Apple Streusel Tart with Honey Crust

From the kitchen of Carly

A buttery honey crust cradles spiced apples topped with a golden streusel. This tart walks the line between rustic and elegant, with a tender base that shatters under your fork and filling that tastes like autumn in every bite.

Apple Streusel Tart with Honey Crust

A honey crust holds spiced apples, grated raw into their own juice so they soften without turning to mush. The streusel goes on raw and finishes golden while the filling bubbles underneath, giving you textured butter crumble against tender apple filling. No blind baking, no fuss, and the whole thing comes together in one afternoon.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 3/4 cupall purpose flour
  • 2 tbspsugar
  • 1 tspcinnamon
  • 1/2 tspsalt
  • 1/2 cupchilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cuphoney
  • 2 largeegg yolks
  • 1 tbspice water
  • 1 cupall purpose flour
  • 1/3 cupsugar
  • 1 1/2 tspgrated lemon peel
  • 1/2 tspvanilla extract
  • 1/2 cupchilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cupsugar
  • 2 tbspfresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tspcornstarch
  • 1/4 tspground cinnamon
  • 3 cupgrated Gala
  • 1Jonagold
  • 1or Winesap apples

Instructions

  1. Drop the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and run the machine in short on/off bursts until the mixture takes on the texture of coarse meal. Whisk the honey, yolks, and 1 tablespoon of ice water together in a small bowl. Pour the honey mixture into the flour mixture and pulse again until clumps just form. Gather the dough into a ball, press into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 1 hour.

  2. Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface to a 12 inch round. Lift the round into a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press it firmly onto the base and up the sides. Fold any overhang back in to create a double-thick rim. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to a day ahead.

  3. Combine all of the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl. Rub the butter through with your fingertips until pea-sized clumps form. Slide into the fridge while you build the filling.

  4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the first 4 filling ingredients together in a large bowl until evenly blended. Tip in the grated apples and stir until every shred is coated.

  5. Spoon the apple filling into the prepared crust, spreading it evenly. Scatter the streusel over the top in a thick, uneven layer. Bake for about 1 hour, until the streusel turns golden and the filling bubbles up at the edges. Cool before serving. The tart holds for 8 hours at room temperature.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Grate the apples just before assembling the tart. Once they hit the lemon-sugar mixture, they start releasing liquid, and that's your filling. If you grate them too early, they'll oxidize and release all their juice before the tart even hits the oven.
  • Rub your streusel butter with cold fingertips, not a mixer. You want pea-size clumps that toast into crispy, buttery shards. A food processor will make it too fine and dense.
  • The honey crust is forgiving because honey adds moisture and keeps the dough tender. Don't overwork it during mixing, and don't stress if it tears during fitting. You can patch seams as you go, and no one will know.

Variations

  • Use all Granny Smith apples for more tartness and a firmer texture that holds its shape better.
  • Swap the streusel's vanilla for almond extract and add 1/4 cup sliced almonds to the crumb topping for nuttiness.
  • Make it a galette by skipping the tart pan entirely. Roll the honey dough, mound the apples in the center, fold the edges up and over, and bake on a sheet pan for a more rustic, casual look.
  • Brush the finished tart with a thin apricot or apple jelly glaze while still warm for shine and extra sweetness.

Make ahead and storage

Store covered at room temperature for up to 8 hours. The crust will soften slightly but stay pleasant. Refrigerate beyond that, though the crust texture fades. Freezing the baked tart is not recommended due to the grated apple filling, which can weep as it thaws.