French Vs American Apple Pie: What's The Difference?

Apple pie is the epitome of American desserts. Unless, of course, it's a French apple pie. France is known for delectable desserts and sweets like macarons and eclairs, and a classic French apple pie, also known as a tarte Tatin, is just as decadent. But what sets it apart from its American counterpart? If you don't know what the difference is, you aren't alone.

Like Costco's Kirkland vodka, the French and American versions of this baked treat are the same, but different. Ultimately, they are both types of apple pie, but the difference lies in their structure. A traditional American apple pie starts with a buttery, flaky pie crust filled with a mixture of sweet and tart apples and spices. The top can be left exposed or covered with another layer of pie crust that can be a decorative expression of the baker's creativity.

A tarte Tatin, on the other hand, is generally prepared as an upside-down treat with no crust on the bottom. It only has crust on top. Once baked and cooled, it's flipped over so the caramelized apples inside are the star of the show. And unlike an American apple pie that features a delicate blend of spiced apples, a tarte Tatin doesn't rely on a spice profile to complement the apples. Instead, it lets the flavor of the apple filling, which is a combination of apples, butter, and sugar, and the rich caramel sauce that develops while it bakes, do all the talking.

The French apple pie, or tarte Tatin, is rumored to have been born from a mistake when a French baker accidentally burned the apples she was baking. She famously topped them with a flaky crust to hide the damage, and the rest, as they say, is history. American apple pie, on the other hand, didn't actually originate in America. It was created in a roundabout way, being adopted from multiple origins, including England and the Netherlands. Even the spice profile of American apple pie isn't uniquely American — we have European trade routes to thank for that. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves that make apple pie such a fall-favorite are all spices that were originally imported to the United States by way of Europe.

While the flavor profile of the pies is slightly different, they both rely on delicious apples, quality ingredients, and classic baking techniques to achieve a pie that is the perfect combination of comfort and decadence. And you have plenty of room for creativity as well. From baking your own pie crust from scratch to giving a store-bought crust a much-needed upgrade to making a Dutch version of apple pie with a delicate crumb topping, the recipes are strong enough to stand on their own. But they can also easily be matched with other ingredients like raisins and rhubarb. As long as you know how to cut apples and bake a pie crust, you can pull off this iconic dessert — and armed with a few tricks of the trade, you might even pull it off better than your local bakery!