 3 x medium free range eggs will be perfect!
- Cream cheese: we use a standard block of cream cheese to make the custard filling. This helps to thicken the custard.
- Shortcrust pastry: using store bought shortcrust pastry cuts down the time on making our own pastry. Plus you can have it in the freezer and whip it out as needed anytime the baking mood hits.
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by preparing the apples. You will need a vegetable peeler, cutting board and sharp knife.
- Peel the apples (Photo 1)
- Dice the apples (Photo 2)
- Add apples and lemon juice to sauce pan (Photo 3)
- Add the brown sugar (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Apple Custard Tarts
To make the custard apple tarts, we start by making the stewed apples. Use a vegetable peeler and cutting board to peel the skin from the apples. Once done, use a sharp knife and cut the apples, removing the core and finely dicing the rest.
Next add the diced apple pieces to a large sauce pan. To this add the lemon juice, brown sugar and water. Turn the heat on and cook the apples, stirring occasionally until they soften and all of the liquid gets absorbed (around 10 -15 minutes).
- Add water (Photo 5)
- Beat the cream cheese (Photo 6)
- Add the sugar (Photo 7)
- Add the vanilla extract (Photo 8)
As the apples are cooking, you can also start to make the homemade custard. Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and then add the sugar and vanilla extract like you see in the photos above. Next add in the eggs and pour in the cream. Keep beating the cream cheese mixture until it is smooth with no lumps. When it is, set this aside whilst you make the pastry cases.
To make the pastry cases, use a 6.5cm (2.5 inches) cookie cutter and cut circles from the softened pastry. Next place the cut pastry circles on top of the patty pan tins like you see in the photos below.
- Add the eggs (Photo 9)
- Pour in the cream (Photo 10)
- Cut the pastry shells (Photo 11)
- Place the cut pastry onto the tart tin (Photo 12)
Once you have cut the pastry circles to make the tart bases, you can place the cut circles on top of the patty pan tin.
Next gently push each pastry circle into the tin where it will stick to the butter. Repeat this for the 2nd tin also.
Next use a large spoon to spoon about a tablespoon of custard into each tart. Once done, spoon in some of the apple mixture so that it sits on top of the wet custard.
Once all of the tarts are filled with the custard and apple mixture, sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the top (optional).
Then place the tart tins into the oven and let the tins bake for 12 minutes.
You can see that I have place a flat baking tray underneath the patty pan tins. This is so it makes it easier to grab the tins from the oven once the tarts have baked.
When the cook time is up, use an oven mitt to remove the patty pan tins from the oven and place them onto a cooling rack. Leave the cooked tarts in the tin for a couple of minutes and then use a teaspoon and gently push to remove each tart from the metal tin.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving your apple custard tarts, it can be nice to sprinkle some fresh thyme leaves on top.
You can also sprinkle some cinnamon sugar across the tarts if you skipped this step before baking the tarts or simply because you want too 😉👌.
The tarts can be served warm or cold with or without ice-cream.
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Let the mini apple custard tarts cool and then transfer them to an airtight container. Place a sheet of baking paper between layers. The tarts can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Freeze
It is not recommended to freeze the tarts.
How to Reheat
You can place leftover tarts onto a plate and reheat on high in the microwave. Use 10 second increments until the pastry feels warm to the touch.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- You can add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon powder to the apples as they cook if you wish too. I do that in the Apple Crumble Tartlets recipe. The main reason I don't for this recipe is to have a different flavor to the apples so it is not 'same, same' across the 2 recipes.
- Generally if I make this custard for other desserts (ie the Blueberry Croissant Bake) I use a little bit of lemon juice. However, for these custard apple tarts as we are already adding lemon juice to the apples I skip it as to not have 'too lemony' a flavor.
- For other fruit tarts, you can use blueberries, apples or raspberries. For each of these you can simply pop them into the raw pastry shell with the custard. There is no prep work needed.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- We do want to grease the patty pan or tart tins. This will ensure that the tarts don't stick to the tin when we are removing them once baked.
- Unsalted butter is best for this and recommended over salted butter or spray oil.
- We want the oven to be preheated so that when we pop the tart tins in, we can set the timer and know that the cook time will be accurate. If the oven is still heating up when we add the tart tins, the tarts will take longer to cook.
- Do you love baking throughout the festive season? Then you might like to try the Fruit Mince and Fruit Mince Tarts recipes 😄👍.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can bake custard.
Custard tarts are made with a shortcrust pastry base and creamy custard filling that uses eggs, cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla.
Creme anglaise is the posh name for custard.
Custard baked into a pastry shell is called a tart.
😍 More Easy Pastry Recipes
If you love getting your bake on with easy recipes that use an array of pastry then I have some more ideas that I know will be right up your alley. Try making these when the mood hits:
- Caramelised Onion Tarts
- Puff Pastry Bites
- Chicken Sausage Rolls
- Brie Cranberry Tarts
- Nutella Puff Pastry
- Peanut Butter Pinwheels
- Mini Sausage Rolls
- Christmas Sausage Rolls
- Chorizo Sausage Rolls
- Tater Tot Cups (as a pastry cup alternative).
It is is time to get out apple custard tarts on my friend! You can also find all of my dessert recipes or sweet recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Apple Custard Tarts
Ingredients
Stewed Apples
- 4 granny smith apples Note 1
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice Note 2
- ⅓ cup water Note 3
Cream Cheese Custard
- 250 grams/ cream cheese Note 4
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 medium eggs free range
- 250 ml/1 cup heavy cream
Tarts
- 3-4 sheets shortcrust pastry thawed
To serve (optional):
- cinnamon sugar
- thyme sprigs removed, leaves only
Instructions
- Preheat your oven: to 180°C/400°F/gas 6.
- Apples: use a vegetable peeler and cutting board to peel the apple skins and discard. Then use a sharp knife and cut the apples in halves then quarters and remove the apple cores. Once done finely dice the apples into small pieces.
- Stewed apples: add the chopped apples, brown sugar, lemon juice and water to a medium sized sauce pan. Turn the heat to high and bring the contents of the sauce pan to the boil. Then reduce to low heat, stirring occasionally until the apple pieces have softened and the liquid has been absorbed. Once they have, remove the sauce pan from the heat.
- Pastry: grease 2 12 cup patty pan tins with unsalted butter and then use a cookie cutter to cut circles from the thawed pastry. Place the cut circles onto the top of the greased tins and then use clean, dry fingers to push to pastry into the patty pan tin holes. Repeat to fill each hole.
- Custard: add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and use electric beaters to cream until softened. Next add the sugar and vanilla extract. Follow these with the eggs and then pour in the cream. Continue to combine this mixture until the texture is smooth and consistent. It will not thicken at this stage.
- Combine: place a flat baking tray under each patty pan tin for easy handling. Next use a tablespoon to spoon the cream cheese custard into the raw pastry. Repeat this process for all of the raw tarts. Once done, use a teaspoon and spoon some of the stewed apples into the custard for each tart. Repeat for all tarts. Next sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of each tart (optional).
- Oven bake: once all of the tarts are filled, place the baking tray into the oven on the middle shelf. Set the timer and bake the tarts for 12 minutes. When the timer is up, use an oven mitt and remove the tart tins and place them onto a cooling rack. Let the tarts cool for a couple of minutes then take a teaspoon and gently remove each tart from the pan. Place the cooked tarts back onto the cooling rack.
- To serve: sprinkle some thyme leaves over the top of the tarts and then serve warm.
Notes
- Note 1 - Granny smith apples: we want to try and cut the apples into small pieces ie dice them. This is as to not have big pieces of apple that are too big to fit the mini tarts. Think 'bite size' not 'one bite'.
- Note 2 - Lemon juice: bottled lemon juice is fine to use!
- Note 3- Water: tap water is fine.
- Note 4 - Cream cheese: if this is at room temperature it will be easier to cream. So grab it out of the fridge as a starting point so that it will be soft when you come to use it.
- Note 5 - Custard: you will find that you end up with more custard than you need for 24 mini tarts using 2 x patty pan tins. This has been done so that it gives you a little bit of flexibility regarding the size of the tins you use without having to double or increase the custard volume. You can use this recipe for a muffin tin also which increases the amount of custard needed. If you find yourself with an abundance of extra custard, you can either make more of the tarts, keep it for another recipe or simply discard.
Tamara says
They sound delicous. Can I use another fruit for the filling?
Adrianne says
Hi Tamara. Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can use other fruits like blueberries or raspberries. They don't need to be stewed and can simply be popped into the wet custard. 😄
Janine Phillpot says
I am leaving four stars because this recipe looks divine, I am making it this morning. But I thought you might like to know that the printable version does not have the Apple cooking instructions included. No big deal, I will just use the instructions written out here on your recipe page.
Adrianne says
Oh thanks Janine! An oversight on my part, apologies! I have a commitment today but will update when I get a chance. Thank-you for letting me know. I hope that you enjoy them and the cooking process 😄.
Karla Smithson says
Amazing! We loved these pastry tarts and will make again.