This five Ingredient Apple and White Cheddar Tart recipe is the perfect easy holiday season appetizer! Full of fresh crisp apples, savory white cheddar, and buttery puff pastry, this appetizer will delight your family and friends.
Recipe Inspiration
With only five ingredients, this apple and white cheddar tart recipe is perfect for anyone looking for a quick and simple appetizer to make! This recipe uses flaky puff pastry, which saves time and is always delicious!
Your friends and family will love this sweet and savory snack and I bet it won’t take long for this to disappear!
If you are looking for more appetizer recipes, check out our: Roasted Tomatoes and Burrata, Pear, Prosciutto, and Gorgonzola Pizza, or Sausage Bruschetta.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Delicious - The buttery puff pastry pairs perfectly with the sweet apples and salty cheddar. Give this tart a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of fresh thyme and you’ve got great flavor in every bite.
- Easy - Using frozen puff pastry from the grocery store really makes this appetizer so quick and simple. All you have to do is unroll the pastry, top with the cheddar and apples and then pop it in the oven. Easy!
- Beautiful- You can get creative with how you lay the apples out and it can really end up looking like a piece of art. Once the honey is drizzled and the thyme is sprinkled, it will wow your guests!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for this simple appetizer:
- Puff pastry: Use a thawed sheet of frozen puff pastry.
- Cheese: A good quality white cheddar cheese is going to be the best for this recipe.
- Apples: Use one apple thinly sliced sweet apple, like Gala or Honeycrisp.
- Honey: You will want to use a good, high quality honey. You will only need about one teaspoon.
- Thyme: Use fresh thyme.
Directions
Let's make this apple cheddar tart together!
Recipe Video
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the puff pastry dough on the lined baking sheet.
Step 2
Sprinkle the white cheddar on top of the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around the edge.
Step 3
Place sliced apples on top of the cheddar. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is browned.
Step 4
Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with thyme, slice, and serve.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Here are some expert tips to make this recipe:
- Grate your own cheese - Buy a block of white cheddar cheese and grate it using the large holes of a box grater. Grating your own means the cheese will melt and taste better!
- Plan ahead - You will want the puff pastry to be thawed, so take it out of the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Be creative - Slice the apples nice and thin and lay them out in a decorative manner. They can be overlapped slightly and arranged however you please!
Kitchen Equipment
Here is some kitchen equipment you will need for this holiday appetizer. You can find all of these products on Amazon.
- Baking sheet - Use a good quality sheet pan for even cooking!
- Parchment paper - I love these pre-cut sheets of parchment paper.
- Honey Dipper - I love using a honey dipper to evenly drizzle honey on this tart.
Recipe Substitutions/Variations
Here are some common recipe substitutions and variations for this easy recipe.
- Salt - Sprinkle with coarse flake salt after the tart comes out of the oven to enhance the flavors even more.
- Cheese - You could use sharp or extra sharp yellow cheddar in place of the white.
- Apple - You can use a multiple apple varieties to add flavor and dimension to this tart.
What To Serve With
Here are some recipes to serve alongside this delicious appetizer:
Frequently Asked Questions
For best results, you will want to use a sweet and crisp apple for this recipe. My favorites for this would be Gala, Honeycrisp or Braeburn.
Yes. You could substitute the white cheddar for yellow cheddar. You could also try this with Gruyere or Gouda for a similar look and a slightly different taste.
Store-bought puff pastry is a buttery dough that, when baked, becomes light and flaky. It can be found in the frozen food section of your grocery store and can be used for both sweet and savory recipes.
Recipe Storage and Reheating
Here are storage and reheating instructions for this recipe:
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container, or covered in plastic wrap, and eat leftovers within 4-5 days. Reheat according to instructions below or serve at room temperature.
- Freezer Storage: Freeze in a freezer-safe, airtight container and keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as instructed below or serve at room temperature.
- Reheating Instructions: Heat on a microwave safe plate, covered with a napkin, until heated through. You may also reheat in a preheated oven until warm.
Other Recipes to Try
5 Ingredient Apple and White Cheddar Tart
Ingredients
- 1 apple sliced
- 3 oz white cheddar shredded
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- Honey for serving
- Fresh thyme for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Roll the thawed puff pastry on a lined baking sheet. Spread white cheddar around puff pastry, leaving a 1in border on all sides.
- Place apples over cheddar. Cook pastry for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is browned.
- Drizzle with honey and garnish with fresh thyme.
Video
Notes
- Grate your own cheese - Buy a block of white cheddar cheese and grate it using the large holes of a box grater. Grating your own means the cheese will melt and taste better!
- Plan ahead - You will want the puff pastry to be thawed, so take it out of the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Be creative - Slice the apples nice and thin and lay them out in a decorative manner. They can be overlapped slightly and arranged however you please!
Chef Dennis says
Yum! I am so excited to let my wife taste this Apple and White Cheddar Tart! She will totally love this.
Tasting With Tina says
She will definitely love it! Enjoy!
Lucy says
What apples would you suggest? Want to make this for a dinner party soon.
Christina Musgrave says
Gala apples work great! But this is really great with any sweet apple.
Jennifer says
We loved these!
Christina Musgrave says
They're so great for entertaining!
Liz says
How much honey do you use for drizzling after it bakes?
Christina Musgrave says
Just a small drizzle, about a teaspoon!
Eileen says
Very yummy. Will definitely make this again.
Christina Musgrave says
Thanks Eileen! Happy you enjoyed 🙂
august says
sounds delicious but i have a question! if i put a second layer of puff pastry on top of the filling, would that affect the bake time/oven temperature? thanks! 🙂
Christina Musgrave says
I haven't tested it this way - but I'd bake according to the recipe and then if the puff pastry is not golden brown, bake for 5 extra minutes or until it's golden brown.
Karina says
Should this be served warm or at room temperature?
Christina Musgrave says
Hi Karina! You can serve either warm out of the oven or at room temperature. It's delicious either way!
Karina says
Thank you for the clarification and quick reply! Making it for a girls night tonight. 🙂
Christina Musgrave says
Hope it was a great girls night!
Christy Tharrington says
We loved this recipe! Made it exactly as it was printed. Very easy and quick fancy breakfast. Thank you.
Christina Musgrave says
Thanks Christy! So happy you enjoyed!
Princess says
Would cream cheese or goat cheese work to replace cheddar?
Christina Musgrave says
Yes, absolutely!
Bonnie says
Made this with sliced fresh peach. After putting honey on it I drizzled balsamic reduction on and then sprinkled some course salt. So yummy
Kate says
The recipe doesn't mention tossing the apple slices in lemon juice to prevent browning - did you use anything? Or is it just a given to use a little lemon?
Thanks!
Christina Musgrave says
Hi Kate, I usually don't use apple juice and find it doesn't brown - but you can definitely add it just in case!
Kathleen Maas-Stokes says
Thanks!
Phoebe Myers says
This was a beautiful fall addition to our breakfast buffet at our Little Inn on Cape Cod. It was a big hit with our guests, and we'll definitely be adding it to our regular rotation!
Christina Musgrave says
Thank you so much, Phoebe! I'm so happy this was a big hit with your guests. I just made these again for my birthday party a few weeks ago and they were gone in just a few minutes! Thanks so much for making our recipe.
Tena Backer Bunch says
My grandmother always had sharp cheddar cheese with apple pie and it is one of my lasting flavor memories. Have made this tart more than once and enjoy it each time. Have used thyme and rosemary what ever is in the garden at the time. Have made it with store bought and home made puff pastry. For large gatherings home made worked because it was a larger sheet. Thanks for the recipe.
Christina Musgrave says
Thanks so much for the kind review, Tena!