Ina Garten’s French Apple Tart Made Gluten-free & Vegan (Top 8 free too!) + VIDEO

If you need a last minute pie, with few ingredients for Thanksgiving (or the 4th of July, or really anytime you have a hankering for apple pie!) THIS IS IT. Basically flour, sugar, apples and butter–this doesn’t fiddle with a filling or having to crimp any kinds of edges. Flat and oh-so-holdable you’ll be cutting off big wedges for yourself. Topped with a glaze that REALLY makes the apples sing, this no-cinnamon, simply ALL APPLE tart is for apple lovers. Tweaked from Ina Garten’s famous apple tart, to make it gluten-free, vegan and top-8-free so all can enjoy no matter their food allergies or dietary restrictions.

My husband LOVES apple pie and claims I do not make it enough. To be fair–I don’t. Worrying about if the filling is too soggy, or having to worry about crimping the edges of crust just seemed like too much work to me. This tart helps me give my husband some good ol’ apple pie, without as much of the fuss.

Plus, isn’t this sooo pretty?! I mean, talk about a showstopper dessert! The way the apples fan across the top and aren’t covered by a crust so they can shine in all their glory just makes for such a beautiful presentation.

Other than making sure you have apples on hand, this really uses pantry staples: flour, sugar, vegan butter, salt and xanthan. I always have those on hand, so I love that this can come together in a pinch if you don’t feel like braving the crazy busy grocery stores right now. Because ain’t no one wanting to brave those day-before-Thanksgiving-crowds!

I also love that I don’t have to make so much crust–so many apple pies require a top and bottom crust. Again–I say simplify. No need to roll out another one and then try to perfectly cover the pie. Let it all show!

COMMON QUESTIONS ON MAKING THE FRENCH APPLE TART:

• You can use any type of apple, but I thought a more sour apple, like a Granny Smith, might balance the sweet glaze out. Feel free to use what you have on hand–just make sure you have 5-6 apples as it does take a few to make sure you cover the entire surface.
• You’ll notice I strayed away from Ina’s pure white sugar topping and went with half and half of white sugar and brown sugar for a deeper flavor. If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, all white sugar is fine too!
• If you can’t find apricot preserves, apricot jelly or jam will do the trick!
• If you don’t have apple juice, I’d really recommend getting some. I have small kids, so we always have gallons around. I find that this REALLY makes it extra apple-y (if that’s a word). And, really makes the apple shine.
• Feel free to use whatever butter is safest for you.
• I would recommend using a food processor, because it makes getting the crust together a breeze. As you can tell from the video, I don’t use it often. Really only for pie crusts and scalloped potatoes, or shredding mass amounts of zucchini for my zucchini muffins or zucchini chocolate cake…hence the funny part where I put the lid on wrong. I was going to edit that out, and then figured we’re all home cooks here, and it happens! My food processor was given to my sister from her mother-in-law, who then gave it to me since she doesn’t use it often. It’s super old, so no need to go buy a new one (unless you want to) as these puppies tend to last! (Hence the old beige color of mine.) But, it will be Black Friday in a few days–so maybe take advantage of that!
• If you don’t need it to be gluten-free, just dairy-free/vegan, then you can use regular flour and omit the xanthan.

I kept it simple and didn’t use any cinnamon. I feel like I’m a little over cinnamon right now, as it’s been in everything. It was just butter, sugar, apple and that basic glaze. However, if you’re a big cinnamon fan, feel free to throw some on with the sugar before you bake it.

You’ll notice the edges get a bit done, that’s OK. That’s bound to happen with caramelizing that much sugar. You want to make sure it cooks long enough that the apples are soft. If needed, you can cover the edges with foil.

**In the video, I rolled the dough on a floured surface, and then moved it to the sheet pan topped with parchment paper. I would actually recommend just rolling it right on the parchment paper, then lifting the parchment paper onto the sheet pan. That would save you a step from having to move it. Also, it’s OK to trim the edges, so it makes a nice rectangle. I did that.

If you need another recipe to use up the leftover apricot preserves, I HIGHLY recommend my apricot pork chops.

I hope whether you choose to serve this at Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, the 4th of July–or any ol’ time you want some apple goodness, that it will help you enjoy a classic dessert again. May those with Celiac, food sensitivities or food allergies all indulge a little! Happy Thanksgiving from my allergic family to yours!

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Ina Garten's French Apple Tart Made Gluten-free & Vegan (Top 8 free too!)

Yield: 10-12 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

If you need a last minute pie, with few ingredients for Thanksgiving (or the 4th of July, or really anytime you have a hankering for apple pie!) THIS IS IT. Basically flour, sugar, apples and butter--this doesn't fiddle with a filling or having to crimp any kinds of edges. Flat and oh-so-holdable you'll be cutting off big wedges for yourself. Topped with a glaze that REALLY makes the apples sing, this no-cinnamon, simply ALL APPLE tart is for apple lovers. Tweaked from Ina Garten's famous apple tart, to make it gluten-free, vegan and top-8-free so all can enjoy no matter their food allergies or dietary restrictions.

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Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 2 cups gluten-free flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold vegan butter, diced
• 1/2 cup ice water
• APPLE TOPPING:
• 4-5 Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup white + 1/4 up brown)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold vegan butter, diced
• GLAZE:
• 1/2 cup apricot jelly
• 2 tablespoons apple juice

Instructions

1. In your food processor with the steel blade, place the gluten-free flour, salt, xanthan and sugar. Pulse several times to combine.
2. Add the cold, diced vegan butter and pulse until the butter is about the size of peas (don't over do!)
3. With the food processor on, slowly pour the ice water until the dough starts to come together (it's OK if you don't' use it all.)
4. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
5. Cut a piece of parchment paper that will fit in your cookie sheet.
6. Once the dough has chilled, set it on the parchment paper. Flour your hands, the top of the dough and your rolling pin.
7. Preheat your oven 400 degrees F while you work the dough.
8. Roll the dough into a rectangle that fits on the parchment paper. Once shaped, lift the parchment paper onto the cookie sheet. Trim the edges if necessary to have it look uniform.
9. Refrigerate the dough while you peel and slice the apples. Slice the apples evenly in crosswise sections, removing the core and stem beforehand. (I used an ice cream scooper to remove the cores.)
10. Take the dough back out and fan the apples on top. Pour the entire 1/2 cup sugar evenly over the tops of the apples. Dot with the remaining butter.
11. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until apples are soft enough to your liking. It's OK if the edges brown--this will happen with the apple juice and sugar caramelizing.
12. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot preserves and apple juice until it's liquid enough to spread.
13. Using a pastry brush, smooth an even layer of the glaze on top of the cooked tart.
14. Cut with a pizza cutter into large squares. Serve warm, best if eaten the same day. Keep covered with plastic wrap when not eating.
15. EXCELLENT with a little bit of my vegan 1-ingredient caramel sauce on top.

Notes

Adapted from Ina Garten

Don’t forget to pin this so you don’t lose it. Be sure to also check out my other Allergy friendly Pinterest boards.

Megan Lavin

Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!

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