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Home » Recipes » Cakes, Bakes & Frostings

Apple Puff Pastry Tart with Chai-Spiced Custard Sauce

Published: Nov 20, 2019 · Modified: Jan 6, 2023 by Nicole B.

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2 hours

This apple puff pastry tart is drizzled with a delicious chai spice-infused custard sauce. The sauce goes perfectly with the flaky crust and makes this dessert a wonderful fall or winter afternoon treat.

An apple puff pastry tart with custard sauce on a plate.
Jump to:
  • Why make this recipe?
  • Spiced custard sauce ingredients:
  • Puff pastry tart ingredients:
  • How to make the sauce:
  • How to make the tart:
  • How to serve the tart:
  • Recipe notes & tips:
  • Frequently asked questions:
  • More delicious fruit recipes:
  • Full Printable Recipe
  • Comments

Why make this recipe?

There is nothing better than a delicious apple dessert to welcome in the fall season, whether it’s mini apple cakes, or this apple puff pastry tart. This recipe is easy to make, doesn’t require much work and delivers fall-spiced deliciousness in every bite.

Spiced custard sauce ingredients:

Chai-spiced custard sauce ingredients on a table.
You need fresh ginger, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, heavy cream, milk and egg yolks to make the sauce.

Puff pastry tart ingredients:

Apple tart ingredients on a table.
You need Granny Smith apples, butter, sugar, puff pastry and corn starch to make the tart.

Ingredient notes:

  • Make sure to use Granny Smith apples for this tart, other apple varieties don’t work as well as Granny Smith here.

How to make the sauce:

See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!

Chai-spiced custard sauce preparation in four steps.

Step 1. Add milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom and peppercorns to a saucepan. Stirring continuously, bring the mix to a simmer, then turn the heat off, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

Step 2. Strain the mix into a large liquid measuring cup or another vessel that you can easily pour from. Discard the spices. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.

Step 3. Whisk the cream mix into the egg yolks.

Step 4. Pour the custard back into the saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the custard has thickened and is coating the back of a wooden spoon (about 4 minutes). Let cool, then cover and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the tart.

How to make the tart:

See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!

While the sauce cools, set the the puff pastry sheet for the tart out to thaw for 40 minutes. When you have about 10 minutes left to thaw, prepare the apple topping.

Prepare the apples:

Apple preparation in four steps.

Step 1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Quarter, core, peel and thinly slice the apples.

Step 2. Melt butter in a pan and cook the apples for a few minutes until tender.

Step 3. In a bowl, whisk together sugar and corn starch.

Step 4. Toss the cooked apple slices in the sugar/corn starch mix until they are evenly coated.

Assemble and bake the tart:

Raw puff pastry and an unbaked apple tart in a tart pan.

Step 5. Cut a 9-inch round out of the puff pastry sheet and either lay it into a greased, 9-inch round tart pan or lay it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 6. Lay the apple slices on the puff pastry (discard any juices that are in the bowl), then set the tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake the tart until the edges of the apple slices are golden-brown and the crust is baked through (25-30 minutes).

How to serve the tart:

Serve the warm tart drizzled with the cold sauce.

Recipe notes & tips:

  • You may end up with a few clumps in the custard sauce. If so, simply strain it before serving.
  • You can make the custard sauce up to a day ahead and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the tart.

Frequently asked questions:

I don’t have a tart pan with removable bottom, can I still make this tart?

Yes, the beauty of puff pastry is that you don’t actually have to bake it in a pan. You can simply lay the puff pastry round on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake it that way.

Can I use the chai-spiced custard sauce in other recipes?

Definitely. The sauce is great on cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, bread pudding and more.

More delicious fruit recipes:

  • Apple Frangipane Tart with Cranberries, Orange and Cardamom
    Cook Time1 Hours 20 Minutes
  • Black Forest Eton Mess with Cherries and Chocolate
    Cook Time6 Hours
  • Lemon Bavarian Cream with Ginger
    Cook Time1 Hours 20 Minutes
  • Seedless Blackberry Sauce with Cardamom (for Cheesecake and Waffles)
    Cook Time15 Minutes

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Thanks!

Full Printable Recipe

An apple puff pastry tart with custard sauce on a plate.

Apple Puff Pastry Tart with Chai-Spiced Custard Sauce

The Spice Train
This delicious apple puff pastry tart is easy to make with a sheet of store-bought puff pastry.
4 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
Time to thaw the puff pastry: 40 mins
Total Time 2 hrs
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6 small portions
Calories (estimated) 390 kcal

Equipment:

  • measuring cups and spoons
  • small saucepan with lid
  • wooden spoon
  • sieve
  • large liquid measuring cup or similar container with a spout
  • mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • knife and cutting board
  • pan
  • rubber spatula
  • 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom OR parchment paper
  • baking sheet

Ingredients:
  

For the custard sauce:

  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cloves
  • ½ – inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 3 large egg yolks

For the apple tart:

  • 1 frozen puff pastry sheet
  • 2 Granny Smith apples
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch

Instructions:
 

For the custard sauce:

  • Add milk, cream, sugar and spices to a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously.
  • Turn the heat off, cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
  • Strain out the spices and discard.
  • Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl, then whisk in the milk/cream mix.
  • Transfer the mix back into the saucepan and, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, heat the custard on medium-low heat until it has thickened and is coating the back of the spoon (about 4 minutes). Be careful not to let the custard boil.*
  • Let the sauce cool, then cover and store in the fridge. While the sauce cools, set the puff pastry out to thaw.

For the apple tart:

  • Set the puff pastry sheet out to thaw for 40 minutes. When you have 10 minutes left, prepare the apples.
  • Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Quarter, core and peel the apples, then slice them thinly.
  • Melt the butter in a pan, then add the apple slices and cook until tender (~5 minutes).
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and the corn starch. Add the apple slices and mix around until evenly coated.
  • Cut a 9-inch round out of the puff pastry and either lay it into a greased tart pan with removable bottom or lay it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Lay the apple slices on the puff pastry round. Discard any juices that are in the bowl.
  • Set the tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake the tart until the apple slices are starting to brown around the edges and the crust is baked through (25-30 minutes).
  • Serve the warm tart drizzled with the cold sauce.

Notes:

*If you end up with a few small clumps in the sauce, strain it before serving.

Nutrition Information (Estimated):

Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 39.1gProtein: 5.4gFat: 24.5gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 119mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 2.5gSugar: 17.2gCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.

Keywords: apple puff pastry tart, apple tart, chai-spiced custard sauce

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shinee

    October 27, 2015 at 11:50 am

    Aww, this tart looks and sounds so cozy, Nicole. I love the spices!! We have yet to get our first snow here in ND, but I’m sure it’ll be here any day now. For now, it’s just rainy. I’ll sure be making this tart soon enough, snow or not!

    Reply
    • Nicole B.

      October 29, 2015 at 7:45 am

      I did really like the spices in this sauce, too! Enjoy the first snow, whenever it comes. :)

      Reply
  2. Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom

    October 26, 2015 at 4:20 pm

    You had me at chai spiced custard sauce. Aw man, I’d put that on all sorts of things! This is such a wonderful pairing, Nicole! And of course, the photos are stunning.

    Reply
    • Nicole B.

      October 26, 2015 at 4:25 pm

      Thank you so much, Kathleen! I honestly really love that sauce too and I think I’ll come up with more recipe to use it in. I actually ate the rest of it earlier straight and even that was delicious! :)

      Reply
  3. Fida | Sweet and Savoury Pursuits

    October 26, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    This looks amazing, the custard sounds just perfect. Beautiful photo, though I don’t remember ever seeing a photograph that wasn’t beautiful on your blog :)

    Reply
    • Nicole B.

      October 26, 2015 at 4:27 pm

      Thank you so much, Fida! That is so nice of you to say! :)

      Reply
  4. Sandra @ Heavenly Home Cooking

    October 25, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    Yum! This looks beautiful and sounds delicious. I love chai! This is the perfect fall dessert. :-)

    Reply
    • Nicole B.

      October 26, 2015 at 7:03 am

      Thank you so much, Sandra! I love the chai flavors too! :)

      Reply

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