If you're craving a crostata di mele (apple tart) that's bursting with sweet, tender apple slices and a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crust, you're in for a treat.
This is a classic apple cake that's easy to make, the whole family will love and made even more stylish with a lattice pastry topping. Serve with warm custard or a scoop of ice cream, and you'll fall in love!
This Italian classic tart dessert takes humble ingredients - apples, sugar, butter, flour and a hint of cinnamon, and transforms them into the most delicious end of meal dessert.
And just like every year, we always have a glut of apples from our orchard, so making this crostata di mele is the perfect way to use them up. It's a recipe that's as comforting as it is impressive.
Whether it's for a cosy family dinner, a festive gathering, or a simple treat with afternoon tea, this tart never fails to wow us and our guests. You might also love our easy grated apple cake - it's so moist!
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✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Here's a handful of reasons why you'll love this Italian apple tart!
- No need for blind baking!
- A great recipe for the whole family
- Only uses a little time if using chopped apples
- It's a very simple recipe that tastes and looks beautiful
🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.
Plain flour - this is all purpose flour with no raising agent for a short and slightly crumbly texture
Baking powder - this recipe only uses a little to lighten the dough for a less dense structure and easier to bite than a typical shortcrust pastry (pasta frolla)
Unsalted butter - this is diced cold butter then a pinch of salt to enhance the pie crust flavours, or use salted and don't add the pinch of sea salt
Caster sugar - makes a deliciously sweet golden brown pastry and helps slightly crisp the crust
Lemon - lemon zest for the pastry and the juice from the whole lemon to prevent the apples from turning brown (oxidising when exposed to the air)
Eggs - this helps bind the pastry dough, makes it easier to work with and gives some structure and a wonderful yellow hue colour.
Vanilla extract - flavour enhancer to add warmth and a rich depth combined with the sugar and butter
Apples - I recommend using eating apples so the thin slices keep their shape and are naturally sweeter. If using Bramley apples, you will need to triple the brown soft sugar quantity to prevent a sour apple pie
Light brown soft sugar - this helps draw out the moisture from the apple and turns into a caramel-like syrup in the pie. It's especially important if using tart cooking apples
Pinch of cinnamon - for a lovely warming spice
📋 Instructions
Here's my easy step-by-step instruction on how to make my traditional Italian apple crostata:
1. In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest.
Then rub in the chilled diced butter with your fingertips (or using a paddle in a food processor) until the mix looks like coarse crumbs.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix with the tines of a fork, hands or food processor until the dough starts to come together and is nice, smooth consistency.
If it feels tacky, add a pinch more flour. If too dry, add a splash of water, milk or Amaretto/rum if desired.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if you wish.
4. Meanwhile, peel, core, and thinly slice the apples about 3-4 mm thick, and toss them in lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon and set aside.
5. Preheat your oven to 180°C (conventional oven), 160°C fan, gas mark 4 or 350 °F. Then grease your tart pan or ceramic quiche dish with butter.
Roll the dough into a sausage shape and cut off a quarter for the lattice top, and set aside.
6. Shape the dough into a disc shape and roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface until it is 5mm larger than the diameter of the tart pan.
Then lift the dough with your rolling pin and carefully transfer it to the pan, and gently into the pan, pressing into the corners and sides of the pan so the pastry is slightly taller than the pan. Patch up any holes - this Italian pastry is forgiving!
7. Arrange the apple slices inside the pastry in any upright or overlapped fashion you wish.
I start from the outer edges and work my way around to form a rose style. And drizzle any of the apple juices on top.
8. Roll the pastry into a round or rectangle to 5mm thick, then using a zig zag pastry cutting wheel, cut 1" strips to cover the pie, overlapping them in a criss cross pattern.
9. Now fold the taller outer edge of the pastry all around over the edges of the lattice ends and press down.
10. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg or milk for a golden finish.
Bake the Italian fruit tart in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the pastry is golden. If it browns too quickly, cover with tin foil and continue baking.
Tip: while it's cooling down, we like to sprinkle 2 tablespoon of caster sugar on the surface of the cake for a simple, rustic look.
👩🍳 Substitutions
Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make:
- Puff pastry (pasta sfoglia)- you can roll out puff pastry directly onto baking paper / parchment paper to make it bigger, then layer with the apples and fold over the edges for an easy apple strudel
- Apples - if swapping eating apples for cooking apples
- Eggs - swap for 4-5 egg yolks for a more tender crumb, but I like to keep costs down and prevent waste by using whole eggs
⚖️ Variations
Here are some different ways you can enhance and truly personalise this recipe:
- Add pastry cream (crema pasticcera) - mix up some pastry cream or frangipane into a smooth mixture and spread inside the pie crust for an apple custard tart combination before adding the apples.
- Jam - for a southern Italian twist, why not try spreading plum or apricot jam, or apple curd inside before topping with apples
- Nutella - another great addition is an apple and chocolate twist, by spreading Nutella chocolate hazelnut inside
🔪 Equipment
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- Tart pan or quiche dish - 28 cm in diameter
- Cling film / plastic wrap
- Large mixing bowl or food processor
- Apple corer - I use the OXO corer and wedge slicer in 1
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
❄️ Storage
Storing - we prefer eating this recipe fresh, but it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Freezing - you can freeze your unbaked pie for up to 3 months and bake from frozen - just add another 10 minutes to your baking time!
Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and microwave until piping hot, or in the oven while covered to prevent browning further.
💡Pro Tips
- Avoid letting the butter reach room temperature so that it's easier to rub into flour for a sandy, crumbly mixture
- Try to opt for a tart pan with a removable base so it's easy to serve. If using a ceramic quiche dish, then you will need a slightly longer cooking/baking time
- You can brush the pie and apple mixture with an apricot glaze before baking
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
The four best ways we love to eat this Italian apple pie are with either a:
- drizzle of hot custard - who doesn't love an apple and custard tart!
- scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts into the apple crostata
- or cold single cream drizzled over the hot pie!
- dollop of fresh apple curd on the side
Let me know what you think in the comments!
❓ FAQ
If you're new to baking an apple crostata, then I recommend skipping spreading apricot preserves inside or a crema pasticcera to get a feel for the flavours. Then start enhancing it every time you make it.
Sweet, firm and slightly tart apples like Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are perfect as they hold their shape and don't need triple the amount of sugar like Bramley apples, which make it sour.
Yes! You can prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge, or freeze it for up to a month.
We've never had a soggy bottom with this apple crostata, but I do recommend opting for a metal tart pan for a crisper bottom than a ceramic dish. Other options can be layering crema pasticcera, jam or prick with a for and blind bake if you wish.
➕ More Ways to Use Apples
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Easy Italian Apple Tart Pie Recipe {Crostata di Mele}
Equipment
- 28cm tart pan
- Pastry cutting wheel
Ingredients
Pastry
- 450 g Plain flour + more for dusting (All Purpose flour)
- 225 g Unsalted butter Cold & diced
- 170 g Caster sugar
- Pinch salt
- 3 eggs whole
- 1 Lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Apple Tart Filling
- 6 Eating apples Granny Smith, Cox. etc (cored and peeled - 800g prepared weight)
- 1 Lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon Light brown soft sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Instructions
Pastry
- In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest.Then rub in the chilled diced butter with your fingertips (or using a paddle in a food processor) until the mix looks like coarse crumbs.450 g Plain flour, 225 g Unsalted butter, 170 g Caster sugar, 1 Lemon zest, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, Pinch salt
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix with a fork, hands or food processor until the dough starts to come together.If it feels tacky, add a pinch more flour. If too dry, add a splash of water, milk or Amaretto/rum if desired.3 eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if you wish.
- Meanwhile, peel, core, and thinly slice the apples about 3-4 mm thick, and toss them in lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon and set aside.6 Eating apples, 1 Lemon juice, 3 tablespoon Light brown soft sugar, 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- Make the Tart
- Preheat your oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4 or 350 °F. Then grease your tart pan or ceramic quiche dish with butter.Roll the dough into a sausage shape and cut off a quarter for the lattice top, and set aside.
- Shape the dough into a disc shape and roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface until it is 5mm larger than the diameter of the tart pan.Then lift the dough with your rolling pin and carefully transfer it to the pan, and gently into the pan, pressing into the corners and sides so the pastry is slightly taller than the pan. Patch up any holes - this Italian pastry is forgiving!
- Arrange the apple slices inside the pastry in any upright or overlapped fashion you wish.I start from the outer edges and work my way around to form a rose style. And drizzle any of the apple juices on top.
Lattice Top
- Roll the pastry into a round or rectangle to 5mm thick, then using a zig zag pastry cutting wheel, cut 1" strips to cover the pie, overlapping them in a criss cross pattern.
- Now fold the taller edges of the pastry all around, while also covering the edges of the lattice ends and press down.
- Brush the pastry with a beaten egg or milk for a golden finish.Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the pastry is golden. If it browns too quickly, cover with tin foil and continue baking.
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
mark
I love this. making another now.
Lovely flavours and the pastry is so good.
Vikkie Lee
Glad you enjoyed it too 😍