Can You Freeze Tarte Tatin?

How to Freeze Tarte Tatin

Luckily once you have made your Tarte Tatin it’s fairly easy to freeze. It’s even recommended that you make it at least a day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge before cooking to allow the caramelised fruit to fully develop its flavour.

Most types of fruit can be frozen well but check if you are using something a little different as not all fruits freeze as well as others:

How to Freeze Unbaked Tarte Tatin

To freeze we would recommend that you freeze your Tarte Tatin after you have made it but before cooking it. This ensures you get the best results possible.

To do this follow this method:

1. Assemble
   Make your caramelised fruit and your pastry base. Assemble and make sure your fruit is fully cooled before freezing. When you assemble it make sure you use a baking tin that is suitable to put into the freezer because you will need to freeze it while it is still in the tin.
2. Wrap
   Get some cling film and wrap the whole thing, both dessert and baking tin, in two to three layers of cling film. You want the Tarte Tatin to be well protected from the air while it is in the freezer so once you have wrapped it pop an extra layer of tin foil around it too.
3. Label
   Label with the date and contents so you don’t forget what you have put into the freezer and when it needs using by.
4. Freeze
   Put the Tarte Tatin in the freezer. Make sure you keep it flat and at the top of the freezer until it is frozen. You are in danger of squashing or damaging it if it gets crushed by other food in the freezer.

Truth be told, this isn’t an authentic Tarte Tatin that involves baking the whole tart in the tin with the pastry draped over the top. Unfortunately, this will not work for freezing if you plan on freezing it uncooked. 

Instead, you’ll have to caramelise the apples before adding the pastry. 

How to Freeze Leftoever Tarte Tatin

Whilst it won’t taste quite as good as freshly baked Tarte Tatin, if you have leftovers then you can freeze these too.

1. Prtion and Wrap
   Divide your Tarte Tatin into portions and wrap each one individually in two layers of cling film.
2. Freeze Once
   Pop the slices of wrapped Tarte Tatin onto a flat baking tray and put this into the freezer to freeze for a few hours.
3. Bag Up
   Once the Tarte Tatin has frozen then you can remove them from the freezer and baking tray. Pop them into a large freezer bag or container and seal it tightly.
4. Freeze Again
   Label with the date and contents and put the Tarte Tatin back into the freezer until you need a slice of this delicious dessert.

How to Freeze Pear Tarte Tatin

Pear Tarte Tatin is a delicious alternative to a traditional apple tarte Tatin and the great news is that you can freeze this too! You can follow the same method outlined above with no changes at all.

How to Freeze Banana Tarte Tatin

Banana Tarte Tatin is a little trickier to freeze than other types of Tarte Tatin. This is because banana doesn’t freeze as well and can go mushy or even brown in the freezer. We would recommend you avoid this if possible.

However, if you really need to freeze it you can give it a go using the same method outlined in this article.

3 Tips for Freezing Tarte Tatin

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing Tarte Tatin to have the best results:

• Wrap Tightly – When you freeze any type of Tarte Tatin the secret to a delicious dessert is to keep it as protected from the air and other produce in the freezer as much as you can. To do this you can layer up the cling film and make sure that no part of the pastry is exposed to the air. Tinfoil can also help so add a layer of this too.
• Allow Flavours to Develop – This is one food that might be worth leaving for a little while before freezing. The caramelised apple can take a few hours to fully develop in flavour so pop your Tarte Tatin into the fridge for a day before freezing.
• Try Not to Freeze Leftovers – Leftover Tatin doesn’t freeze quite as well. You can freeze it but it won’t taste as good. So, where possible we would recommend that you don’t freeze it and pop it into the fridge instead. You should be able to eat it in a day or two and it will be much tastier. If you plan to do this make sure you either put the Tarte Tatin into a container you can seal tight or wrap it well in cling film. It will need protection from the air in the fridge too.

How Long Can You Freeze Tarte Tatin?

Tarte Tatin isn’t something that freezes well for too long. You should aim to use your Tarte Tatin within a week or two of freezing. This is perfect for making your dessert ahead of time if you have a dinner or special event planned but not quite so good as something to keep in the freezer for the future.

You Can Freeze Tarte Tatin for up to 2 Weeks

How Do You Defrost Tarte Tatin?

To defrost your unbaked Tarte Tatin you can either take it out of the freezer and pop it into the fridge to thaw out or if you need it a little quicker, then pop it onto the kitchen side to thaw out.

After this, you can bake your Tarte Tatin as usual and it will be just as delicious as if you had made it freshly.

You can defrost leftover Tarte Tatin using the same method. You can eat your Tarte Tatin either hot or cold so reheat in the oven or enjoy it as it is. We would recommend that you heat it up if possible because this will help crisp up the dessert again if your pastry has gone a little soggy while in the freezer.

Can You Refreeze Tarte Tatin?

No, you shouldn’t refreeze any type of Tarte Tatin. Whilst it shouldn’t cause you too many problems from a safety point of view it will deteriorate the quality and not taste as good.

When freezing and thawing food multiple times there is always a danger of bacteria growth too so be careful when refreezing any type of food.

Does Tarte Tatin Freeze Well?

Unbaked Tarte Tatin does freeze very well. You shouldn’t notice any difference at all between fresh and frozen Tarte Tatin by the time you have baked it. If you choose to freeze leftovers that have already been baked then you will notice some difference in both texture and taste.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing Tarte Tatin or tarts in general, then these may help:

Can You Make Tarte Tatin In Advance?

Although delicious when served direct from the oven, it actually helps if you make Tarte Tatin a day in advance as it allows the apples to gel together as pectin is released. When you want to serve it, reheat it for 15 to 20 minutes. 

How Should You Store Tarte Tatin?

Ultimately, Tarte Tatin does not store well. Instead, it is at its most delicious served straight from the oven warm. You can keep it in the fridge for a few hours which can let the flavours develop but, where possible, we would each Tarte Tatin sooner rather than later.