Mini Caramel Apple Vegan Tartlets

Plantiful Palate
3 days ago
6 min read

Sometimes dessert is not about being sensible, it is about leaning into something a little bit nostalgic and a lot special. These Mini Caramel Apple Vegan Tartlets are everything the holiday season should taste like: buttery pastry shells filled with cinnamon spiced apples, glossy caramel sauce, and a generous swirl of whipped cream. They look bakery level fancy but come together easier than you'd think, which is exactly what you need during the holiday rush.

Why they're perfect for A vegan Christmas recipe menu:

They taste like the holidays with warm apples, rich caramel, and all the festive comfort
Impressively easy with no fancy equipment or tricky techniques (because December is busy enough)
Perfect for holiday gatherings like Christmas dinner, cookie swaps, or Boxing Day treats
100% plant-based so everyone at your table can enjoy them

These are the kind of tartlets that make your Christmas table feel extra special without adding stress to your prep. Make a batch, dust them with icing sugar for that fresh-snowfall look, and watch them become the vegan dessert everyone asks about.

Whether you're building your collection of vegan Christmas recipes or simply looking for vegan dessert recipes that actually impress, these tartlets deliver. They fit beautifully alongside your favourite vegan recipes and work perfectly for guests following lacto vegetarian recipes too, meaning one stunning vegan dessert recipe that everyone can share.

Ready to add some magic to your holiday menu? Let's bake.

Recipe:

Serves: 4

Prep time: 25 mins, plus chilling
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

For the pastry cases:

220 g plain flour
30 g icing sugar, plus extra to dust
½ tsp fine sea salt
110 g vegan butter, cold and cubed
3 to 4 tbsp ice cold water

For the apple filling:

4 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
40 g vegan butter
70 g soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

For the vegan whipped topping:

250 ml vegan whipping cream or coconut whipping cream, well chilled
1 tbsp icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Add flour, icing sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk briefly. Rub in the cold vegan butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs with a few pea sized pieces of butter remaining.
Sprinkle over 3 tablespoons of ice cold water and gently bring the dough together with your hands. Add the final tablespoon of water only if the dough looks dry. Shape into a disc, wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Lightly flour the work surface and roll the pastry to about 3 mm thick. Cut circles large enough to line your tartlet tins, then gently press the pastry into each tin, trimming any excess. Prick the bases lightly with a fork and chill again while you heat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C.
Line each pastry case with a small piece of baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Blind bake for 10 minutes until the edges are just turning lightly golden. Remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes so the bases dry out. Set aside to cool slightly.
While the pastry bakes, make the apple filling. Melt vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the chopped apples. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until the apples start to soften around the edges.
Sprinkle in the brown sugar, pour in maple syrup, add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until the apples are tender but still hold their shape and the sauce is bubbling.
Stir the cornflour mixture, then pour it into the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens and turns glossy, coating the apples. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes so it is no longer piping hot.
Spoon the warm apple filling into the baked tartlet shells, packing the apples neatly and dividing the caramel sauce between them. Bake again at 180°C, fan 160°C, for 8 to 10 minutes so everything settles together and the tops take on a little colour. Cool the tartlets on a rack until just warm or room temperature.
For the topping, whip the chilled vegan cream with icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. You want it fluffy and spoonable, not stiff.
Just before serving, pipe or spoon generous swirls of whipped cream on top of each tartlet and finish with a dusting of icing sugar. Serve on pretty plates and enjoy.

Additional Tips:

Keep the vegan butter cold for a flaky pastry. If your kitchen is warm, chill the bowl and flour briefly before starting.
Do not overwork the dough. Bring it together just until it holds, this keeps the crust tender rather than tough.
Choose apples that hold their shape, such as Braeburn or Granny Smith. Mixing two types gives a nice balance of sweet and tart.
Taste the apple mixture before adding the cornflour slurry. Adjust the sweetness or spice so it is exactly how you like it.
Let the tartlet shells cool a little before filling so the pastry stays crisp.
Chill the mixing bowl and beaters before whipping vegan cream. This helps it whip faster and hold soft peaks.
For more vegan baking recipes, vegan dessert recipes and special occasion vegan recipes, explore Plantiful Palate.

Alternative Cooking Methods:

Ready made pastry: use a good quality ready rolled vegan shortcrust pastry to save time. Cut and bake as directed for the tartlet shells.
Single large tart: press the pastry into a 23 cm tart tin and bake as one large tart instead of individual ones. Increase the final bake time by a few minutes until the filling is bubbling.
Air fryer tartlets: bake the blind baked shells and filled tartlets in an air fryer at 170°C, checking a little earlier as they may brown faster.
Caramel sauce finish: drizzle warm vegan caramel sauce over the cream instead of icing sugar for an extra indulgent dessert.

Allergy information / alternatives:

Gluten free: use a gluten free plain flour blend for the pastry or a ready made gluten free vegan pastry. Check all other ingredients are certified gluten free.
Nut free: this recipe is naturally nut free if your vegan butter and cream are nut free. Always check labels.
Soy free: choose soy free vegan butter and whipping cream, and confirm your pastry is soy free.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 420
Protein: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 55 g
Fat: 20 g
Sugar: 29 g
Salt: 0.5 g

Note: The nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used and their proportions.

For more flavour rich vegan recipes, nourishing lacto vegetarian recipes, and warming vegan recipes, explore Plantiful Palate and keep discovering dishes to share.

Mini Caramel Apple Vegan Tartlets FAQs

❓ How do I make vegan apple tartlets that taste like traditional ones

Using a shortcrust style pastry with cold vegan butter and a rich cinnamon apple filling gives these tartlets the same comfort and flavour as classic versions, while keeping the recipe fully plant based.

❓ Can I prepare these mini vegan tarts in advance for a dinner party?

Yes. You can bake the tartlet shells and cook the apple filling a day ahead. Store the shells in an airtight container and the filling in the fridge, then rewarm the apples gently, fill the shells and bake briefly before adding whipped cream.

❓ Which apples work best for vegan dessert recipes like this?

Firm varieties such as Braeburn, Granny Smith or Pink Lady hold their shape during cooking and give a good balance of sweetness and tang in the filling.

❓ Can I freeze leftover vegan apple tartlets?

You can freeze the baked tartlets without the whipped cream for up to one month. Defrost at room temperature and warm gently in the oven before topping with fresh cream.

❓ How can I make these tartlets feel more festive for holidays?

Add a pinch of ground cloves or allspice to the filling and finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon over the cream. Serve alongside other vegan dessert recipes from our collection.

❓ Can I make the tartlets refined sugar free?

You can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar and use extra maple syrup to sweeten. The flavour will be slightly deeper and more caramel like.

❓ What is the best way to store leftover tartlets?

Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. For the best texture, add whipped cream just before serving or refresh them briefly in the oven if already topped.

If you’re looking for more vegan recipes or lacto vegetarian recipes like this one, visit Plantiful Palate’s full recipe library.

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