Grain Free and Paleo
Grain-Free Apple Crumb Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust
This tart celebrates the crisp sweetness of seasonal apples nestled within a shortbread-style almond crust. Topped with a golden, cinnamon-spiced crumble, it is a wholesome, elegant dessert that brings the warmth of the autumn orchard to your table.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 338 kcal
Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom using a little butter or coconut oil.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the almond flour, the tapioca starch, and sea salt. Cut the cold butter or ghee into small cubes and work it into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and the vanilla bean paste. Mix until a dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of cold water.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the dough for the crumble topping. Press the remaining dough firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared tart pan. Prick the bottom several times with a fork.
Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
In a mixing bowl, toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, the remaining maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Arrange the apple slices in the par-baked crust in concentric circles or a rustic heap.
Take the reserved dough and mix it with the remaining 1/2 cup of almond flour and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to create a sandy crumble. Sprinkle this evenly over the apples.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife.
Allow the tart to cool completely in the pan before removing the outer ring. Serve at room temperature with a dollop of thick cream or coconut yogurt.
Notes
Choose apples that hold their shape when heated, such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith.
For a dairy-free version, use chilled solid coconut oil or ghee in place of butter for the crust.
Slicing the apples uniformly thin ensures they soften at the same rate as the grain-free crust browns.
If the edges of the crust brown too quickly, cover them with a ring of foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
