Salted Caramel Apple Tartlets (Apple Rose Tarts)

Caramel Apple Tartlets are not only amazingly delicious, but beautiful too! Thin apple slices are arranged to look like a rose and drizzled with a yummy salted caramel sauce.

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have some of the most amazingly delicious and flavorful apples. They’re crunchy and tart, and just begging to be baked into something yummy…

Enter Apple Tarts with Salted Caramel Sauce.

Overhead shot of apple tartlets.

What better way to show off those beautiful apples?

The crust of these apple tarts is not overly sweet.

It’s lightly flavored with a bit of vanilla & almond extract and it bakes up perfectly flaky – a bit like a shortbread. The dough for these tartlets comes together easily using your stand mixer, or by hand. But, you can also take a shortcut and use store bought pie crust for this.

To top it all off, I’m finishing these rose apple tartlets with a my favorite salted caramel sauce.

But we’re not just talking any salted caramel sauce… This time, to kick things up a notch, I spiked the caramel sauce with a splash of apple brandy which I had leftover from these yummy Harvest Moon cocktails. It’s basically awesome.

If you don’t have apple brandy, feel free to use bourbon, regular brandy, or just leave it out. And don’t worry – the salted caramel sauce comes together in just 15-minutes. I promise.

If you’re obsessed with the Omaha Steaks caramel apple tartlets like I am, these taste very similar. They’re just a little… fancified.

Overhead shot of apple tartlets.

Ingredients needed

  • Apples – I like to use Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Jonagold red apples for this recipe. You can also use green apples like Granny Smith apples or Golden Delicious.
  • Flour, Sugar + Salt
  • Butter
  • Egg
  • Vanilla Extract + Almond Extract – Or, use just one or the other.
  • Lemon
  • Salted Caramel Sauce – I like to make my own. It takes just 15-minutes (promise)!

Now, you may be wondering, how in the world do you assemble these? 

I’m not gonna lie, arranging the apples can be a bit of a challenge. But I’ve got some easy tips to help you out.

How to make them

Make the dough

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix well. Slowly add in the flour and mix until just combined.
  • Roll the dough into a ball and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm it up.
  • When ready to use, unwrap your dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Using your tart tins as a guide, cut circles that are about 1 inch wider than the tins. I used a small mixing bowl to make the cut. Press the dough into your tart tin. Pass your rolling pin over the top of the tin to trim the extra dough.
  • Alternatively, you can skip the rolling pin and simply press the dough into your tins (skip the fridge if using this method).
  • Shortcut: You can also skip making your own dough and use store bought pie crust instead.

Slice the apples

Start by slicing your apples thin. Here are your options for slicing the apples:

  • Use a mandoline. Cut your apples in half lengthwise and remove the core. Then thin slice them on your mandoline using the thinnest setting.
  • Use a sharp knife. This isn’t my preferred method because it takes time and it’s difficult to get uniform slices, but it will work in a pinch.
  • Use a spiralizer attachment. This has basically become my new best friend. Typically I use it for making zoodles, but it’s also amazingly perfect for making these thin apple slices, plus it cores your apple in the process. Just spiralize your apples and then cut them in half to make those half moon shapes. So easy!

Place the apple slices in lemon juice, so they won’t brown.

Soften the apples

Soften the apple slices, so they are pliable enough to wrap around each other. Here’s a couple options:

  • Microwave. Heat in the lemon juice mixture for 30 seconds.
  • Oven. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes.

Make the salted caramel

Here’s a whole post that helps explain the process. It’s easy and comes together in just 15-minutes!

Assemble

Assemble the caramel apple tarts. 

  • Filling the tartlet shells with a bit of the salted caramel will help to hold the apple slices in place and will act as your “glue.” To start, take a few slices of apple and overlap them in a row, then roll up to form your bud. Then, simply keep adding more slices around and around the bud that you formed. It’s very forgiving and definitely not as difficult as it may look.

Once your apple rose tartlets are assembled, bake them for twenty minutes, then top them with some extra caramel, and let cool a bit. Serve alongside some vanilla bean ice cream, if desired, and enjoy!

How to make ahead & store

  • You can prepare these tartlets one day ahead of when you plan to serve them. Simply roll up the apple rose tartlets and store them covered in the fridge. The next day, you can place in the oven and bake as the recipe instructs.
  • Store any leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Spoon drizzling on salted caramel sauce.

More salted caramel recipes

More dessert recipes

Did you try these caramel apple tarts?

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Overhead close up of caramel apple tartlet.

Caramel Apple Tartlets

These Rose Caramel Apple Tartlets are not only amazingly delicious, but beautiful too! Thin apple slices are arranged to look like a rose and drizzled with a yummy, spiked salted caramel sauce.
4.94 from 15 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 tartlets

Ingredients

Tart Dough

Apple Filling

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix well. Slowly add in the flour and mix until just combined.
  • Roll the dough into a ball and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm.
  • When ready to use, unwrap your dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Using your tart tins as a guide, cut circles that are about 1 inch wider than the tins. I used a small mixing bowl to make the cut. Press the dough into your tart tin. Pass your rolling pin over the top of the tin to trim the extra dough. Alternatively, you can skip the rolling pin and simply press the dough into your tins (skip the fridge if using this method).
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the tart shells in the freezer for 15 minutes while your oven preheats. Using a fork, poke holes in bottom of the tart shells. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Cut your apples in half lengthwise and remove the core. Using the thinnest setting of a mandolin, slice the apples and place in a microwave safe bowl.
  • Combine the sugar and lemon juice, and pour over your apples. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to slightly soften the apples.
  • Cover the bottoms of your tart shells with 1-2 tablespoons of the salted caramel and then begin to roll your apples. I started with one slice, and rolled it into a tight cylinder. I then took additional slices and continued wrapping them around each other until the bundle was about a quarter sized width. I then placed that into carmel coated tart and added more apples, layering the edges. The caramel helps hold the apples in place. Continue until your tart is fully covered.
  • Return the tarts to the 350 degree oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining salted caramel sauce.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Vitamin C: 20.6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3.1mg

This post was originally published in 2015. It was updated in 2023 to revise the content. The caramel apple rose tart recipe remains the same. 

59 thoughts on “Salted Caramel Apple Tartlets (Apple Rose Tarts)”

    • Hi Norma – Yes, these can be made ahead. The caramel helps to seal everything in. Just cover loosely with plastic wrap. You may want to spray the tops lightly with cooking spray (coconut oil preferred) or stick some toothpicks in the top to keep the plastic wrap from sticking. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Dear Erin,

        after long research for a perfect desert to top off my dinner I’ll be cooking for friends, I found this amazing recipe and instantly decided to go for it 🙂

        It’ll be a busy Saturday so I’d love to prepare these ahead, Friday if possible. You said it’s possible to store them. I now wondered how to best store them when fully baked and prepared on Friday? I’d like to not store it in the fridge so I wondered if storing in a dark cupboard would be possible? Also, how do I prevent the apples from going brown? Is the lemon juice in the coating enough?

        And my last question (promise ;D): i don’t own a microwave. Could I soften the apple slices in a pot, too?

        Greetings and thanks in advance!

        Reply
        • Hi Julia – What a great dessert to cook for friends! I’m sure they will love these and be super impressed 🙂
          If you’d prefer not to store them in the fridge, aim for a spot that’s dark and cool and cover loosely with plastic wrap. The apples should not brown once they are cooked. And definitely feel free to soften those apple slices on the stove – Let me know how it works out! We don’t own a microwave any longer either 😉

          Reply
  1. Erin!!! These look adorable!! I’ve pinned them at some point a long time ago. Probably in February when you posted them but had totally forgotten. I’m so glad I bumped into them again with fall and apple season starting soon 🙂

    Reply
    • I think that will work Macy! They’ll just look a little different – Not as wide, but it should be easier to form the “rose”. I’d love to see how they turn out!

      Reply
  2. Hi! I was wondering what kind of apples I should use. I did a little research, and most websites say to use Granny Smith Apples, but I was wondering if that would make the product sour?

    Reply
    • Hi Kes – As the apples bake, they definitely become more sweet. Granny Smith is a great variety to use for this recipe! The caramel sauce adds quite a bit of sweetness at the end too.

      Reply
  3. I’ve made these as a pie and it tasted great and looked beautiful. If you microwave,the apple slices until they are bit soft, they are easier to roll. I lined the slices up in a long row.with the slices overlapping and then rolled from one end. Into a large rose.

    Reply
  4. Hi, These are beautiful. Can they be frozen after cooking? They would be perfect for my wedding, but time will be short near the time.
    Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Hi Lyneal – Unfortunately, I wouldn’t suggest freezing these – The apples may lose their texture and shape. If you have time to assemble at the last minute, you could bake and freeze the crusts and then do the assembly the day of, but otherwise I wouldn’t suggest freezing fully assembled. Congratulations on the wedding!

      Reply
  5. Hi Erin,
    I am looking to make these for my future daughter in-laws bridal shower. These look so pretty and am going to give it a go…What size tart tins did you use?

    Reply
  6. 5 stars
    I’ve done these minis and they were absolutely divine. But I was wondering, could this translate to one large 9 inch tart? Or would everything be completely different? Thank you for your time!

    Reply
  7. 5 stars
    Made these last night using a muffin tin. Worked well! Maybe I messed up the pastry because I didn’t cream butter& sugar. I pulsed everything together in food processor. Had to add ice water to make dough come together. Patry pulled back some, but that didn’t bother me. I figured I only needed a little height to hold the caramel. Too bad there is no place to post a picture here!

    Reply

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