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A buttery, flakey crust cradles sweet Honeycrisp apples with irresistible streusel topping in these sourdough discard apple tartlets. While apple pie is a classic dessert, these tartlets are perfect as appetizers or individual sized desserts.

Make holiday hosting simple and offer delicious food to your guests with this homemade recipe.

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Quick Tips for Holiday Hosting

Maybe you’re making this recipe for an after-school snack for your kiddos. Or, you might be looking for a recipe that will be easy to set out on Thanksgiving or Christmas day for a full house.

Either way, I love that these sourdough discard apple tartlets are the perfect individual serving size. They are easy to pick up and eat for little hands. However, they can also be dressed up with additional toppings for added flavor combinations.

If you’re planning to serve these tartlets for holiday hosting, here are some quick tips.

• There’s nothing better than warm apple filling. Keep these warm with a warming mat so no matter when guests grab one, they are perfectly gooey.
• Make your dough the day before. I promise, it lessens the stress and time crunch for this recipe.
• Create a topping buffet where guests can create their own additions.
  • Caramel
  • Nuts
  • Mini chocolate chips
  • Chocolate syrup
  • Whipped cream
• Make double the amount of guests that are attending. One tartlet may entice a second delectable later in the evening.

Sourdough Discard Pie Crust

*If you aren’t up for homemade pie crust, or your not a sourdough fan, feel free to substitute this portion of the recipe with refrigerated or your own homemade pie crust recipe.

• 200 g cold, unfed sourdough discard
• 2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
• 1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. fine kosher salt
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 c. cold unsalted butter, cubed

As you are making the crust, keep all ingredients as cold as possible. This will make it easier to work with.

Combine your sourdough discard and vinegar until smooth. Place in the fridge until you’re ready to use.

Next, whisk together flour, salt and sugar. Add butter chunks with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture is combined to pea size chunks.

Use a fork to combine wet and dry ingredients until your dough forms a shaggy dough. Chunks of butter should be visible; don’t over mix.

Gather your dough into two balls, without kneading. You just want to pull it together into a ball without working the dough.

Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to 24.

I find it’s easiest to work with when refrigerated overnight.

Forming two balls allows you to keep one cold as you roll out and cut the other one in the next steps. It is easiest to work with when very cold.

Apple Tartlet Ingredients

Apple Tartlet Filling

• 3 medium Honeycrisp apples, peeled and cubed (The day I took these photos I was running short on time, so I didn’t peel my apples! You can leave the peel if desired, but I prefer it without for a smoother texture.)
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch

Streusel Topping

• 1/2 c. Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 4 Tbs. butter, softened
• 1/4 c. Flour
• Dash of salt

How to Make Sourdough Discard Apple Tartlets

When you are ready to assemble and bake your apple tartlets, it’s time to make the filling.

Add all filling ingredients, except the cornstarch, to a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Test for apple softness and cook another 2-3 minutes if they haven’t softened to your liking.

Next, mix your cornstarch with 3 tbs. of water until dissolved. Then add this slurry to your apple mixture, stir, and cook another 5 minutes on low heat. Once thickened, set aside to cool.

While your filling is cooling, make your streusel. Combine all streusel ingredients in a small bowl. Blend with a fork until a crumble forms.

Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin and preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Once your dough has set up well in the fridge, flour a work surface and roll out the first ball of dough to 1/4″ thickness. Leave the second ball in the fridge to remain cold.

Use a round cookie cutter, cup, or bowl about 1″ larger in diameter than your muffin tin openings.

Cut 6 rounds from each clump of dough and place inside the muffin tins. Form the dough edges to your liking, keeping the dough level with the top of the tin, but not overflowing onto it.

Next, using a small spoon, add apple filling to each tartlet. Make sure to leave room for your streusel.

Finally, top each tartlet evenly with streusel. You can mound this slightly as it will cook down as the filling softens.

Bake at 350 Fahrenheit (180 C) for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Let cool in the muffin tin at least 15 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Best served warm, but room temp works too.

Recipe Notes & Substitutions

A true tartlet doesn’t have a crumb topping. However, what is dessert without streusel? If you want to omit the streusel, simply mound your apple filling a little higher in each muffin tin.

Here are some optional additional toppings:

• drizzle caramel for caramel apple tartlets
• drizzle caramel and flakey sea salt for salted caramel apple tartlets
• top with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in the last 2-3 minutes of baking for a simple twist

More Apple Recipes

If you’re a lover of apple recipes, make sure to check out these delicious recipes next.

And if you’re looking for more holiday hosting ideas, including decor, check out this post!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today!

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~ Sarah