This pear frangipane tart features a golden, buttery pâte sucrée crust and a lightly spiced hazelnut frangipane. It’s finished with delicate fans of thinly sliced pear halves, toasted hazelnuts, and a dusting of powdered sugar—an elegant dessert to welcome the flavors of fall.
Toasted hazelnuts are central to this tart: they’re folded into the sweet shortcrust (pâte sucrée) and transformed into a rich hazelnut frangipane that bakes into a tender, nutty filling. The pears bring brightness and aroma, while the toasted nuts add crunch and depth. Serve the tart on its own or with a spoonful of whipped cream, maple-sweetened mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
HAZELNUT PÂTE SUCRÉE (SWEET TART DOUGH)
Hazelnuts – Use whole, raw hazelnuts and toast them yourself for best flavor. If using pre-ground hazelnut flour, weigh it so the quantities match (about 135 g). If your hazelnut flour is not roasted, toast it briefly on a sheet pan—watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
Granulated sugar – Adding sugar to the nuts when you grind them helps the blades work and absorbs some of the oil, preventing the mixture from turning into nut butter.
HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE
Hazelnuts – Toasting brings out a rich, toasty flavor. Roast whole hazelnuts for about 8–10 minutes at 350°F (177°C), stirring once.
Granulated sugar – Gives sweetness and helps with texture when processing the nuts into a fine meal.
Lemon zest – Zest from one medium lemon brightens the frangipane; orange zest is a good substitute.
Vanilla extract and warming spices – A teaspoon of vanilla plus a pinch each of cinnamon, ground ginger and cloves add depth. Use cloves sparingly or omit if preferred.
Unsalted butter – Cubed and at room temperature for easy incorporation into the frangipane.
PEARS AND TOPPING
Pears – Choose firm varieties such as Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou. No need to peel—the skin softens and adds color during baking. Halve pears lengthwise, scoop out the core with a melon baller or small spoon (leaving the stem if you like), then thinly slice each half into 8–12 slices from the stem end to create a fan. Gently fan and arrange skin-side up over the frangipane. Plan on 2½–3 medium pears for a 9″ tart.
- Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove cores; keep stems if desired.
- Make thin slices from the top down, leaving the stem end intact to hold the slices together.
- Fan and place curved side up onto the frangipane, trimming and adding sliced pieces to fill gaps.
Hazelnuts – Toast and chop extra hazelnuts to scatter over the finished tart for texture.
Powdered sugar – Dust just before serving so it stays delicate and visible.
PÂTE SUCRÉE
For detailed photos and shaping instructions, consult a pâte sucrée guide. Note this tart version includes hazelnuts in the crust.
Frequently asked questions
Frangipane is a nut-based custard traditionally made with almonds, sugar, eggs, butter and a small amount of flour. It’s commonly used as a tart filling and pairs beautifully with fruit. You can substitute different nuts—here, hazelnuts replace almonds for a richer, toasted flavor.
Yes. You can prepare the hazelnut pâte sucrée ahead, line the tart pan and refrigerate (up to five days) or freeze (up to two weeks) unbaked. The frangipane can be made and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days. Add the pears just before baking to prevent browning. If you bake the tart in advance, add chopped hazelnuts and powdered sugar just before serving.
If you can’t use hazelnuts, substitute almond flour or almond meal in the frangipane (about 120 g / 1¼ cups) for a classic almond frangipane. For the crust, omit the hazelnuts and follow a standard pâte sucrée recipe.
Yes. Cover the tart crust during the main bake to prevent the edges from overbrowning. Use a commercial pie shield or a homemade foil shield and add it before the tart goes into the oven.
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
PATE SUCREE 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, at 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 cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 45 grams (3 Tablespoons, 1½ ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
PEAR FILLING AND TOPPING
- 3 medium pears, ripe but firm (such as Bartlett, Bosc or Anjou)
- additional toasted hazelnuts, chopped, for topping
- powdered sugar, for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
PATE SUCREE TART DOUGH
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and position a 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 once or twice for even browning. Cool on a plate to stop cooking.
- In a food processor, combine 34 g (¼ cup) cooled toasted hazelnuts, 50 g sugar and salt; pulse until finely ground.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the hazelnut mixture with the butter until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until just combined, then add the egg yolk and mix until the dough starts to come together.
- Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
- Roll the chilled dough between parchment to a 10″ circle. Transfer to a 9″ tart pan, press into the edges, patch any cracks, chill 30 minutes, then trim the excess flush with the pan edge.
- Increase oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the chilled shell with parchment and pie weights or dried beans. Bake 6 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 6 minutes. Cool on a rack and gently press the crust back into shape if needed.
HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and position a rack in the middle.
- In a food processor, pulse 1 cup (135 g) toasted hazelnuts with 150 g sugar until very fine. Add the flour, lemon zest, vanilla, spices and eggs, then scatter the cubed butter over the top. Process until a smooth, thick filling forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Spread the frangipane evenly in the cooled tart shell.
PEAR FILLING AND TOPPING
- Halve pears lengthwise and remove cores, leaving stems if desired. Slice each half into 8–10 thin strips from the top down, keeping the top intact, then gently fan the slices and arrange curved side up on the frangipane. Trim and tuck smaller pieces into gaps as needed.
- Cover the tart edge with foil or a pie shield to prevent overbrowning.
- Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake 55–60 minutes, until the pear slices are golden and the frangipane is puffed and set.
- Cool on a rack. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts and sift a light dusting of powdered sugar over the tart. Serve plain or with whipped cream, maple mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream.
EQUIPMENT
- round tart pan