This pear frangipane tart features a buttery, golden-brown pâte sucrée crust filled with a lightly spiced hazelnut frangipane. Thinly sliced pear halves are fanned across the top, finished with toasted hazelnuts and a light dusting of powdered sugar. It’s a graceful way to welcome fall and makes a lovely dessert for special occasions.
Toasted hazelnuts are the backbone of this tart, added both to the sweet tart dough (pâte sucrée) and to the nutty frangipane filling. Roasting once and using them in both components brings a warm, toasty depth that pairs beautifully with ripe pears.
The pear halves are sliced into delicate fans and arranged skin-side up for color and visual interest. A final sprinkle of chopped toasted hazelnuts and a dusting of powdered sugar add texture and a pretty finish. Serve this tart on its own or accompany it with whipped cream, maple-sweetened mascarpone, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
HAZELNUT PÂTE SUCRÉE (SWEET TART DOUGH)
Hazelnuts – I toast whole raw hazelnuts first to concentrate their flavor. If you use pre-ground hazelnut flour (meal), check whether it’s roasted and adjust by weight rather than volume (about 135g for 1 cup). If your hazelnut meal is unroasted, spread it on a baking sheet and toast briefly while watching closely to avoid burning.
Granulated sugar – Adding sugar when processing nuts helps the blades grind the nuts and absorbs some oil, reducing the chance of turning the mixture into nut butter.
HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE
Hazelnuts – Roasting the nuts for 8–10 minutes at 350°F brings out a rich, sweet, nutty aroma that really elevates the frangipane.
Granulated sugar – Sugar helps create a fine nut meal and sweetens the filling.
Lemon zest – Zest from one medium lemon adds brightness. Orange zest is an easy substitute if you prefer.
Vanilla, cinnamon, ground ginger and cloves – A touch of warming spice complements the hazelnuts. Use cloves sparingly or omit if you prefer.
Unsalted butter – Cubed and at room temperature for easy incorporation into the frangipane.
PEARS AND TOPPING
Pears – Choose firm pears like Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou. You don’t need to peel them; the skin softens during baking and provides color contrast. To prepare: halve pears lengthwise and remove the core with a melon baller or spoon, leaving the stem intact. Slice each pear half into 8–12 thin strips starting about 1/2″ below the stem to create a fan; gently fan and place skin-side up on the frangipane. Use 2½–3 pears for a 9″ tart, trimming and tucking smaller slices as needed.
Hazelnuts – Toast, chop, and sprinkle on top for crunch.
Powdered sugar – Dust just before serving so it stays light and pretty.
PÂTE SUCRÉE
See the separate pâte sucrée recipe for detailed photos and full mixing and shaping instructions. Note that the standalone pâte sucrée recipe does not include hazelnuts; this version incorporates toasted hazelnuts into the dough.
Frequently asked questions
Frangipane is a nut-based cream filling typically made from ground nuts, sugar, eggs, butter, and a little flour. Almonds are the classic choice, but other nuts (like hazelnuts) create delicious variations. It’s simple to make in a food processor and pairs wonderfully with fruit in tarts and galettes.
Yes. Make the hazelnut pâte sucrée ahead, press it into the tart pan, wrap, and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to two weeks. The frangipane can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Add pears just before baking. The finished tart can be baked up to a day ahead; add chopped hazelnuts and powdered sugar just before serving.
You can substitute almond flour or almond meal for the hazelnuts in the frangipane (about 120g / 1¼ cups) to make a classic almond frangipane. For the crust, omit hazelnuts and follow a standard pâte sucrée method.
Yes. Cover the tart edge during the main bake to prevent the crust from over-browning while the filling finishes cooking. Use a pie shield or a homemade foil shield placed before baking to protect the edge.
More fall recipes
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Simple Apple Cake
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Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
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Biscoff Blondies
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Gingerbread Cheesecake
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📖 Recipe
Pear Tart with Hazelnut Frangipane
INGREDIENTS
PÂTE SUCRÉE TART DOUGH
- 34 grams (¼ cup) toasted hazelnuts, whole
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 113 grams (½ cup, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE
- 135 grams (1 cup) toasted hazelnuts, whole
- 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 30 grams (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
- lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 45 grams (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
PEAR FILLING AND TOPPING
- 3 medium pears, ripe but firm (Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou)
- additional toasted hazelnuts, chopped, for topping
- powdered sugar, for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
PÂTE SUCRÉE TART DOUGH
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and position rack in the middle.
- Spread all whole hazelnuts in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast 8–10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Shake the pan halfway through. Transfer to a plate to cool immediately.
- In a food processor, pulse 34g (¼ cup) cooled hazelnuts with the sugar and salt until very finely ground.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the hazelnut mixture with butter until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl, add flour, and mix until just combined. Add the egg yolk and mix about 30 seconds; dough should come together.
- Flatten dough into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Roll between parchment to a 10″ circle and transfer to a 9″ tart pan. Chill 30 minutes, trim edges, then blind-bake at 400°F (200°C): line with parchment and pie weights and bake 6 minutes; remove weights and bake another 6 minutes. Cool on a rack.
HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place the rack in the middle.
- In a food processor, process 1 cup toasted hazelnuts with the sugar until very finely ground. Add flour, lemon zest, vanilla, spices, and eggs. Scatter cubed butter on top and process until smooth, stopping to scrape sides as needed.
- Pour the frangipane into the cooled tart shell and smooth with an offset spatula.
PEAR FILLING AND TOPPING
- Slice pears in half lengthwise and remove cores, keeping stems intact for presentation. Place halves flat side down and slice each half into about 8–10 thin strips from about ½” below the stem. Gently fan and place curved side up on the frangipane, fitting as many halves as needed. Trim and tuck smaller slices to fill gaps. I use 2½–3 pears for a full tart.
- Cover the tart edge with foil or a pie shield to prevent over-browning. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake 55–60 minutes, until pear slices are golden and the frangipane is puffed and set.
- Cool on a rack. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts and dust with powdered sugar. Serve plain or with whipped cream, maple-sweetened mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream.
EQUIPMENT
- 9″ round tart pan