Camille Pâtisserie

Recipes & sweet treats

Recipe

You're wondering which pastry to use for your apple tart? That's the question I get most often! And for good reason: the choice of pastry will completely transform your tart. A flaky pastry will bring a crispiness and...

23 February 2026
Complete guide: which crust to choose for an apple tart (shortcrust, puff pastry or blind baked?)

Which pastry to use for your apple tart? This is the question I get asked most often! And for good reason: The choice of pastry completely transforms your tart. A flaky pastry brings a crunch and indulgence, a shortcrust pastry offers a neutral and light base, while a puff pastry will give an airy and spectacular result.

After testing all three options dozens of times (and tasting them with my whole family), I'll explain how to choose the right pastry based on your preferences, skill level, and desired outcome.

The three types of pastry for an apple tart

Shortcrust Pastry: the most indulgent

What is it?

The shortcrust pastry contains more butter and sugar than a puff pastry. Its texture resembles that of a sablé: crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth, slightly sweet. It's my favorite for apple tarts!

Advantages:

  • Ultra indulgent and crunchy texture
  • Slightly sweet, it enhances the taste of the apples
  • Holds up well during cooking, doesn't become mushy
  • Perfect for classic tarts and compote tarts

Disadvantages:

Categories Pies

Full recipe

Complete guide: which crust to choose for an apple tart (shortcrust, puff pastry or blind baked?)

Prep time

20 min

Cook time

40 min

Total time

60 min

Servings

4 personnes

Instructions

  1. 1

    Boil the butter, milk, water, salt, and sugar.

  2. 2

    As soon as the mixture starts to froth, remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Mix and return to low heat to dry the dough.

  3. 3

    Mix until the dough is well homogeneous (it should make a schplok sound when you shake the pan).

  4. 4

    When the eggs are well mixed, add a new small amount. Continue in this way until you have a good consistency for the choux pastry.

  5. 5

    Pipe according to the desired preparation: éclairs, chouquettes, Paris-Brest...

You may also like