Apple Crostata
This Italian Apple Crostata is a rustic tart with a tender olive oil crust and a lightly sweet apple filling scented with lemon zest. It’s simple to make, tastes buttery, and brings a touch of Italy to your table.
As is common in Italy, this Apple Crostata is scented with lemon, but if you love the traditional combination of cinnamon and apple, I’ve included an optional cinnamon variation. Either way, this crostata is one of the easiest Italian desserts you’ll ever make.
What is an apple crostata?
Apple Crostata, also known as crostata di mele, is an Italian apple pie or tart. Usually, the top is open or covered with a pie crust lattice. In Italy, it would be rare to find a free-form apple crostata. Crostata of all varieties is most often baked in pie pans or flan pans.
According to my dad, my late nonna always made her crostata di mele with a lattice crust topping, and it brought back sweet memories for him. It’s because of this that I have always and will always add the lattice topping. Plus, it looks so lovely, don’t you think?
Why you will love this recipe
- Italian Classic: Just like my strawberry crostata and crostata di marmellata, this crostata wouldn’t be out of place at any Italian table, served with a strong espresso or a glass of vin santo.
- Flavor: Tasting exactly like a crostata di mele from a trattoria in the hills of northern Italy, this crostata combines an easy pasta frolla crust with lemon-scented apple filling.
- Simple: Using my famous quick olive oil crust, my apple crostata comes together very quickly with no waiting for the dough to rest.
- Seasonal Favorite: Just like my apple cake or apple puff pastry, this apple crostata recipe makes the most of the best apples of the season.
Ingredients
- Apples – Use all of one variety or mix it up. I like to use Granny Smiths, together with Golden Delicious or Pink Lady apples. Most apples contain pectin, which will thicken the filling. Granny Smiths are particularly good for pie fillings, and I’ll always use at least half of them.
- All-purpose flour – Use standard all-purpose flour for this apple crostata recipe. Avoid self-rising flour since we’ll be adding baking powder separately.
- Granulated Sugar – Plain white granulated sugar works perfectly here.
- Lemon – For this recipe, we’ll use lemon juice in the filling and fragrant yellow zest for the crust. Lemon juice brings out the flavor of the apples, but also contains pectin, which helps thicken the filling.
- Baking Powder – Helps the crust become slightly airy and soft.
- Grappa – Adds more than just flavor; the alcohol enhances the texture of the apple crostata pie crust.
- Olive Oil – I recommend using regular olive oil, but you can opt for extra virgin or light olive oil. If using extra virgin, choose a milder one to keep the flavor balanced.
- Powdered Sugar – You’ll just need a spoonful to dust the top of the apple crostata after baking.
While apples are in season, buy extra apples so that you can make my apple compote. It’s delicious for breakfast with a spoonful of yogurt.
How to Make Apple Crostata
Peel, core, and cube the apples (½ inch). In a skillet, combine the apples with sugar and lemon juice.
Place over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the apples are softened and the liquid has absorbed, then turn off the heat and let cool.
Stir the beaten eggs, oil, grappa, lemon zest, and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients.
Bring the dough together with your hands to form a ball.
Divide the dough into two portions. Roll out the larger portion between parchment paper to fit the prepared tart pan.
Transfer the rolled dough to the pan and remove the top layer of baking paper. Press the dough into the edges and trim any excess.
Fill the dough-lined pan with the cooled apples.
Roll out the remaining dough and cut into thick strips. Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern on top of the apples.
Bake the apple crostata until golden brown, then shower with powdered sugar before serving.
Marcellina’s Hint: Don’t overwork the dough. Knead it lightly but gently to form a ball. Overworking the dough will make it tough. This is an easy crust recipe that will come together quickly.
Substitutions
- Olive Oil – Replace olive oil with peanut oil or avocado oil. Both options still provide plenty of nutrients.
- Grappa– Substitute Grappa with milk, chilled water, or soda water to create an alcohol-free version.
- Powdered Sugar – Instead of dusting this powdered sugar after baking, sprinkle the apple crostata with a generous amount of granulated sugar before baking.
Variations
- Decadent – Add a layer of Italian pastry cream under the apples for a decadent dessert.
- Apple Pie Spice – add half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or apple pie spice to the pie crust instead of the lemon zest, and another half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or apple pie spice plus 2 tablespoons of water to the filling instead of lemon juice.
- Apple and Pear Crostata – If you don’t have as many apples as needed, substitute two pears for two apples to make an apple and pear crostata.
Equipment
You’ll need standard baking tools like bowls, measuring cups, and spoons, along with a rolling pin. Most importantly, you’ll need the right tart pan. For this apple crostata, a 10-inch (25cm) tart pan with a removable base is ideal, though a similarly sized pie pan will also work.
Storage
Store for a day or two at room temperature in a covered container or plate. Pop it into the refrigerator (in a covered container) to keep for up to 5 days.
Top Tips
- Both the dough and the filling can be made a day in advance. It’s not recommended that the apple crostata be assembled in advance because the apple filling can release extra liquid, causing the crust to become soggy.
- Try using a combination of tart and sweet apples, such as Granny Smith and Pink Lady, to balance the flavor and texture of the filling. Be sure to cook the peeled and chopped apples until the liquid has evaporated to prevent a soggy crust.
- If the liquid doesn’t evaporate and the apples are cooked, thicken with a cornstarch slurry. Mix 1 teaspoon with 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the hot apple filling. Simmer until thick.
- Don’t worry if you’ve never made pie dough before. My olive oil crostata dough is so forgiving, and you can easily patch up holes, cracks, and any shortcomings. This is the ideal recipe for beginner bakers.
- Avoid overworking the dough to prevent gluten development, which can make the crust tough. When rolling out the dough, use two sheets of non-stick parchment paper. Lightly press the dough to flatten and sprinkle with flour on both sides to keep it from sticking. If it sticks to the parchment, carefully remove the sheet and sprinkle with extra flour.
- Check the apple crostata towards the end of the baking time. Everyone’s oven is different and can bake at a different rate. When done, the apple crostata will be deep golden brown.
FAQ
It depends on the filling. In this case, the apple filling doesn’t need to be refrigerated, particularly if the weather is cool. After 24 hours, I prefer to refrigerate this type of crostata because the juice from the fruit can make the crust soggy.
Crostata filled with fruit jam doesn’t need to be refrigerated. However, if the crostata is filled with ricotta or pastry cream, it should be kept refrigerated.
Crostata is an Italian word that means tart or pie in English. It doesn’t mean that it is a rustic pie, but it can be. Most crostata in Italy are formed in a tart or pie pan and have an open top or are trimmed with a dough lattice.
The answer to this is quite simple. A galette is a French tart or pie, while a crostata is the Italian version. Both have a crust base, can have a variety of fillings, and are generally open or have a lattice top.
Serving suggestions
Apple Crostata makes a delicious dessert when served with Mascarpone Ice Cream or a dollop of Mascarpone Cream. For extra decadence, pour over the caramel sauce from my Chocolate Cake with caramel recipe.
Related Recipes
Cinnamon Panna Cotta with Apple Crumble topping
Puff Pastry Apple Tart
Rum Balls Recipe
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Apple Crostata Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 large apples See Note 1
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Crust
- 3¼ cups (405 grams) all purpose plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (120mls) olive oil
- 3 tablespoons grappa See Note 2
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- finely grated zest of one lemon
Instructions
Apple Filling
- Peel, core and cut the apples into cubes (about ½ inch).
- Add the apples to a skillet together with the sugar and lemon juice.
- Place over medium-high heat. Stirring now and then. The apples will release quite a bit of liquid.
- Continue cooking and stirring regularly until the apples are nice and shiny and the liquid has evaporated. Turn off the heat, and let them cool.
Crust
- In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients. Lightly whisk the eggs in a small bowl, then pour into the well along with oil, grappa, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
- Using a fork or your fingers, gradually blend the wet ingredients into the dry mixture.
- Continue mixing until all flour is incorporated and dough is smooth. Knead gently for a short time.
- For optimal flavor, wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If pressed for time, proceed to next step.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Lightly oil or grease a 10-inch (25 cm) removable-bottom pie/flan pan.
- Divide gh into two unequal portions, reserving the smaller piece.
- Dust the larger dough portion with flour and place between two sheets parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough into a circle to fit the prepared pan. If the dough is sticking to the paper, dust the dough with a little more flour.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough gently around the rolling pin, removing the parchment paper on the bottom as you go.
- Lift and unroll the dough into the pan. Lift the dough around the sides and gently press it into the pan, both the bottom, and the sides. If necessary, patch any tears with excess dough.
- Trim the edges level to the top of the pan. Reserve the leftover dough.
- Fill with the cooled apple filling.
- Combine the dough trimmings with the reserved dough.
- Roll the combined dough between parchment paper. The dough needs to be as long as the tart pan is wide.
- Cut into thick strips and arrange in a criss cross manner over the filled crostata, trimming any excess.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, checking halfway through. If the crostata is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Let the crostata cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar and serving.
Notes
- For balanced flavor and texture, use a mix of tart and sweet apples like Granny Smith and Pink Lady. To have enough natural thickener, use at least half Granny Smith apples.
- Instead of grappa, use vodka, brandy, white rum, milk, or soda water.
- The dough and filling can be prepared a day ahead, but don’t assemble the crostata early to avoid a soggy crust from excess liquid.
- Cook the apples until the liquid evaporates to prevent sogginess.
- The filling can be thickened with a slurry of 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed well with 2 tablespoons of water. Add this slurry to the hot apples, stir well, and simmer until thickened.
- Olive oil crust is beginner-friendly and easy to patch up holes or cracks.
- Avoid overworking the dough to prevent a tough crust from gluten formation.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment, lightly pressing and sprinkling flour to prevent sticking. If it sticks, gently remove the parchment and sprinkle more flour onto the dough.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This updated and improved recipe was first published here on January 4, 2018.
Hi, I have followed your instructions in cooking the apples and they pretty much fell apart, almost into an apple sauce before all liquid was absorbed. Is it normal? Also, from your pictures, I see that all parchment paper is removed from the crust when transferred to the tart pan, your instructions say to remove the top one (implying the bottom one is left on}, then some pictures of the cooked pie seem to still have the bottom parchment on . Please advise…. Thanks.
Hello Carita. What type of apples did you use? In the notes, I recommend Granny Smith and Pink Lady or similar. How apples cook, like all produce, depend on many factors like growing conditions, storing conditions and freshness. It’s normal. This means that some apples will fall apart quickly or release more liquid. Or perhaps the heat may not have been high enough to evaporate the liquid as the apples cooked. I will add extra notes to clear this up. Apples contain pectin that will naturally thicken. Granny Smith apples have a lot of pectin so I always recommend using at least half of the variety.
Yes the parchment paper is removed from the crust when placed in the pan as is the case with most pies etc. The parchment you see in the cooked pie is for aesthetics only. I will clarify the instructions.
I hope that helps.
Yes, the explanation helps. At least I know I did not mess anything up. I used a mix of Macintosh/golden delicious apples. I assume I should cook them less, then? I also assume that if the dough is prepared a day ahead, it should be stored in the fridge? Should I store it rolled out or in a ball to be rolled when ready to fill? Sorry about all the questions, but I am getting ready for the holidays for which I am the designated cook for about 20 people and I am figuring out what can be prepped ahead to streamline the last couple of days of each holiday. Apple pies prep is time consuming so anything that can be done ahead helps. Thanks so much for the prompt replies.
I’m glad that helps. Now that you say you used Macintosh, I think that could be the issue. Macintosh apples are juicy and break down quickly when cooked. Maybe try a different apple with the golden delicious apples – one that doesn’t break down a lot when cooked. Cook the apples until tender but not mushy.
Yes, store the dough in the fridge wrapped well in plastic. You will find that some of oil will come out of the dough when made a day in advance which isn’t a problem because the dough will still bake up fine. To help your preparations, I would actually roll the dough out and line the pan. Wrap the pan in plastic and store in the fridge. The remaining dough (for the lattice) can be rolled out and also stored in the fridge. Or both of these could be frozen a month in advance. Either way, wrap well so the dough doesn’t dry out. As for the apple filling, make that the day before, pop it into a sealable container and store in the fridge. On the day just spread the apples in the the dough lined pan and cut the rolled out dough into strips for the lattice top. You can bake it a few hours in advance. It will sit out no problem until you’re ready to serve.
When cooking for 20 people you need to do everything you can to make it easier for yourself. Enjoy!
Thanks, Marcellina!
You’re welcome, Carita!
Hi. Can the filling be frozen and for how long would it keep in the freezer? Thanks.
Yes, stewed apples can be frozen. Cool the apples filling before freezing in well sealed containers. I think they would freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw them completely before making the crostata so that the crust doesn’t get soggy.
Thanks.
You’re welcome!
Hi. Quick question: can this dough be frozen? Thanks.
Carita, I have never frozen it but I can’t see why not. When thawed, you will have to knead it briefly to reincorporate the oil which may partly separate out.
Thanks!
What a glorious apple pie tart! It’s simple to prepare and the cinnamon apple filling is the best!
Angie
I used this recipe to top an apple crisp, instead of traditional topping. BEST EVER.
That sounds really yummy! I do love this pastry!
Look delicious thanks definitely trying
I’m sure you will enjoy it!
This looks wonderful, and doesn’t sound too sweet. I have limited baking skills but I think I could manage this! Thank you!
This sounds like a real favorite. Love the olive oil in the pastry!
I love the look of this apple pie, something in between a crostata, a galette, and a pie. Can’t wait to try the pastry!
Yes, exactly Nicoletta…at first I thought it was a crostata. Then we my family saw it they said “Yum, Apple Pie!”.
Oh my Marcellina! I am such a nut for pies and this one looks fantastic. I LOVE the way you used the deep tart pan – it looks beautiful. Rustic and beautiful. We visited Sydney and the Blue Mountains this past fall. What a wonderful city! Have a terrific day 🙂
Isn’t Sydney amazing! I just love it and I’m glad you did too.
this looks very tasty marcellina! apple pies are always popular with everyone and this version looks great. have a great 2018. cheer sherry x
Happy 2018 to you too, Sherry!
It sure looks delicious and if you’ve baked it already twice in 2018, I will have to give it a try.
Yes, Linda, it is so good. I baked another one today, actually! I know you will enjoy it!