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Apple Rose Tart with Maple Custard and Walnut Crust (Gluten Free)

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Your guests will be wowed by this gorgeous apple rose tart, with a toasty walnut crust and a silky sweet maple custard filling.  And it’s gluten-free!

Apple Walnut Rose Tart with Maple Custard | Baking a Moment

Do you guys know Hip Foodie Mom?  She’s one of my favoritest bloggers ever!

This week she is moving herself and her whole family alllllll the way from Seattle, Washington to Madison, Wisconsin.

I KNOW!

Kind of a big deal.  Far.  And a whole different sort of scene.  Not to mention climate.

She’s kinda got her hands full right now, so I’ve been invited to fill in for the day!  Woot!

I’m totally psyched to be guest posting for Alice.  I made her this tart as a pseudo-housewarming gift.  It came out really pretty!

Apple Rose Tart with Walnut Crust & Maple Custard | Baking a Moment

And tasty!

And it’s gluten-free!

So hop on over to Hip Foodie Mom and check it out!  She’s got the recipe and lots more pretty pictures.  Say hi!  Tell her Allie sent you 😉

Update: Alice was kind enough to allow me to share the recipe with you here!  No extra clicking required!  Thanks a bunch, Alice!

** WATCH THIS QUICK VIDEO TO SEE HOW IT’S DONE! **

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Apple Rose Tart with Maple Custard and Walnut Crust (Gluten Free)

Your guests will be wowed by this gorgeous apple rose tart, with a toasty walnut crust and a silky sweet maple custard filling. And it’s gluten-free!

Prep Time 1 minute Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time
Serves (1) 9-inch tart     adjust servings

Ingredients

    For the Walnut Crust

    • 2 1/2 cups walnut pieces
    • 4 tablespoons (half a stick) unsalted butter, melted
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1 egg white
    • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    For the Maple Custard

    • 1 1/2 cups milk
    • 6 large egg yolks
    • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup cornstarch
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For the Apple topping

    • 2-4 fresh apples, quartered, cored, and sliced very thin (keep in lemon water until ready to use)
    • juice of 1 fresh lemon, added to a large bowl of cold water
    • 1/4 cup honey (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Make the Walnut Crust:

      1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
      2. In a food processor or chopper, pulse the walnuts until they are finely chopped, and the pieces are about the size of breadcrumbs.  
      3. Place the chopped nuts in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, tossing together with a fork.  
      4. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Cool completely, then fill with Maple Custard and top with apples.  

      Make the Maple Custard:

      1. Pour the milk into a small pot and place over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges.  
      2. Whisk the egg yolks, maple syrup, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl until combined.  
      3. Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, while whisking, to warm the eggs.  
      4. Transfer the mixture back to the pot and place over low heat.  
      5. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very thick.  
      6. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat safe bowl.  
      7. Place plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for 2 hours.

      Assemble the tart:

      1. Spread the maple custard in the walnut tart shell.  
      2. Warm the apple slices in the microwave until pliable.  
      3. Roll a slice of apple into a tight spiral and stand it up vertically in the custard.  
      4. Continue to arrange apple slices in a concentric pattern around the first one, building a rose pattern.  
      5. Repeat until the top of the tart is completely covered with apple roses.  
      6. Brush honey over the apples, for shine (optional).

    by

    Recipe Notes

    For more on how the custard is made, check out my “How to Make Pastry Cream Video” post.

    ©

    Nutrition Facts
    Serving Size
    Amount Per ServingAs Served
    Calories 2139kcal Calories from fat 1184
    % Daily Value
    Total Fat 132g203%
    Saturated Fat 50g250%
    Transfat 2g
    Cholesterol 1265mg422%
    Sodium 1716mg72%
    Carbohydrate 213g71%
    Dietary Fiber 11g44%
    Sugars 148g
    Protein 44g

    Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

    Calories2000
    Total FatLess than65g
    Sat FatLess than25g
    CholesterolLess than300mg
    SodiumLess than2,400mg
    Total Carbohydrate300g
    Dietary Fiber25g

    *Update: It has been brought to my attention that the idea for an Apple Rose Tart originates with the legendary French pastry Chef Alain Passard.  Here is a lovely little video that presents the history of the Apple Rose Tart in such a beautiful way.  I hope you enjoy:

    More great tart recipes on my “Pies & Tarts” Pinterest board!


    This post contains affiliate sales links.

    Image Map Your guests will be wowed by this gorgeous apple tart of roses, with a toasty walnut crust and a silky sweet maple custard filling. And it’s gluten-free! #apple #roses #tart #pie #holiday #baking #recipes #glutenfree

    Comments

    7. This is seriously stunning my friend!! I’ve been gushing all day long over it and can’t get over how beautiful those apple roses are. And the tart itself sounds so amazing….maple custard and walnut crust. Perfect combination!!

      Reply

    10. This is simply STUNNING Allie! Those apple roses are perfect and look just like a beautiful bouquet of real flowers! It sounds incredibly delicious too with the walnut crust and maple custard! What a fantastic post and perfect pseudo-housewarming gift 🙂

      Reply

    12. This rose custard is lovely! I saw this on foodgawker and had to click on it! I love the fact it is gluten free. I am going to make this with my own almond flour crust. Your photos are inspiring. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

      • Thank you, Ester, for the great compliment! I’m inspired every day by what I see on sites like Foodgawker; it’s nice to know I can return the favor every once in a while. Thanks for popping over and good luck with your tart! 🙂

        Reply

    17. This is absolutely the most beautiful apple tart I have ever seen! I am allergic to walnuts but I can eat pecans and or hazelnuts, I am from Italy and we use a simple vanilla custard but the idea of maple sounds wonderful.

      I am glint to try creating a variation and posting to my food blog, I will credit you for the original version and also include links to your recipe and blog.

      Thank you for such a wonderful idea for the fall and holiday season.

      Reply

    18. This tart is absolutely gorgeous. I would almost hate to cut into it as I wouldn’t want to mess it up, but I’m sure it tastes as great as it looks!

      Reply

    20. Hi! Such a gorgeous tart!!! I bought all the ingredients and I’m about to make it but….do you not have to bake the custard? I saw in the original custard recipe she baked the custard so I just wanted to make sure if it was supposed to be baked after being poured into the crust or not! Sorry never made custard before!! 🙂

      Reply

      • Hi Amanda! That is a great question, I actually adapted the original custard recipe so that it would not need to be baked, because the crust would burn in the amount of time it would take for the custard to set in the oven. Instead, the custard is cooked on the stovetop. Just cook it gently and temper the eggs, so they don’t scramble, and then strain and cool it in the fridge. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

        Reply

    23. Is it supposed to be liqudy when I pour into the crust??? I’m guessing not because how would the apples stand up?? What did I do wrong??? 🙁

      Reply

      • No, it’s not meant to be liquidy. I’m not quite sure what went wrong for you, dear. Did you chill the custard in the fridge before putting it in the crust? Did you maybe not cook it long enough on the stove? It should be pretty well thickened on the stove, but it will thicken even more as it cools. Mine was about the consistency of pudding.

        Reply

        • Ya it wasn’t that thick when I took it off tr stove.. Thankfully I was able to put it back on the stove an thicken it some more! Turned out great!!! I couldnt get The Apple slices to wrap as tightly as yours without snapping even though I used the thinnest setting of a mandolin and microwaved them lol but maybe the Type of apple matters? I used red delicious. Anyway still came our great Thank you 🙂

          Reply

          • Oh well I’m glad the custard worked out after all! I snapped a lot of apple slices in the process too. It took me some time to get the hang of it. I found that if the apple slices were too stiff I could nuke them for another few seconds to find the sweet spot. But some of them also got overcooked, and just fell apart. Kind of a fussy process but the result is definitely a stunner! I’m so happy it worked well for you. Thanks for reading, Amanda!

            Reply

            • As a longtime baker but firsttime custard maker, I was very close to the same thing happening. I took mine off the heat when it covered the back of the spoon and had gotten comparatively thicker, but it turns out that that happens pretty early in the heating process, way before it has turned into a pudding-like consistency. Glad I saw this thread and response, so I put it back on the heat and it’s now cooling in my fridge. That back-of-the-spoon thing just threw me!

      • Wow, thanks, Ashley! It’s so great to hear that. When my face was 6 inches from it and I was fumbling through I was thinking it looked kinda messy. I guess sometimes you just have to step back and get the overall impression. Thanks so much for reading and for the sweet compliment!

        Reply

    32. Allie, what an absolute stunner! And I loved watching that little video. So amazing! I can’t wait to show this to my husband (he’s the pie/tart maker in our house). I don’t think he’ll need much convincing to make this for Thanksgiving 🙂

      Reply

      • Thanks so much Amy! Your hubby sounds like a real pro in the kitchen. I remember you saying he’s good with meringue too. I’m impressed! Isn’t it great being married to a foodie? 😉 Thanks for the sweet comment and hope you’re enjoying your day!

        Reply

      • Hi Andie! I have to admit I did not slice it; I ended up giving it to my neighbor. I always have way too many sweets around the house so sometimes it’s good to just give things away! But, I would think it’d probably be best to try to kinda maneuver the knife between the roses, if possible. Just because the apples are obviously going to be firmer in texture than the custard underneath. Good luck and thanks for reading!

        Reply

    40. Hi there! I’m inspired and I’m going to make this tomorrow. I just had a few questions for you.

      1. How far in advance do you think it’s ok to make this and still have the apples stay edible? I was planning on making it about 24 hours ahead and storing it in the fridge.

      2. Do you think it’s necessary to store it in something airtight?

      3 . Is it important that this tart remain cold constantly until it’s served?

      Thanks so much!

      Reply

      • Good Morning Sandy! Thanks so much for reading and I’m so happy to have inspired you! I think the apples should be ok for 24 hours. I gave my tart away several hours after taking the pics, and it never did get brown. Probably because I took the time to soak the apple slices in lemony water, I’m guessing. But if you’re in doubt, I’m sure that glaze would probably help keep it fresher looking. I always like to wrap things before putting them in the fridge, just because of odors and stuff, but in this case, you probably wouldn’t want to wrap it too tight and squoosh the apples roses! And finally, I think the tart would taste best if served cold, just because of that custard, but if there’s not room in the fridge right up until the very second you serve it, I’m sure it would be ok. Just watch and make sure the custard isn’t looking runny, sometimes it starts to get like that if it gets warm. Good luck and have lots of fun with it! 😀

        Reply

    41. I made this following all the directions. After 48 hours, my filling had still not set. The custard had almost no flavor and was just a rich creamy kind of maple flavored custard. The crust turned out the best, but next time would add a combo of nuts or add some other type of crust to reduce the intense walnut flavor. Still don’t know why my custard didn’t ever set, anyone have any ideas?

      Reply

      • Hi Dklock! I’m so sorry you had difficulty. Custards can be tricky and if you take a moment to read some of the other comments on this post, you will see that you are not the only one who had trouble initially. I told many of my other readers that if they cooked the custard longer it would thicken up. I’m certain that is the culprit, as it solved the problem perfectly for other commenters. Do take a glance over to check out my advice to them and learn from their experience. As for the flavor, it is not meant to be aggressively flavored, but rather a rich and creamy kind of maple flavored custard. If you are looking for a bolder flavor, you could always supplement with a drop or two of maple extract, or try using a lower-grade (less refined) maple syrup. As for the crust, I’ve tried it with all sorts of nuts and it works beautifully! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you’ll have better luck with the custard next time around.

        Reply

    47. Just tried to make this for Valentine’s day. . . Love the crust, love the custard, but I’m curious what kind of apples you used. I tried McIntosh and there was no way after soaking in the lemon water they were going to do anything but fall apart. I ended up just chopping them up and sprinkling some brown sugar over the top. it was delicious, just not as pretty. I also made the custard in the microwave and it worked great!

      Reply

      • Hey Sally! I’m so sorry you had trouble with the tart! It sounds like you may have missed step #2 under “Assemble the tart.” You need to microwave the apple slices until warm and pliable. I’ve made the tart more than once, with different varieties of apple depending upon the season, and it’s really everything to do with the slices being thin, warm, and pliable. I hope that helps! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have better luck next time!

        Reply

    48. I don’t know if this has been addressed here, but has anyone tried to make a custard with a non dairy product such as almond milk or coconut milk? My granddaughter’s name is Rose and I would love to make this for her but she is allergic to milk and dairy products. I can sub for the butter in the crust, but wonder how the custard would turn out with a non dairy milk? I guess I won’t know until I try. Maybe coconut milk in the can, which has more fat in it?

      Reply

    49. Has anyone tried to make a custard with a non dairy “milk” such as almond or coconut? My granddaughter is allergic to milk and I would love to make this for her. Maybe the coconut milk in the can which has more fat in it? I guess I won’t know until I try. Any thought?

      Reply

        • Hi Allie,
          Your tart is absolutely gorgeous, hope I’ll be able to make it properly for my daughter’s birthday in November.
          Just a question, could you tell me for how many person is the tart and the ingredients, please?
          Thank you very much

          Reply

          • Veronique thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re going to give it a try! I’m not 100% sure I understand the questions but I will do my best- the recipe makes a 9-inch diameter tart, and you can find all the ingredients in the recipe card. If I’m misunderstanding please don’t hesitate to correct me. Thanks again and happy birthday to your daughter!

            Reply

            • Thanks a lot for your reply, Allie and sorry if you didn’t get my question.
              I hope you’ll understand it this way: would you say your gorgeous Apple Tart would do for 6 or 8 people?
              Thanks again.
              Have a lovely day

    51. Hello. Just a question please. Do we weigh then nuts before of after grounding? It looks like before but just to make sure because 2 1/2 cups of not grounded nuts will not produce the same quantity when grounded. Sorry if this is a stupid question 🙂

      Reply

      • Hey there Hala! It’s not a stupid question at all, that can actually be very confusing to a lot of people. For this recipe, I measured my walnut pieces first (2 1/2 cups) and then processed them. After processing, it would probably measure less because the pieces would be smaller, with less air space in between. I hope that’s helpful! Good luck and thanks for reading 🙂

        Reply

    52. hi, i m shabnam from Iran. i want to make this recipie today but my diameter tart is 11 inch.. how much ingredients should i use?

      Reply

      • Hi Shabnam! I’m so sorry but this recipe is meant for a 9-inch diameter tart pan. It has not been tested for any other size. I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you, but if you’re able to make it work I would love for you to stop back and leave a comment telling us what you did. Thanks so much and good luck!

        Reply

    55. I just made this today and it turned out pretty well! my people are dairy free so i subbed coconut milk (from the can). the custard turned out but it was definitely heavy on coconut flavour! so heads up to anyone who does the same.
      i was also impatient and have never made custard before, but it took a LONG time to thicken – like over 15 mins. not sure if that is normal, so i cranked the heat (before reading that you’re not supped to!) and then stuck it in the fridge to thicken more. holds up the apple slices and my dog enjoyed sharing all the extra apple slices.
      Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

      • Probably no more than a day or so, Anna. The apples will start to oxidize and turn brown as they are exposed to the air. But you could make the crust and filling ahead, and just assemble it all on the day of. Hope that helps!

        Reply

      • I’m not sure if I’m completely understanding your question Linda, but I just sliced them thinly with a sharp knife and then cooked them until they were soft and pliable. I hope that’s somewhat helpful!

        Reply

    59. I love getting your recipes in my email bit it’s so frustrating to click on them and then have to click again for the recipe. How about eliminating the 2nd click? 🙂

      Reply

    60. Have been fascinated with this beautiful tart for a couple years – finally giving it a try this Thanksgiving ( I know, late to the party- story of my life). My question is do the apples stay somewhat crunchy when it’s served? I keep thinking about the texture combination crust, coolness of the custard and then somewhat crunchy apples? Thank you in advance for any additional information.

      Reply

    62. This looks really beautiful. How far in advance do you think would it be ok to make it? Would two days in advance be ok? Just don’t want the roses to look worse a couple days later..

      Reply

      • Hey Annie! I’m so happy you like this. Honestly I would not recommend making it that far in advance. Like you said, the apples will start to brown and shrivel, and the crust will start to get soggy. However, if you’d like to do some prep ahead, you can make the crust and make the filling. Then all you have to do is assemble it on the day you’d like to serve. Hope that’s helpful!

        Reply

    63. Thanks so much for your reply! I will wait to assemble it then. Hope it turns out as nice as your pictures! Thanks again!

      Reply

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