Golden Pear Almond Frangipane Tart

This Pear Almond Frangipane Tart is a true testament to elegant simplicity. It features perfectly poached, spiced pears nestled within a classic French almond frangipane, all encased in a tender, buttery shortcrust pastry. As a delightful bonus, the recipe yields a fragrant spiced pear syrup, transforming this dessert into an experience that is both cozy and utterly luxurious.

While pears are at their peak during the cooler months, this exquisite French pear tart can be enjoyed year-round, bringing a touch of patisserie charm to any table. Despite its sophisticated appearance, it’s surprisingly easy to master – much like our popular apple frangipane tart and indulgent baklava tart. Serve it warm with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of the accompanying spiced syrup for the ultimate comforting dessert.

❤️ Why You’ll Adore This Pear Almond Frangipane Tart

A Symphony of Textures and Flavors: Indulge in delicate layers of melt-in-your-mouth buttery pastry, rich and moist almond frangipane filling, and tender, juicy spiced pears. Each bite is a harmonious blend that tantalizes the palate.
Bonus Spiced Pear Syrup: The poaching process creates a gorgeous, aromatic syrup. Don’t let it go to waste! It’s perfect for drizzling over the tart, adding to cocktails, enhancing your morning pancakes, or simply enjoying over ice cream. It’s a versatile treat that amplifies the tart’s flavors.
Impressive, Yet Effortless: This tart exudes sophistication, making it an ideal centerpiece for gatherings or a thoughtful gift. Despite its show-stopping appearance, the steps are straightforward and accessible for bakers of all skill levels.
Perfect for Making Ahead: Life is busy, and desserts should be stress-free. This pear frangipane tart can be prepared in stages, allowing you to spread out the work and enjoy fresh, homemade goodness without the last-minute rush.
A Versatile Year-Round Delight: While it shines during autumn and winter with peak pear season, its comforting flavors and elegant presentation make it a welcome treat for any occasion, any time of year.

This recipe was originally published on June 22nd, 2021, and has been comprehensively updated with clearer instructions, expanded tips, and new step-by-step images to enhance your baking experience.

A tart filled with slices of pears on a white cake plate. A small sieve of icing sugar in the background.

Contents

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The Three Homemade Layers: Crafting Perfection from Scratch

What makes this Pear Almond Frangipane Tart truly special is the dedication to homemade excellence in each of its three distinct layers. Crafting these components from scratch ensures unparalleled freshness, flavor, and texture that store-bought alternatives simply can’t match.

The Buttery Homemade Tart Crust (Pâte Sucrée): This isn’t just any tart dough; it’s a slightly adapted version of our reliable shortcrust pastry, designed for ease and delicious results. Often referred to as *pâte sucrée*, this sweet shortcrust pastry boasts a delightful, almost cookie-like crumb that provides the perfect sturdy yet tender base for our tart. While it requires a minimum of 2 hours for chilling, this crucial step allows the gluten to relax, preventing shrinkage during baking and ensuring a crisp, flaky texture. The good news? You can prepare this dough up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, or even freeze it for longer-term convenience.
The Silky French Almond Frangipane: Inspired by our beloved Bakewell tart and strawberry frangipane tart recipes, frangipane (also known as French almond cream) is one of the most delightfully simple tart fillings to prepare. It’s a rich, aromatic mixture primarily composed of butter, sugar, eggs, a touch of flour, and generous almond meal. In this recipe, we elevate the classic with a hint of ground cloves, adding a subtle warmth that complements the pears beautifully. The frangipane bakes into a moist, tender sponge-like layer, infusing the tart with its characteristic nutty flavor.
The Aromatic Poached Pears & Bonus Spiced Syrup: The star of the show, these pears are transformed through a gentle poaching process. They emerge soft, succulent, and beautifully infused with the warming spices of clove and cinnamon. Beyond perfecting the pears, this step offers an incredible bonus: a flavorful spiced pear syrup. This luscious liquid, rich with the essence of pears and spices, can be used in myriad ways – as a refreshing cordial, a sophisticated cocktail mixer, a topping for ice cream or pancakes, or, as we love to do, drizzled over each slice of the finished almond pear tart for an extra touch of decadence.

Essential Ingredients and Thoughtful Substitutions

Ingredients for pear almond tart on a marble surface.

For a complete list of quantities and detailed instructions, please jump to the recipe card.

For the Homemade Pastry (Pâte Sucrée): You’ll need high-quality unsalted butter for that rich, dairy flavor, fine icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar) for a tender crumb, one large egg to bind, and all-purpose flour for structure. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall saltiness of the dough.
For the Velvety Frangipane Filling: This delectable layer calls for white granulated sugar, unsalted butter, two large eggs for richness and binding, fragrant vanilla extract to enhance all flavors, a small amount of all-purpose flour for structure, almond meal (or finely ground almonds/almond flour) for its characteristic nutty flavor and moist texture, and a hint of ground cloves to add depth and warmth. Almond meal is key to frangipane’s unique, slightly dense yet tender consistency, often used in flourless cakes for its ability to create a wonderfully moist bake.
Choosing Your Pears: The type of pear you select is crucial for this tart. My top recommendation is the Packham pear, but Bosc or Anjou pears are also excellent choices. These varieties are known for holding their shape beautifully during baking, ensuring your tart has lovely, intact pear slices rather than a mushy texture. Avoid overly soft or ripe pears that tend to break down too much.
Aromatic Spices: To infuse the pears and syrup with comforting warmth, this recipe utilizes both cinnamon and cloves. You’ll need whole cinnamon sticks for poaching the pears, which gently release their flavor into the syrup, and both whole cloves for poaching and ground cloves for the frangipane, ensuring a consistent spice profile throughout the tart.

Possible Substitutions and Variations:

Flour: While all-purpose flour is standard, a good quality pastry flour could also be used for a slightly more tender crust.
Spices: Feel free to experiment with other warming spices like a pinch of nutmeg, star anise in the poaching liquid, or even a dash of ginger in the frangipane for a different flavor profile.
Almond Meal: If you don’t have almond meal, you can finely grind blanched almonds in a food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency. Be careful not to over-process, or you’ll end up with almond butter!
Citrus Zest: A little lemon or orange zest in the poaching liquid or the frangipane can add a bright, fresh counterpoint to the rich flavors.

How to Make This Elegant Pear Frangipane Tart: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating this stunning pear frangipane tart is a rewarding process, distinct from making a flaky pastry that might be pulsed together in a food processor. This pâte sucrée crust, with its cookie-like texture, comes together more like a traditional cookie dough in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, requiring a gentler touch.

The journey to this delicious dessert begins with preparing the buttery pastry, followed by the rich almond filling. Finally, you’ll gently poach the pears, a step that not only tenderizes them but also magically creates that luscious spiced pear syrup. This syrup is truly a highlight – the pears and aromatic spices infuse the liquid, which is then reduced to a rich, fragrant elixir. Its comforting aroma perfectly embodies the essence of classic winter flavors.

While the tart itself is incredibly flavorful and beautifully moist, I always recommend serving each slice with a generous drizzle of the spiced pear syrup. However, the entire batch of syrup can be saved for other uses – as a delightful cordial, an sophisticated addition to cocktails, or simply poured over vanilla ice cream or fluffy pancakes for an extra treat.

For precise measurements and detailed step-by-step instructions, be sure to jump to the full recipe card.

1. Prepare the Buttery Pastry

Start by creaming together the softened unsalted butter and icing sugar until the mixture is light and smooth. Incorporate the large egg, beating until fully combined. Gradually add the all-purpose flour, mixing just until the dough comes together in large clumps. Avoid overworking the dough to maintain its tender texture.

The mixed tart shell dough in the standmixer bowl.

Gently shape the dough into a smooth, thick disc. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until it’s about 4-5mm thick and large enough to fit your tart tin. Carefully transfer the rolled pastry into your tart tin, pressing it gently into the corners and up the fluted sides with your fingertips. Ensure the edges are left standing upright. Chill the tart shell in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, or even overnight, to prevent shrinkage during baking.

The rolled out tart dough being laid into the pan.

2. Par-Bake the Tart Shell (Blind Baking)

Once the pastry has thoroughly chilled, use a small sharp knife to trim away any excess pastry by running it flat along the top edge of the tart tin. Then, gently prick the entire base of the tart shell all over with a fork (this is called “docking”). This helps prevent the pastry from puffing up unevenly during baking.

The tart shell being trimmed before baking.

The base of the raw tart shell being pricked with a fork.

Line the chilled tart shell with a sheet of baking paper, ensuring it covers the base and sides. Fill the paper with pie weights (or use dried beans or rice) and distribute them evenly, making sure they press against the sides. This holds the pastry in place during blind baking. Par-bake the shell in a preheated oven until the edges are set and lightly golden, then remove the weights and paper and bake for a few more minutes until the base is dry.

The tart shell filled with baking paper and rice.

3. Gently Poach the Pears

Begin by peeling the pears. Then, carefully halve each pear and use a melon baller (a simple and safe tool for this task!) or a small spoon to remove the cores and stems. Aim for a neat cavity.

The pears being cored with a melon baller on a chopping board.

In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the cored pears and gently poach them for 7-10 minutes, or until they are just tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape. Remove the pears and let them drain thoroughly on paper towels. Continue to simmer the poaching liquid until it thickens into a rich syrup, then strain and set aside to cool.

The pears poaching in a pan of water and spices.

4. Prepare the Luxurious Frangipane Filling

Frangipane, at its heart, is a luscious almond cream made from a harmonious blend of almonds, butter, eggs, and sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and softened butter until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, ensuring each addition is fully incorporated.

The eggs in a bowl with butter making the frangipane filling.

Finally, gently fold in the all-purpose flour, almond flour (or almond meal), and ground cloves until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Allow the par-baked tart shell to cool slightly for about 5 minutes before carefully spreading this fragrant frangipane mixture evenly into its base. This prevents the butter in the frangipane from melting too quickly.

The frangipane being spread into the tart shell.

5. Assemble and Bake to Golden Perfection

Once the frangipane is spread, slice the cooled poached pears into elegant, thin slices. Arrange these slices artfully on top of the frangipane, typically fanning them out with the points directed towards the center of the tart. Lightly brush the pears with a small amount of the thickened spiced pear syrup – this adds a beautiful glaze and enhances their flavor during baking. Bake your pear almond tart in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, or until the frangipane is golden brown, puffed, and springy to the touch. Let the tart cool completely in the pie tin before slicing and serving to ensure it sets perfectly. Enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips for a Flawless Pear Almond Tart

Achieving a perfect Pear Almond Frangipane Tart requires attention to detail. Follow these expert tips to ensure your tart turns out beautifully every time:

Handle Pastry with Care – Do Not Overwork: The key to a tender, crumbly shortcrust pastry (pâte sucrée) is minimal handling. Overworking the dough develops the gluten, which can lead to a tough crust and significant shrinkage during baking. Work quickly and gently, combining ingredients just until they come together.
Prioritize Chilling Time for the Pastry: This is arguably the most crucial step! Do not skip or shorten the chilling time for your tart dough. Chilling allows the butter to firm up, preventing it from melting too quickly in the oven, which can cause the pastry to lose its shape. More importantly, it gives the gluten a chance to relax, significantly reducing shrinkage and ensuring your crust maintains its crispness and tender texture. (As seen in some process shots, even slight impatience can lead to a little shrinkage – while the tart will still be delicious, a longer chill guarantees the best results.)
Always Blind Bake for a Crisp Base: Blind baking, or par-baking, the tart shell is an essential step you shouldn’t skip. Without it, the moisture from the filling can make the bottom of your pear almond tart soggy – and nobody wants a soggy bottom! Blind baking ensures a beautifully crisp and golden-brown base that provides a perfect foundation for the frangipane and pears.
A Melon Baller is Your Best Friend for Coring Pears: When preparing your pears for poaching, a melon baller makes the job of removing the cores incredibly easy, safe, and neat. It’s far less hazardous and messy than attempting to cut out the cores with a knife, ensuring your pear halves look pristine.
Ensure Pears Are Well Drained: After poaching, it’s vital to drain your pears thoroughly on paper towels. Excess moisture on the pears can introduce unwanted liquid into your frangipane, potentially making the tart watery or preventing the filling from setting properly. Dry pears help maintain the integrity and texture of your baked tart.
Cool the Tart Shell Before Adding Frangipane: Once the tart shell comes out of the oven after blind baking, give it about 5-10 minutes to cool down slightly. If you spread the frangipane into a piping hot shell, the butter in the almond cream will immediately begin to melt, making it difficult to spread evenly and affecting the final texture.
Add a Professional Patisserie Shine: For a truly authentic French patisserie finish, consider brushing the warm tart, straight out of the oven, with a thin layer of warmed apricot jam. This creates a beautiful, glossy sheen that elevates the visual appeal of your pear almond tart.

4 small cake plates, each with a slice of pear tart.

⏰ Time-Saving Strategies for Your Pear Almond Tart

While this pear almond frangipane tart recipe involves several steps, none are overly complicated. You could certainly tackle it all in one morning, but for those with busy schedules, breaking it down into stages can make the process even more enjoyable and stress-free. Here’s how to efficiently manage your time:

2-3 Days Ahead (or Longer with Freezing): The tart pastry dough is a fantastic make-ahead component. You can prepare it entirely, roll it out, fit it into the tart tin, trim the edges, and even dock (prick with a fork) the base. Wrap it tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For even longer storage, place the prepared tart shell in the freezer for up to 2 months; just remember to defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before you plan to bake.
1 Day Before Baking: Take advantage of this stage to poach the pears and reduce the spiced syrup. Once cooled, store the poached pears and the syrup in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. This is also a perfect time to blind bake your tart shell if you didn’t do it when preparing the dough. A blind-baked shell can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered.
On the Day of Serving: With your pastry and pears prepped, the final assembly is a breeze. All that remains is to blind-bake the tart shell (if not already done), whip up the quick frangipane filling (which takes less than 5 minutes), assemble the tart, and bake it to golden perfection. This phased approach allows you to enjoy the process without feeling rushed.

Storage Best Practices for Your Tart

To keep your finished Pear Almond Frangipane Tart tasting its best, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Once completely cooled, wrap the tart well in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out or absorbing other odors. It will remain delicious for up to 3 days. For optimal flavor and texture, allow the tart to come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before serving. You can also gently warm individual slices in the oven for a few minutes (at a low temperature) if you prefer a warm dessert.

While the cooked tart can technically be frozen, the texture of the poached pears may become slightly softer upon thawing. If freezing, wrap the cooled tart tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap and then foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.

FAQs: Your Pear Almond Frangipane Tart Questions Answered

What is the difference between a Bakewell tart and a frangipane tart?

Frangipane itself is an almond-based cream or filling typically made with butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond meal. A Bakewell tart is a specific type of tart that traditionally features a layer of raspberry jam topped with frangipane, all within a shortcrust pastry. So, while frangipane is a key ingredient and the defining component of a Bakewell tart, frangipane can also be used as a filling in many other desserts, such as this pear and almond tart, or with other fruits like strawberries or apples.

How can I tell when frangipane is fully baked and done?

You’ll know your frangipane is perfectly baked when it has risen and puffed up in the center, appearing beautifully golden brown across the surface. Gently pressing the center with a clean finger should reveal a slight springiness, indicating it’s cooked through. If it feels too wobbly, it likely needs a few more minutes in the oven.

How do I prevent the pear slices from sinking into the frangipane during baking?

To ensure your pear slices remain beautifully visible on top of the frangipane and don’t sink, follow a couple of key tips: First, make sure to arrange them on top of the frangipane filling just before placing the tart in the oven for its final bake. Second, poaching the pears beforehand (as this recipe instructs) helps them to firm up slightly and hold their structure, making them less prone to sinking into the softer frangipane during baking. Also, ensure your frangipane is not too thin; a robust frangipane will better support the pears.

Syrup being poured onto a slice of pear tart from a small glass jug.

More Delightful Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoyed this Pear Almond Frangipane Tart, you might also like these other delectable desserts:

Blueberry and Pear Crumble: A rustic and comforting fruit crumble, perfect with a dollop of cream.
Puff Pastry Pear Tart: A simpler, quicker tart option using store-bought puff pastry for an easy treat.
Strawberry Almond Tart: A vibrant and sweet frangipane tart featuring fresh strawberries.
Warm Apple Crostata: A free-form, rustic apple pie that’s wonderfully inviting.
Raspberry Frangipane Tart: The tangy burst of raspberries perfectly complements the rich almond cream.
Flourless Chocolate Pear Upside-Down Cake: A rich, decadent, and naturally gluten-free chocolate cake with tender pears.
Fresh Pear Cobbler: A warm, bubbly, and comforting dessert topped with sweet biscuits.

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Top down view of pear frangipane tart on a metal serving tray.

Pear Almond Frangipane Tart

Yield: 8 serves

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Resting time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Average rating: 5 from 5 ratings

This elegant pear and almond tart, also known as pear frangipane tart, features perfectly spiced, tender poached pears nestled in a rich French almond sponge. It presents beautifully and is surprisingly simple to make, offering a bonus spiced pear syrup that’s wonderful drizzled over the top or even enjoyed with ice cream or in cocktails.

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Ingredients

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided.

FOR THE PASTRY

100 g unsalted butter, softened (7 tablespoons / 3 ½oz)
40 g icing sugar (powdered sugar) (⅓ cup / ~1 ½oz)
1 large egg, room temperature
225 g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (1 ¾ cups / 8oz) (see notes)

FOR THE FRANGIPANE FILLING

½ cup white granulated sugar (100g / 3 ½oz)
113 g unsalted butter, softened (½ cup / 1 stick)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (recommended)
2 tablespoons plain flour (all-purpose flour) (see notes)
95 g almond meal (ground almonds / almond flour) (1 cup / 3oz)
½ teaspoon ground cloves

FOR THE PEARS AND SYRUP

3 ripe pears (Packham, Bosc, or Anjou are recommended)
3 ½ cups water (875ml)
¾ cup white granulated sugar (150g / 5 ⅓oz)
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (recommended)

Equipment

9-inch fluted tart tin with a removable bottom
Electric beater / stand mixer
Pie weights / baking beans / rice
Melon baller (highly recommended for coring pears)

Instructions

FOR THE PASTRY:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the softened butter and icing sugar. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
Add the large egg and beat on low speed until it is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
Add the plain flour and beat on low speed just until large clumps of dough begin to form. Be careful not to overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Gently bring it together with your hands to form a smooth ball, being careful not to handle it too much. Press the ball into a 1-inch thick disc.
Lightly flour your work surface and dust the top of the dough with a little flour. Using a rolling pin, gently and gradually roll the pastry out, turning it frequently, until it is approximately 4-5mm thick or about 11 inches in diameter.
To transfer, place your rolling pin in the middle of the dough and fold one side of the pastry over the top. Lift the rolling pin so the pastry hangs over it, then lightly dust off any excess flour from the underside. Carefully unroll and lay the pastry into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable base.
Gently press the dough down into the corners and up against the fluted sides all the way around. Leave any overhang standing upright. Place the tart pan into the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight. If you have space, you can also place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up quickly.
You can begin preparing the poached pears during this chilling time.
PAR-BAKE THE TART SHELL:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F.
Use a fork to prick the pastry base all over (docking). Using a small sharp knife, carefully trim off any excess pastry by running the knife flat along the top edge of the tart tin.
Line the tart shell with a sheet of baking paper and fill it generously with pie weights (or dried rice/beans), ensuring they are pressed up tight against the edges and fill the shell almost to the rim.
Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the baking paper and pie weights, then bake for an additional 5 minutes until the base looks dry and lightly golden.
FOR THE POACHED PEARS:

Peel and halve the pears. Using a melon baller or small spoon, carefully cut out the cores and remove the stems.
Place the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and vanilla extract into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Add the cored pear halves and poach them at a simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until they are just tender when poked with a fork, but still firm enough to hold their shape.
Carefully remove the pears from the liquid and drain them thoroughly on paper towels. Set aside to cool.
Continue simmering the poaching liquid for another 15-20 minutes, or until it has reduced to about 1 cup or less and has thickened into a syrup. Strain the syrup into a jug and set aside to cool.
FOR THE FRANGIPANE FILLING:

Once the tart shell has finished blind-baking and has cooled slightly for about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, using an electric beater, beat together the white granulated sugar and softened unsalted butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition until smooth.
Finally, mix in the plain flour, almond meal, and ground cloves until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Carefully spread the frangipane mixture evenly over the base of the slightly cooled, par-baked tart shell.
Slice the cooled poached pears into thin, elegant slices. Holding them together, arrange them artfully over the top of the frangipane, typically fanning them out with the points directed towards the center of the filling. Lightly brush a small amount of the thickened spiced pear syrup over the pears.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, turning the tray halfway through, until the frangipane is golden brown, puffed, and springy to the touch. If you notice any liquid pooling around the pears during baking, gently blot it up with a paper towel; a little moisture is fine, but excessive pooling should be addressed.
Allow the tart to cool completely in the tin to room temperature before attempting to remove it and serve. This allows the frangipane to fully set.
Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating once you’ve tried this recipe. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and incredibly helpful!

Notes

Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equivalent to 4 teaspoons). Please adjust if your tablespoons are a different size.
For the most accurate results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar using kitchen scales. They are relatively inexpensive and provide precision. If you are unable to weigh ingredients, use the spoon and level method (gently spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off with a straight edge, rather than scooping directly from the bag).
Baking Time Variability: All ovens can vary in temperature. It’s always a good practice to start checking for doneness 3-5 minutes before the recommended blind baking time for the pastry, and 5-10 minutes before the end of the total baking time for the assembled tart.
Recommended Pear Varieties: Packham, Anjou, or Bosc pears are all excellent choices for this tart as they maintain their shape well during the poaching and baking process.
Optimizing Workflow: To save time and ensure ingredients are ready, start poaching the pears while the tart pastry is chilling in the refrigerator. This way, the pears will be drained and cool by the time your pastry is ready for assembly.