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Craving a rustic apple-flavored touch for your next dessert? Our Rustic Apple Crostata brings all the warmth of an apple pie with half the fuss—no pie dish required! With its flaky crust and spiced apple filling, this treat is both charming and easy to make. Perfect for cozy nights or sharing with friends. Give it a try today!

Overhead shot of our apple crostata recipe on a wire tray. There are several cut apples and a small container with cinnamon on it as well.
Give this easy, tasty Rustic Apple Crostata a try today!

When fall is here, apple dessert time is, as well. This crostata recipe really is a great way to get into pie crust making, as you don’t need quite as much skill, but it will probably turn out good no matter how it comes out.

If you like this, you are sure to like our homemade all-American Apple Pie or our Best Butter Pie Crust. If you are reading this, I am guessing it is close to that time of year—maybe check out our Thanksgiving Day recipes or our Game Day recipes. No matter what you make, make sure to treat yourself.

🍎 Ingredients

Clearly, you will need apples, but there is more. Here is what you will need:

  • Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Water
  • Braeburn Apples
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg

See the recipe card for quantities.

Apple Pie Crust for This Crostata Recipe

We are deferring back to our Best Butter Pie Crust. This butter pie crust has so many uses and is very flaky and tasty. Why ruin a good thing? The only real difference is that it will be halved and we cut/form it slightly differently than our traditional apple pie.

Of course, you can modify this recipe and use your own pie crust or a store-bought crust. I have done this, and it has worked well. However, I really like MY pie crust recipe. There is something satisfying about making a dessert like this from scratch.

🍲 Instructions

First, prepare the dough by mixing chilled butter into flour, sugar, and salt until it resembles small peas. Add water gradually until the dough holds together, then chill it briefly. Meanwhile, mix sliced apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

After the dough rests, roll it out and place the apple mixture in the center. I used a large glass bowl to cut the edge by placing it face down on the dough and using a knife to cut out my circle. You could really use all the dough, but there is some value in using a uniform disk as a crust.

Things will bake more evenly, and the end product will look more refined. A crostata is rustic, but uniformity can be handy in baking.

Fold the edges over, leaving the middle exposed. Dot the apples with butter, bake at 425°F, and cover the center with foil halfway through. Let the crostata cool before serving for the best texture!

🤷 Substitutions and variations

For a twist, try switching out Braeburn apples with Granny Smith for a tarter flavor or Honeycrisp for added sweetness. You can also experiment with spices—cardamom or allspice can add a unique warmth.

If you’re short on time, a store-bought pie crust works perfectly. For a nutty crunch, sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans on top before baking. You can even make this crostata gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour blend. Make it your own!

📦 Storage

Store the crostata at room temperature for up to two days, loosely covered with foil or plastic wrap. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to four days. To reheat, pop it in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes to refresh the crust. If freezing, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. It’ll keep for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm before serving.

🎓 History tidbit

The crostata is an Italian pastry that dates back centuries and is often called a “rustic tart.” Traditionally, it was made with seasonal fruit and simple ingredients, making it accessible to home cooks across Italy. Its free-form shape, which doesn’t require a pie dish, is what gives it that charming, homemade look. The crostata is believed to have originated in Naples and has become a staple in Italian homes, adapting to various regions and flavors over time.

❓ FAQ

Can I use different types of apples?

Yes! Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp all work well. Tart varieties like Granny Smith balance the sweetness, while sweeter apples like Honeycrisp add extra natural sugar.

Do I Need a food processor For Pie Crust?

You can mix the dough by hand using a pastry cutter or fork. The goal is to keep the butter pieces small but still visible to create a flaky crust.

Can I make Pie Crust dough ahead of time?

Yes, the dough can be made and frozen for up to a month. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using.

What is the difference between a crostata, a galette, and a tart?

A Crostata and Galette are really the same things. They are a free-form pastry that can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. For our Crostata recipe, we will be using apples as the filling.

A tart is a bit different. While essentially the same, it is defined by the pan used. While Crostatas and Galettes are baked on open sheets, the tart is baked in a tart pan, surprisingly enough.

📝 Tips and tricks

  • Of course, you could forego the dough making and use a store-bought pie crust.
  • One mistake I found that is fairly easy to make in this Apple Crostata recipe is to try and use too much fruit. I used two large Braeburn apples in my recipe. We want to be able to fold our edges over the filling and make it look nice. It can be tempting to pile on the apple mixture but don’t. Yes, the filling is awesome, but a balanced crostata recipe is a beautiful crostata.
Finished Crostata with a bunch of sliced apples
With just a few ingredients, you can make this tasty homemade Rustic Apple Crostata.

🛠 Products used in this recipe

😋 Did you make this recipe?

That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Rustic Apple Crostata recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.

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Overhead shot of our apple crostata recipe on a wire tray. There are several cut apples and a small container with cinnamon on it as well.

Rustic Apple Crostata Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Ben
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 3 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
  • Yield: 6 pieces 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Description

This Apple Crostata is as impressive as pie, but only half the work. This is such a delicious apple recipe that celebrates Italian desserts, apple desserts, and pies. We use a great homemade butter pie crust and fill it with real apples.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter + 2 Tablespoons
  • 1 1/4 cups white all purpose flour
  • 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup ice cold water (approximate)
  • 2 Medium Braeburn Apples
  • 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 Tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Cut 1 stick of butter into 1/2-inch cubes
  2. Place into freezer for 20 minutes
  3. Place 1 ¼ cups flour, ½ tablespoon sugar, and salt in food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
  4. After butter has been in the freezer for 20 minutes, add to food processor and pulse 5-6 times. The goal is to mix the butter into the flour. The cubes of butter should be no smaller than peas.
  5. Move flour mixture to large bowl
  6. Add water to flour 2 tablespoons at a time. Toss with fork. We want to get to the point when you take your hand squeeze a handful of flour, it should stick together.
  7. Work dough until it sticks together somewhat well and is in a disk. We don’t want the butter to fully incorporate. If you need to add more water, you can, but do so only very sparingly.
  8. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 20 minutes
  9. Add ⅓ cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg to large bowl
  10. While freezing, peel and finely slice apples.
  11. Mix apples and the sugar mixture.
  12. Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit
  13. Take dough out of the freezer and unwrap
  14. Get to your zen place. Roll out the dough.
  15. Use large glass bowl to cut a uniform dough. I use a large glass Pyrex mixing bowl that measures 12 inches in diameter.
  16. Place rolled dough on cookie sheet
  17. Place apple mixture in the middle
  18. Add 2 tablespoons chopped butter on top of the apple mixture.
  19. Fold the dough over (see images)
  20. Put in oven for 2o minutes
  21. After 20 minutes, use tinfoil to cover middle part.
  22. Bake for 10 minutes and check. Is apple filling bubbling and crust golden brown? If so, remove from oven.
  23. Allow to rest for two hours.
  24. Cut and serve.

Notes

  • Of course, you could forego the dough making and use a store-bought pie crust.
  • One mistake I found that is fairly easy to make in this Apple Crostata recipe is to try and use too much fruit. I used two large Braeburn apples in my recipe. We want to be able to fold our edges over the filling and make it look nice. It can be tempting to pile on the apple mixture but don’t. Yes, the filling is awesome, but a balanced crostata recipe is a beautiful crostata.

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6 Comments

  1. I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving and I know it will be a hit. It will be nice to have something a little different while still having the same apple and butter crust taste.






  2. Wow, this looks amazing! Such a beautiful looking crostata, almost seems a shame to eat it!!






  3. This looks delicious! I love galettes and crostatas (tarts stress me out). And I always slice my fruit really thin when baking to get in as much as possible

  4. I definitely think my kids will approve of this. They love apple pie as it is and this would be great for our thanksgiving party.