These Apple Crumble Tarts have flaky puff pastry shells with a cozy apple filling and a cinnamon-spiced crumble topping. They’re a delicious, bite-size fall dessert, perfect for holiday gatherings!

mini apple crumble tarts on a black cooling rack

Delicious holiday treats like these apple crumb tarts bring so much joy (and deliciousness) to the holiday season!

My apple crumble tarts are reminiscent of an apple crumble pie, but with a deliciously flaky puff pastry crust. And, of course, are made in a perfectly hand-held, bite-sized form. Which makes it so convenient for Friendsgiving and holiday parties – no one needs to worry about cutting into a pie, needing forks, etc.

If you need more holiday treats, check out these pumpkin pie crumble bars, no bake pumpkin spice cheesecake bars, healthy buckeyes, and chocolate avocado truffles.

Why This Apple Crumble Tarts Recipe is SO Good!

I use two varieties of apples, one sweet and one tart, for a little more complex flavors.
With puff pastry as the base, there’s no need to spend more time (and dirty more dishes) hand-making pie dough.
They’re bite-size, which means they bake faster than traditional pies and larger tarts.
Handheld desserts are absolute perfection for holiday gatherings.
There are delicious contrasting textures – flaky crust, tender apples, and crisp crumble.
They’re so, so, so delicious!

Ingredients Needed

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Puff Pastry: One sheet of puff pastry is used to make the crusts. I used the Pepperidge Farms brand, found in the freezer section.
Apples: I use both honeycrisp and granny smith apples, to get both sweet and tart apple flavors.
Butter: Butter plays double duty, as the apples are sauteed in butter, and it’s used in the crumble, as well.
Maple Syrup: Adds sweetness to the apples as they sauté with butter, vanilla, and spices.
Flavor Enhancers: Sweet vanilla extract and warm cinnamon enhance the flavor of the apples and crumble.
Flour: Necessary for the crumble topping.
Sugars: Both white sugar and brown sugar are used in the crumb topping.

Step-by-Step Directions

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

basic steps depicting how to make apple crumble tarts

Saute apples in butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon until they’re soft and tender.
Prepare the crumble topping with butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Cut the thawed sheet of puff pastry into 24 pieces.
Gently stretch each piece of puff pastry into more of a square-shape and place into each tin of a mini muffin pan.
Fill with apple filling and top with crumble.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Expert Tips

Use whatever varieties of apples you prefer, but I personally recommend mixing a more sweet and a more tart variety for a little more flavor.
You need four cups total of peeled and diced apples.
Let the apples cook down as you sauté for several minutes – it should visibly even look like a smaller amount by the end.
Use cold butter when making the crumble.
You can use a pastry cutter when making the crumble, or even just a fork. The goal is tiny, pea-sized butter pieces.
Make sure you thaw your puff pastry! You can set it in the fridge overnight or on the counter about 30 minutes prior to using.
When you cut the puff pastry sheet into 24 pieces, they’ll be rectangular. Use your fingers to gently pull and stretch the dough into a square shape before placing into the muffin tins.

Substitutions & Variations

You can use whichever apple type you prefer!
Add some finely chopped nuts to your crumble topping for a crunchy texture.
When sautéing the apples, you can substitute brown sugar, honey, or your preferred sweetener for the maple syrup.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

These mini apple crumb tarts can be made ahead of time, but they truly taste delicious when as close to fresh as possible (i.e. don’t make days in advance).

Storage: Let cool, then store in an airtight container on the counter up to 3 days.
Freezing: Apple crumble tarts can be baked, cooled, and then frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating: They can be consumed at room temperature, but you can also place frozen apple crumb tarts on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes.

Supplies You’ll Need

As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small amount from qualifying affiliate purchases at no cost to you.

More Apple Recipes You’ll Love

Did you make this recipe? Give it a 5★ rating below! For more balanced nutrition and simple, healthy-ish recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram!