Warm cinnamon apples, a crisp and chewy oat crust, and a sweet, buttery crumble all come together for the most delicious mini apple crumble tarts! Brown sugar and maple syrup give these tarts a lovely sweet and caramelized flavor.
These baked apple tarts with brown sugar are the epitome of fall. They happen to be gluten free (made with easy homemade oat flour). Enjoy them on their own, or add a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top!
Gluten Free Mini Apple Tarts with Crumble Topping
I love a good apple crisp or crumble – especially with toasty, nutty oats. There’s just something about the warm spices, soft baked apples, and golden oats that’s so comforting.
I wanted to recreate that feeling, but in an adorable, miniature-sized form! These tarts are made in a muffin pan, so you don’t need any tart molds to make them.
Plus, you can actually pick them up (which you definitely can’t do with a full-sized apple crumble). They’re perfect for parties and gatherings!
They’re also made with homemade oat flour, for more texture and flavor. (Which makes them naturally gluten-free). If you’ve never made oat flour before, don’t worry: it’s super easy! All you need are old-fashioned/rolled oats and either a food processor or blender.
Recipe Ingredients
A few notes on the ingredients for these apple crumb tarts:
- You’ll need 1.5 large apples or 2 small apples for this recipe. I used a combination of Honeycrisp apples (a sweeter apple) and Pink Lady apples (slightly more tart, flavor-wise).
- Both the crust and crumble on top of these tarts is made from old-fashioned or rolled oats (ground into flour with a blender or food processor.) I wouldn’t recommend using quick oats or steel-cut oats, as they have a different texture and thickness. Use gluten-free certified oats if needed!
- Brown sugar is added to the oat flour crust and the crumble topping. Light or dark brown sugar both work – dark brown sugar will give the tarts a deeper, slightly molasses flavor.
- A little bit of pure maple syrup adds a hint of maple flavor and some extra sweetness to the tart crust. Don’t use pancake syrup or imitation syrup here!
You might also like these mini chocolate Nutella tarts or this dark chocolate raspberry tart!
How to Make Apple Crumble Tarts
Step 1: Make the Oat Flour Tart Crust
To make these tarts, we start with the oat flour crust. Blend oats in a food processor or blender until they reach a fine texture. (It’s ok if there are some oat pieces left.) Set aside 1/2 cup of the oat flour for later.
Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and process again to combine. Then, add cubed butter and maple syrup, and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined and slightly moist.
Place 2 tablespoons of the crust mixture into each well of a lined muffin tin. With the tablespoon, press the mixture down and up the sides of the cupcake liner to form a compressed tart shell.
Par-bake crusts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes. The centers may be puffed up when you remove them from the oven – just use the tablespoon to lightly push them back down.
Let cool while you prep the apple filling.
Step 2: Make the Cinnamon Apple Tart Filling
Core, peel, and slice apples into somewhat thin slices, then cut the slices in half.
Next, we need to pre-cook the apple slices. Place them in a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle with 1.5 tablespoons of water. Microwave for 2 minutes.
Once they’re cool enough to touch, drain the water and spread them out on a layer of paper towels. Pat them dry to remove any excess moisture.
Then, place the apple slices back in the bowl and toss them in cinnamon and nutmeg. Layer them in the par-baked tart crusts, so they reach just above the tops of the crust edges.
Step 3: Make the Crumb Topping
Next, make the crumb topping. Combine the 1/2 cup of reserved oat flour with brown sugar and diced butter. Use your hands to crumble the mixture together. Then, sprinkle on top of the mini apple tarts.
Bake until the crumble topping turns golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
Let cool, then remove cupcake liners and serve!
Storage Tips
Store these tarts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat these tarts, microwave for 35-40 seconds.
What type of apples should I use for apple crumble tarts?
As with any baking recipe that calls for apples, I like to use a combination of apple types for a variety of flavors. I often use a sweeter apple (like Honeycrisp) paired with a more tart-flavored apple (like Pink Lady or Granny Smith).
Most types of apple should work great here, depending on your preference!
What’s the difference between apple crumble and apple crisp?
Apple crumble and apple crisp are very similar. The main difference between the two is that the topping in apple crisp typically includes oats (intact oats, not oat flour).
Apple crumble is traditionally made with just flour, butter, and sugar, and tends to be less crisp, texture-wise. Since we’re using oat flour in this recipe, it’s sort of a combination of the two!
These cozy apple tarts are already a favorite fall treat in our household. We’ve enjoyed them for breakfast with Greek yogurt, and for dessert with melty vanilla ice cream. I highly recommend trying them for yourself! 🙂
If you make these apple crumble tarts, I’d love if you shared your thoughts with a rating and comment below.
More fall-inspired desserts to try:
- Pumpkin Spice Bars with White Chocolate
- Chocolate Avocado Pecan Truffles
- Pecan Sweet Potato Blondie Bars
- Oatmeal Chai Cookies with Pecans
- Double Chocolate Sweet Potato Bread
Mini Cinnamon Apple Crumble Tarts with Oats (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
For the Oat Crust
- 2¼ cups old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed (half a stick)
For the Cinnamon Apple Filling
- 2 apples (1½ large apples or 2 small apples)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
For the Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced small
- (½ cup reserved blended oats from oat crust)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line a 12-well muffin tin with muffin/cupcake liners. Set aside.
Make the Tart Crust
- Blend oats into a fine texture using a food processor or blender. Set aside 1/2 cup of the blended oat flour for later.
- Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Process again to combine. Add cubed butter and maple syrup. Pulse until the mixture is evenly combined and moist.
- Measure 2 tablespoons of crust mixture into each well of the lined muffin tin. Using the tablespoon, press the mixture down and up against the sides of the liner to form a compressed tart shell.
- Par-bake crusts for 7 minutes. Let cool while you prep the apple filling. (If the centers have puffed up, lightly push them back down.)
Make the Cinnamon Apple Filling
- Core, peel, and slice apples into thin slices. Cut the slices in half, so they're about 1½ inches long. Place into a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of water. Microwave for 2 minutes.
- Let cool, then drain the water. Spread apple slices out on a layer of paper towels. Pat dry to remove any excess moisture.
- Place apple slices back in the bowl. Toss with cinnamon and nutmeg. Layer inside par-baked tart shells.
Make the Crumb Topping
- Combine the reserved oat flour (½ cup), brown sugar, and diced butter in a bowl. Use your hands to crumble the mixture together. Sprinkle on top of the apple tarts.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crumble topping turns golden brown. (Be sure to check them early in case they start to brown sooner. If they still aren't browning after 35 minutes, set the oven to broil and place them under the broiler for 30 seconds.)
- Let cool, then remove the cupcake liners and serve!