Apples and blackberries combined are like marrying summer and fall – magical! This Apple Blackberry tart is made with a simple whole wheat crust, filled with juicy apples and blackberries, and topped with streusel.

Apple and blackberry tart on a large white plate cut into slices.

What apples should I bake with?

Honestly there are so many types of apples at this point that I’m just going to tell you my top two but you can use almost any apples (maybe stay away from gala or red delicious though). My favorites are honey crisp and pink lady apples – I think they’re the perfect combo of sweet and tart and they hold up when baked so you don’t end up with a mushy watery filling.

What can I use instead of blackberries?

Ok, so I’ve only tested blackberries for this tart but you can use fresh or frozen. However, if blackberries aren’t your thing, I’d go for cranberries, black currants, or even raspberries; ideally something with a semi tart but deep flavor to balance out the apples.

Is it better to cook apples before making pie?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question, only the right answer for each recipe and in this case, I recommend cooking the apples first. I tested this recipe over 6 times and sometimes I precooked the apples and sometimes I didn’t. The benefit to precooking the apples here is that it helps release some of the juices and thicken them ahead of time which helps the tart hold together when cut but it also makes the surface look much prettier.

Tart Pan alternatives?

Ideally for this recipe, you want to use a removable base tart pan. A standard tart pan is about 9″ or 10″ and this will give you the best looking tart. That being said, I believe you could also use a parchment lined springform pan – the edges will just be a bit more informal.

Additional Recipes to try:

Tips for making Apple Blackberry Tart

Don’t skip any of the steps or ingredients!!! I’m literally the first person to admit that I change so many things when I’m baking and cooking but truly I tested this one so many times and each ingredient is there for a reason.
The butter for the crust should ideally be softer than room temperature, even slightly melted, but not fully melted. If it’s too melted the crust will be sticky and hard to press into the form. If this is the case, put it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes and then keep going.
When pressing the tart crust into the pan, be sure to really press into the corners where the sides meet the bottom of the pan. Otherwise it can be easy to end up with really thick pastry in the corners which may not bake fully or just isn’t that pleasant to try and break through with a fork.
Sometimes I don’t feel like peeling apples and technically you don’t HAVE too but I would recommend it in this recipe. You really want the filling to have a little texture but be mostly soft in comparison with the tart shell and streusel.
Fresh or frozen blackberries will work! But if you’re fresh blackberries are wildly long, I would recommend chopping em in half first so that the size matches everything else.
Don’t stress if your pan is 8″ instead of 9″ or 10″ all it means is that you’ll have a little extra streusel for the top!

Ingredients

Crust

Butter: Unsalted butter is used for the crust. It can be cold or room temperature because it will be microwaved, or heated briefly anyway.
Fine Sea Salt: I use fine sea salt when baking. You really want the salt in this recipe to enhance all of the flavors so I recommend measuring it out.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste is essential for the overall flavor of the crust. I’ve been obsessed with vanilla bean paste lately but it is on the pricier side.
Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweeten the crust.
All Purpose Flour & Whole Wheat Flour: A combo of whole wheat and all purpose flour is used in this crust to give it a bit more flavor and depth but you can use only all purpose flour if needed.

Apple Blackberry Filling

Honey Crisp Apples: Ideally honey crisp or pink lady apples should be used for this recipe or you can do a combo of two!
Lemon juice: the juice of one and a half lemons (use the other half for your water or avo toast) brightens both fruits but also adds a little necessary moisture to get the apples cooking.
Granulated Sugar: Sugar is used alongside corn starch to thicken and sweeten the filling.
Corn Starch: or arrow root starch is key for thickening the juices released by the apples and blackberries.
Blackberries: Fresh or frozen blackberries will both work!

Additionals

Bread Crumbs: This is an old German trick used in many apple recipes to help absorb the extra apple juices! Just be sure you aren’t using seasoned bread crumbs. (you can also make your own with dried out bread ends!)
Turbinado sugar: Turbinado sugar adds a little extra texture and sweetness to the top of the tart along with the streusel! Demerara sugar will work as a substitute!

A slice of apple blackberry tart on a ceramic plate drizzled with a vanilla custard.

How to make Apple Blackberry Tart

Apple & Blackberry Filling

Peel and core the apples.
Chop into 1/2″ chunks and add into a medium pot along with the juice of one and a half lemons. Stir to combine.
In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the pot with the apples and stir again.
Place the pan over low heat and stir frequently while the juices begin to thicken. Cook just until thick – it should look almost a little gloopy.
Remove from the heat and pour in the blackberries. Stir for about 2 minutes to combine and allow the blackberries to start to break down a little.
Pour into a large shallow bowl to let it cool down while you prepare the crust.

Step by step process of how to cook the apple and blackberry tart.

Make the crust

Cut the butter into 1″ cubes and add to a heat and microwave safe bowl. Heat briefly in 15 second intervals until the butter has just started to melt but isn’t fully melted.
Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt into the bowl with the butter and stir to combine.
Pour in both flours and use a fork to cut the butter into the flour. Mix until just combined.
Pour about 320 grams of the crust (adjust as needed for the size of your pan) into the tart pan. Press the crust into the sides of the pan and across the bottom with your fingers. Use your thumb or your pointer finger to really press it into the bottom corner so that you don’t get a super thick pastry corner.
The crust should be just thick enough that you can’t see the pan poking through.
Place the tart in the fridge to chill for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350º F and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Step by step process showing how to make a tart crust.

Assemble & bake

Sprinkle the bread crumbs across the bottom of the chilled tart.
Carefully pour the cooled apple and blackberry filling into the crust.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining crust dough so that you create streusel on top.
Optionally sprinkle with a few tablespoons of turbinado sugar.
Place the assembled tart on a baking sheet.
Then place the baking sheet with the tart into the preheated oven.
Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake for another 20-30 minutes until the streusel is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling.
Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool until it is room temperature. Then, move it to the fridge and allow it to set for at least an hour.
To remove it from the tart pan, place the pan on top of a small bowl or jar. Wiggle the pan edge away from the crust to carefully pop it off and let it come down from the tart.
You may need to loosen the pan edge from the bottom with a dinner knife if there was any butter that leaked and hardened. Do this by running the knife in between the bottom of the pan and the edge piece (this is underneath the tart).
Once the edge is removed, slice the tart as desired and top with vanilla ice cream or Vanille soße.

Process of assembling an apple and blackberry tart with streusel.

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