Some recipes smell like autumn even before you put them in the oven. 🍎🍂
Apple, cinnamon, butter, almond… and a kitchen that suddenly starts to smell as if it were mandatory to put on a blanket and make a coffee.
Today we are going to prepare an apple and cinnamon tart without added sugars, with a crispy base, a juicy apple filling and a generous layer of almond crumble.
And, of course, we’re going to continue experimenting with our star ingredient:
This time we will use it both in the base and in the filling and in the crumble.
But there is something important we need to know before we begin: isomalt does not behave exactly the same as sugar during baking.
It’s less sweet and doesn’t give the same golden color.
So don’t wait until your pie turns brown to decide if it’s done, because by then you’ll probably have a nice little apple rock. 😂
Let’s look at the texture.
And now, yes…
Into the oven!
Apple and cinnamon tart with almond and isomalt crumble
Recipe sheet
- Preparation: 35 minutes
- Cooking time: 45–50 minutes
- Dough resting time: 30 minutes
- Resting time after baking: 45–60 minutes
- Total time: approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Servings: 10 portions
- Recommended mold: 22–24 cm in diameter
- Oven temperature: 180 ºC, top and bottom heat
- Difficulty: medium-easy
- Recipe type: baked tart
- Added sugars: no
- Storage: 3–4 days in the refrigerator
Baking times
The cooking process is divided into two parts:
- Pre-cooking of the base: approximately 15–16 minutes.
- Baking time for the assembled cake: 30–35 minutes.
The time may vary slightly depending on the oven and the type of mold used.
Ingredients
For the base
- 180 g of wheat flour
- 90g of cold butter, cut into cubes
- 35 g of isomalt
- 1 egg yolk
- 25–30 g of very cold water
- 1 pinch of salt
For the apple and cinnamon filling
- 750g of peeled and cored apple
- 30g of butter
- 55 g of isomalt
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 12 g of cornstarch
Which apples to use?
I like to combine a slightly acidic apple with a sweeter one.
For example:
Granny Smith + Golden.
The Granny Smith maintains its texture quite well and provides acidity, while the Golden provides a naturally sweeter flavor.
But you can use whatever variety you have at home.
For the almond crumble
- 80g of almond flour
- 50g of wheat flour
- 50g of oat flakes
- 55g of cold butter
- 45 g of isomalt
- 30g of flaked almonds
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt
How to prepare the cake step by step
1. We start from the base
Put in a bowl:
- the flour,
- isomalt,
- and salt.
Add the cold butter, cut into cubes.
Work it with your fingertips until you get a texture similar to coarse crumbs.
We don’t want to melt the butter with our hands.
Add the egg yolk and start mixing.
Then gradually add very cold water until the dough comes together.
You may not need to use all of it.
Important
Don’t knead it as if you were making bread.
As soon as you can form a ball, stop.
Wrap the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
2. We roll out the dough
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out between two sheets of baking paper.
It should be approximately 3–4 mm thick.
Place it on a 22–24 cm mold and adjust the sides well.
Remove the excess.
Lightly pierce the base with a fork.
Put it back in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180ºC.
3. We pre-cook the base
Place parchment paper on top of the dough and add baking weights.
You can use:
- ceramic balls;
- dried chickpeas;
- rice.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove the paper and weight and bake for another 3–4 minutes.
We don’t need it to be fully cooked.
We just want it to start taking shape so that the apple juice doesn’t make it too wet later.
Booking.
4. We prepare the apples
Peel the apples, remove the core and cut them into slices or small wedges.
Try to make them a similar thickness so they cook evenly.
Put the butter in a large frying pan and add the apples.
Cook for approximately 4–5 minutes over medium heat.
Now includes:
- isomalt;
- cinnamon;
- vanilla;
- and lemon juice.
Stir and cook for another 3–4 minutes.
We don’t want to turn the apple into compote.
It should start to soften, but still maintain its shape.
5. We slightly thicken the filling
The apples will release liquid during cooking.
And we want a juicy cake…
But not an apple-shaped pool. 😜
Dissolve 12g of cornstarch in a tablespoon of cold water.
Add it to the apples and cook for approximately 1 minute, stirring.
The liquid will thicken slightly.
Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly while we prepare the crumble.
6. We prepare the crumble
In a bowl mix:
- almond flour;
- wheat flour;
- oatmeal;
- isomalt;
- cinnamon;
- and salt.
Add the cold butter cut into small cubes.
Work with your fingers until you get irregular crumbs.
Here we specifically want to have pieces of different sizes.
Finally, add the flaked almonds and mix gently.
Don’t tighten too much.
We want crumble, not a second tart base.
7. We assemble the cake
Spread the apple filling over the pre-cooked base.
Spread it evenly.
Now cover the entire surface with the crumble.
There’s no need to crush it.
Drop it unevenly onto the apples.
This will give us small, crispier areas after baking.
8. Baked
Bake at 180°C for approximately 30–35 minutes.
How do we know it’s ready?
Look for these signs:
- The filling should bubble slightly around some edges;
- The crumble should feel dry and crunchy;
- The almonds should start to toast;
- and the edges of the dough should be cooked.
Don’t expect a very dark crumble.
Isomalt does not provide exactly the same browning as sugar.
And this detail is important.
If you wait until the crumble has an intensely caramelized color, you’ll probably end up overbaking the tart.
9. Now comes the difficult part
Take it out of the oven.
Look at her.
The kitchen smells.
And don’t cut it yet. 😂
Let it rest for at least 45–60 minutes.
During that time the filling will settle and we will be able to get much nicer portions.
If we cut it straight from the oven, the filling will be too runny.
What should it look like?
We are looking for three completely different textures:
The base
Thin and crispy.
The interior
Juicy, aromatic, and with still recognizable pieces of apple.
The crumble
Dry, crunchy and with small pieces of toasted almond.
When you put in the spoon or fork, you have to find all three things at the same time.
And that’s the beauty of this cake. 🍎
What does isomalt bring to this recipe?
This recipe is especially interesting because we use isomalt in three different preparations:
in a dough, in a cooked fruit, and in a crumble.
And in each one it fulfills a slightly different function.
It adds volume and sweetness, but we must always remember one thing:
Isomalt is less sweet than sugar.
That’s why we’re not looking for an extremely sweet cake.
The apple itself provides naturally occurring sugars and plenty of sweetness.
The result is a cake in which we can appreciate much better:
- the apple;
- cinnamon;
- butter;
- the almond;
- and vanilla.
Why don’t we “caramelize” the apple?
I’m sure you’ve seen many recipes that mention caramelized apples.
In our recipe I prefer to talk about sautéed apple.
Because?
Because we are working with isomalt and its thermal behavior is not identical to that of sucrose.
Our goal here is not to get a brown candy around the apple.
We want to cook it gently, concentrate the flavor, and achieve a juicy filling.
Do you want a sweeter cake?
You can slightly increase the sweetness by using a small amount of a strong sweetener suitable for cooking and baking.
What I don’t recommend is adding a lot more isomalt just to get more sweetness.
Because?
Because we would also be modifying:
- the proportion of solids;
- the texture;
- and the total amount of polyols in the recipe.
Possible substitutions
| Ingredient | You can replace it with | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Granny Smith Apple | Pippin | More aroma and acidity |
| Golden Apple | Gala or Fuji | The filling is a little sweeter |
| Sliced almonds | Chopped hazelnuts | More intense and autumnal flavor |
| Almond flour | Ground almonds | Practically the same |
| Oat flakes | More almond flour | Less rustic crumble |
| Vanilla | Ginger | Spicier profile |
| Cinnamon | A blend of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg | An even more autumnal flavor |
| Butter | Lactose-free butter | Very similar result |
An even more autumnal version 🍂
If you want to turn this recipe into a true autumn feast, try adding the following to the filling:
- ½ teaspoon of ground ginger;
- a small pinch of nutmeg;
- and 30g of roasted walnuts or hazelnuts.
Apple + cinnamon + nuts + spices.
It’s unlikely anything bad will come of that. 😏
And some raisins?
You can add approximately 30–40g of raisins to the filling.
But keep in mind that raisins contain a considerable concentration of naturally occurring sugars.
The recipe could still contain no added sugars, but the total amount of sugars would be higher.
Approximate nutritional information
The following values have been calculated for a cake divided into 10 portions.
These are indicative values, as they may vary depending on the variety of apple, butter, flour and other ingredients used.
| Nutritional value | Per serving approx. |
|---|---|
| Energy value | 368 kcal / 1,540 kJ |
| Fats | 20.9 g |
| of which saturated | 9.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48.4 g |
| of which sugars | 8.5 g |
| Polyols from isomalt | approx. 13.5 g |
| Fiber | 4.2 g |
| Proteins | 6.2 g |
| Salt | approx. 0.2 g |
Why are sugars listed if the recipe doesn’t contain added sugar?
Because “no added sugars” does not mean “no sugars”.
Apples contain naturally occurring sugars.
Therefore, the most appropriate way to present this recipe is:
Apple pie with no added sugar and isomalt.
Is it a low-calorie cake?
Not necessarily.
And this is important.
Even without adding conventional sugar, we have:
- butter;
- almond;
- oatmeal;
- flour;
- and nuts.
They all contribute energy.
The purpose of this recipe is not to make a “light” cake, but to explore how we can replace added sugar with isomalt and obtain a good texture.
How to preserve the cake
In refrigerator
Once completely cool, cover it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator for approximately 3–4 days.
To eat it you can have it cold or leave it at room temperature for a few minutes.
How to get the crumble crispy again?
After being refrigerated, the crumble may lose some texture due to the moisture from the filling.
You can heat a portion for a few minutes at 160ºC in an oven or air fryer.
It will be much crispier again.
And the house will smell of apple and cinnamon again.
All advantages. 😜
Can it be frozen?
Yeah.
I recommend freezing it already cut into portions.
When you want to eat it, defrost it slowly in the refrigerator and then heat it for a few minutes in the oven.
The microwave works to heat it up, but the crumble will be softer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it without pre-cooking the base?
You could, but it’s not what I recommend.
The apple contains quite a bit of water and could leave the bottom too wet.
The short pre-cooking helps us achieve a crispier base.
Can I put the raw apple directly on the base?
Yes, there are cakes that are prepared this way, but for this recipe I prefer to cook it lightly first.
It allows us to have better control:
- the amount of liquid;
- the texture;
- and the distribution of isomalt and spices.
Can I use only one variety of apple?
Of course.
Combining two varieties simply allows us to achieve a more complex flavor.
If you’re using only one, try to choose an apple that can withstand cooking relatively well.
Do I have to crush the isomalt?
Not necessarily.
You can use it in grain form.
For the base and the crumble, if you have a particularly coarse grain isomalt, you can lightly crush it for a few seconds to distribute it more evenly.
You don’t need to turn it into powder.
Why is my crumble light in color even though the tart is already baked?
Because isomalt doesn’t brown the same as sugar.
Do not use color as your sole reference.
Check that the crumble is dry, the almonds are lightly toasted, and the filling is bubbling.
Can I make just the apple crumble without the crust?
Yeah.
And in fact, it’s a much faster version.
Place the apple filling in an ovenproof dish, cover with the crumble and bake until crispy.
You’ll have an apple and almond crumble with isomalt.
Can I prepare the cake the day before?
Yeah.
But if you’re looking for the maximum contrast between the juicy apple and the crunchy crumble, it’s best eaten the same day.
You can prepare separately:
- the mass;
- the filling;
- and the crumble
the day before and assemble and bake the cake the next day.
Can I serve it hot?
Yes, but I would wait for it to rest and settle first.
Then you can gently heat each portion.
It’s especially good when it’s warm.
What can I pair it with?
You can serve it on its own, it already has plenty of personality.
But it also combines very well with:
- natural Greek yogurt;
- vanilla cream with no added sugar;
- vanilla ice cream with no added sugar;
- or just a little cinnamon.
A recipe that tastes like autumn
There are flavors that automatically change our seasons.
Apples and cinnamon are two of them.
But the interesting thing about this recipe is not just that it tastes good.
It also allows us to continue discovering how isomalt works outside the world of lollipops and candy.
This time we’ve used it inside a dough, with cooked fruit, and in a crumble.
Three completely different applications within the same recipe.
And that’s precisely what’s fun about experimenting.
So now there’s only one important question left:
Would you eat this cake cold… or warm, fresh out of the oven with something creamy on top? 🍎🍂
If you make it, let me know how it turns out and share it with that person who starts putting cinnamon on absolutely everything as soon as October arrives. 😂
And if you’re still craving more, we’ve already told you which paper to choose—rice paper, wafer paper, or sugar paper — how to properly store isomalt lollipops, and whether isomalt contains gluten. And if you prefer something to eat with a spoon, try the pistachio cheesecake in a glass, the lemon panna cotta, the strawberry petit suisse, or the yogurt and red berry popsicles.
And keep an eye on the blog, because we still have many ways to experiment with isomalt.
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