By Samantha Seneviratne
- Total Time
- 50 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(910)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Maple syrup and oatmeal are usually relegated to the breakfast table, but here they create a crowd-pleasing tart. Creamy maple pudding would be lovely on its own, but truly shines nestled into a cookielike oatmeal crust. Top it with a dollop of whipped cream laced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 2cups/160 grams old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼cup/30 grams all-purpose flour
- ¼cup/55 grams packed light brown sugar
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (¾ stick), melted
- ¾cup/180 milliliters maple syrup
- 1¾cups/420 milliliters whole milk
- ¼cup/60 milliliters heavy cream
- 4large egg yolks
- 2tablespoons cornstarch
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
- 1tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- ½teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Crust
For the Custard
For the Whipped Cream
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
396 calories; 24 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 131 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of a food processor, combine oats, flour, brown sugar and salt, and pulse until oats are coarsely chopped. Add butter and pulse until evenly moistened.
Step
2
Transfer mixture into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of the pan. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is fragrant, set and edges are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely.
Step
3
In a medium saucepan, bring maple syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Cook maple syrup until it has reduced to ½ cup/120 milliliters, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
Step
4
Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl or a 4-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks. Add cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk mixture until smooth. Add maple syrup and whisk to combine. Cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened and just come up to a low boil, about 6 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Pour custard through sieve, using whisk to scrape it through. Discard any solids. Whisk in butter until fully combined with no solid bits remaining. Transfer mixture to prepared crust. Let cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
Step
5
Beat heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in cinnamon and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
Step
6
Before slicing, remove pan rim from tart by carefully setting tart on top of a 28-ounce can (or something roughly the same size) and transfer tart to a serving platter. To serve, top slices with whipped cream.
Ratings
4
out of 5
910
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Cooking Notes
Phillycook
This recipe worked beautifully, I added 1 tablespoon of bourbon to the maple syrup to give it a little more depth and it was delicious. I served it after 6 hours and it wasn't completely set - but it was set by the next morning, so in the future I'll make it the day before I want to serve it.
TFinSF
Recipe worked great. To simplify it, rather than adding the warm syrup to the cold custard ingredients (which will cause some of the syrup to crystallize) I warmed the custard to about the same temperature as the syrup and then added the syrup directly into the pan. The custard came out perfectly smooth and flavorful, and there was no need to strain it. I did let the custard cool for a while before adding it to the crust.Overall an elegant take on fall comfort food. Yum!
Jenuwefa
Give it the Massimo Bottura "Oops! I Dropped The Lemon Tart" treatment :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAizxrBpUVA
Anika
I made this for an autumn-themed dinner party. The constituent parts are delicious, but when I went to pour the custard on the crust, it completely leaked through and drained out of the pan (because the sides and bottom are not attached). This was such a bummer! I salvaged what I could and let the remaining custard set on its own, then added it to the crust just before serving. What a bummer!
Tari
We really enjoyed this! I did find the crust to be a little dry and crumbly (instead of “cookie-like”) and will try increasing the butter a bit next time. I also think that adding some walnuts to the crust might be tasty, since maple and walnuts pair so beautifully!Our tart pan is quite shallow but over 10.5” wide. I found that the crust recipe worked fine, but I made a batch and a half of the custard, and it was a perfect fit.
Audrey
Strongly agree with the other commenter who modified step 4. I whisked milk, cream, egg yolks and cornstarch in my medium pan, and started warming up before adding the maple syrup - this prevented the maple syrup from solidifying upon contact with cold milk mixture; and there was no need to strain.I let the custard cool before adding to the crust (chill either in the fridge for 15-30 min if needed) and then let the tart chill overnight in the fridge. Not soggy at all, perfect for next day.
Isa
My custard filling didn't set properly overnight so I put the tart in the oven the next morning. Turned out great! I’m super happy I did this rather than serving a runny tart. I put the tart into the oven straight from the fridge so it was about about 40 mins at 350 (I turned the oven up to 400 in the last 10 mins and cover it in foil). A bit of instinct is required here but essentially cook until it is like jelly… it wobbles but when you touch it no liquid comes away.
Kendall
I’m glad I took the time to read some reviews and followed some helpful suggestions from other bakers — including adding a tbs of whiskey to the syrup as it cooked, & cooling the custard a bit before it went into the crust. I also took the liberty of adding 1/4 tsp of cinn. to the crust which made it even more aromatic!Very pleased with the subtlety of the maple flavor and the sweetness, originally thinking it might taste too much like syrupy pancakes. Festive & unique, will make again!
E in Calif
Processing the oatmeal into finer pieces and packing the crust *firmly* into the pan will also prevent the crust leaking.
Karen
Has anyone tried to substitute almond flour for the regular flour to make it gluten free?
Bobbi
Very good recipe. Very good custard which would be good by itself. It works to substitute almond flour for the flour in the crust if needed for gluten free.
Meeramunches
Totally delicious! I made the tart as more of a pie (served in a pie dish) for Thanksgiving this year. The only modification I made was replacing the whipped cream topping with toasted pecans. I felt that the tart needed texture rather than more richness. The filling is incredibly silky and you don't need to be fussy with it in order to achieve the ideal texture as straining the custard at the end takes care of the lumps.
Marissa
I tried this as a test run to Thanksgiving dessert, and followed the recipe exactly. I was disappointed with how bland I found the custard to be. When I had other people try it and did not tell them the flavor, none of them could tell it was maple. The crust was good, and the custard set up fine, but overall disappointed with the taste. It definitely needed more then four hours to fully set up, if you are making this I would plan for an overnight chill. Overall, not something I would make again.
Chris
Because of the other comments, I was worried about the custard setting, so I added an extra yolk. The custard was still a little thin, even after chilling for 12 hours. The flavor was good, I added 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche to the whipped cream; the acidity really lifts it up. I’d like to try these flavors as a trifle or ice box cake next time!
Sharon
My daughter made this in a regular tart dish. It came out of the pan very nicely. I thought the filling was quite soft and the crust was a bit crumbly. I found the taste to be just ok.
Amy
I make this every year for Thanksgiving, but I make it as tartlets so they're individual portions. Here are my modifications: Butter a muffin tin and press dough into muffin cups, this makes 12 tartlets nicely. After 10 minutes of baking use a measuring cup or shot glass to tamp down the crust center if it bubbles up (crusts still take ~18 min). Add 2 tbsp bourbon and a pinch of salt to the maple before reducing, then add 1 tsp vanilla as it cools. Use 5 egg yolks for the custard. Set overnight.
Jt Michaels
Fabulous recipe! Because I had an extra pre-baked pie crust, I used it instead of making the oatmeal crust. The maple custard is easy and delicious. Next time I'll definitely try the cookie crust.
Elizabeth
Delicious! Good maple syrup is important. Definitely calls for Grade A (the darkest syrup). The filling was pretty soft. Next time I will add a bit more cornstarch and cook a bit longer.
Pretzel
Grade A is not the darkest syrup. Before 2022, Grade A was the lightest, produced earliest in the season, and Grade B Dark Amber was the darkest (except for a Grade C, which wasn't very common). Under a new grading system, they are all Grade A, but with added descriptions as to color. So you might have had Grade A Dark, but there are also Grade A Light and others.
Rosie
The filling didn’t set for me. I’ve made pudding etc many times and never had a problem with it setting. I even refrigerated it over night. Didn’t cut well as a result. The crust was great though.
alisonhood
I made this for a thanksgiving dessert last year. It was well received and not overly sweet or too maple syrupy. I’d make it again.
Nancy
Agree with the other comments about chilling overnight and adding bourbon to punch up the custard flavor. I would also add a few more minutes to the crust baking time for a bit more color.
Deborah
I followed recipe as written. All parts delicious but crust was so dense I could barely cut through it & it stuck to pan. Perhaps I over-processed the oats. Custard was too runny, which surprised me. I'm an artisanal ice cream maker w/ decades of custard experience. This one was quite thick when I took it off stove but ran all over when--after > 24 hours in fridge--I cut tart & removed a piece. I would try again because no one else seems to have had these problems.
Heather
The tart was excellent. Per other comments, I added an extra egg yolk and made it the night before so it could set overnight. The spiced whipped cream was a little stronger tasting than the filling of the pie so I may put less nutmeg in it next time, or serve with plain whipped cream. The maple custard would be worthwhile to make on its own-everyone loved it!The crust bordered on too salty but I may have measured my salt incorrectly or used salted butter without realizing. Still very tasty!
Jenna
I made this for a Friendsgiving dinner as it was a bit more unique a pie and the oatmeal crust was intriguing. I used the darkest maple syrup I could find for the custard and boiled until it just turned caramel (and foamed up the pot) before pouring it into the (heated!) milk mixture. I also forgot to buy regular milk and was happy that oatmilk still produced a silky custard. The resulting custard was perfect texture and tasted like a mapley butterscotch. Was definitely a hit.
Deborah Payne
I made this because I was hungry for something maple and this was perfect for my craving. I browned the butter for the crust and toasted the oatmeal in it before whizzing it up in the processor. Will make again!
michelle
Used 5 yolks (thanks NYT community)! Almond meal worked perfectly in place of regular flour for a GF crust. The whipped cream is not optional — it helps balance the sweetness of the filling. Toasted some walnuts to sprinkle on top.
Margaret
I read the previous notes and started by making my custard, rather than by making the tart. I cooled the custard over an ice bath while I made and cooled the tart. The pie was easily set in a few hours.I used dark amber maple syrup (previously known as grade B). It was delicious.
Sommgirl
Sorry, this was awful. There wasn't enough "crust" to fill the standard size tart pan...despite the fact that I followed the instructions to a T, it didn't hold together, it just crumbled...and it wasn't sweet. As for the filling, it wasn't bad; it just wasn't great. I will not be attempting this one again.
Baker Deb
I am missing something here...what is the reason for the 28 oz can?
Bipasha Sultana
Overall, this is delicious. I followed the recommendation that you should add the maple syrup after the custard mixture begins cooking to avoid crystallization. The resulting custard was perfectly smooth. Like a few others noted, this pie is quite sweet. That's why I would highly recommend adding conservative pinches of kosher salt, and perhaps even reducing the quantity of maple syrup. Once assembled though, the sweetness is offset by the slight saltiness of the crust. The crust is great!
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