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Hazelnut Frangipane Pear Tart: Rustic Pear Almond Tart Recipe

This pear frangipane tart features a golden, buttery pâte sucrée crust made with toasted hazelnuts, filled with a lightly spiced hazelnut frangipane. It’s finished with delicate fans of thinly sliced pear halves, extra toasted hazelnuts, and a light dusting of powdered sugar—an elegant way to welcome fall.

Pear hazelnut tart slice on a speckled grey blue ceramic plate. A vintage fork rests on the right side of the plate. The plate is on a warm tan textured stone background. A small bit of a textured grey napkin peeks out from the bottom left corner, and a small view of a bowl of chopped hazelnuts is visible at top left.

Toasted hazelnuts provide the core flavor for both the sweet tart dough (pâte sucrée) and the frangipane filling. The roasted nuts add warmth and depth, which pairs beautifully with ripe pears. Arranged into fan-shaped halves, the pears create a striking presentation while contributing a subtle floral sweetness that complements the toasted-nut profile.

This tart is lovely served on its own or enhanced with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, maple-sweetened mascarpone, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for extra indulgence.

A front view of a pear tart on a round wooden platter on a textured warm tan background. The tart is surrounded by blue grey ceramic plates, an opened bottle of red wine, two half full glasses of red wine, a small wooden crate of pears, and a textured grey napkin.
An angled view of two slices of tart on speckled grey blue ceramic plates. Nearby is the remainder of the tart, a small bowl of hazelnuts, and two stemless wine glasses filled with red wine. A grey textured linen napkin is at bottom left. The background of the image is a warm tan speckled stone.

Ingredients

HAZELNUT PÂTE SUCRÉE (SWEET TART DOUGH)

Hazelnuts – Start with whole raw hazelnuts so you can toast them for maximum flavor. If you use pre-ground hazelnut meal, measure by weight to match the recipe (around 135 g for 1 cup). If your hazelnut meal is unroasted, toast it carefully on a sheet pan until fragrant.

Granulated sugar – Adding sugar while processing the nuts helps the blades grind the hazelnuts into a fine meal and absorbs some oil, preventing the mixture from turning into nut butter.

Kosher salt, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and an egg yolk round out the pâte sucrée ingredients for a tender, slightly crumbly crust with nutty depth.

HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE

Toasted hazelnuts – Roasting for 8–10 minutes at 350°F deeply enhances the nutty, sweet aroma; this step makes a big difference.

Granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon zest (or orange zest), vanilla extract, and warming spices—ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves—create a subtly spiced, fragrant filling.

Eggs and room-temperature unsalted butter are processed with the ground hazelnuts to form a creamy frangipane that puffs and sets as it bakes.

PEARS AND TOPPING

Pears – Choose firm varieties such as Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou. Peeling is optional; the skin adds color and softens during baking. To prepare: halve pears lengthwise, scoop out the core while keeping the stem if you like, then thinly slice each half into 8–12 thin slices from about ½” below the stem so the top stays intact. Fan each half and place curved side up onto the frangipane. Use 2½–3 medium pears for a 9″ tart.

Toasted hazelnuts – Chop and sprinkle over the baked tart for texture and contrast.

Powdered sugar – Dust the tart just before serving so the sugar stays delicate and visible rather than absorbing into the filling.

An unbaked pear hazelnut tart in a round pan is at the center of the image. Surrounding the tart are speckled blue ceramic plates, a bowl of chopped hazelnuts, pears in a wooden crate, a linen napkin, and a bottle of red wine with two filled wine glasses. Everything rests on a textured tan background.
Golden brown baked tart shells in tartlet, mini and large sizes.

PÂTE SUCRÉE

If you want step-by-step photos and detailed guidance for mixing and shaping the dough, refer to a dedicated pâte sucrée recipe. Note that the crust in this tart includes hazelnuts; a standard pâte sucrée will not.

Frequently asked questions

What is frangipane?

Frangipane is a thick nut-based cream traditionally made with ground almonds, sugar, eggs, butter, and a little flour. It creates a rich, creamy filling for tarts and pastries and adapts well to other nuts. In this recipe hazelnuts replace almonds to deepen the flavor and pair beautifully with pears.

Can I make this pear tart in advance?

Yes. You can prepare components ahead: the hazelnut pâte sucrée can be shaped in the tart pan and refrigerated up to five days or frozen for up to two weeks. Frangipane keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Add the sliced pears just before baking to avoid browning. If baked ahead, add chopped hazelnut garnish and powdered sugar just before serving.

What can I substitute for hazelnuts?

If hazelnuts aren’t available, use almond flour or almond meal for the frangipane (about 120 g / 1¼ cups). For the crust, omit hazelnuts and make a classic pâte sucrée instead.

Do I need a pie shield for this recipe?

Yes. Covering the tart edge during the main bake prevents the crust from over-browning while the filling and pears finish baking. Use a pie shield or a simple foil ring placed over the edge before baking.

Two slices of tart on speckled grey blue ceramic plates. To the right is the remainder of the tart. A small bowl of hazelnuts, and two stemless wine glasses filled with red wine surround the plates. A grey textured linen napkin is at lower left. The background of the image is a warm tan speckled stone.

More fall recipes

  • A slice of moist apple cake on a ceramic plate with three thin slices of fresh apple on top.
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  • Streusel topped muffins in brown paper parchment liners in a muffin tin.
    Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
  • Cookie butter squares on brown parchment paper.
    Biscoff Blondies
  • A slice of gingerbread cheesecake topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce on a white plate.
    Gingerbread Cheesecake
Pear hazelnut tart slice on a speckled grey blue ceramic plate. A vintage fork rests on the right side of the plate. The plate is on a warm tan textured stone background. A textured grey napkin is at the bottom left corner, and a small bowl of chopped hazelnuts is visible at top left along with a wine bottle and a glass of red wine at top. The remainder of the tart peeks out at top right.

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📖 Recipe

Pear Tart with Hazelnut Frangipane

This pear hazelnut frangipane tart has a buttery, golden-brown crust filled with a lightly spiced hazelnut frangipane. Topped with pretty fans of thinly sliced pears, toasted hazelnuts, and a dusting of powdered sugar—perfect for fall.
Prep time45 minutes
Cook time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings12servings (9″ round tart)

INGREDIENTS

PÂTE SUCRÉE TART DOUGH

  • 34 g (¼ cup) toasted hazelnuts, whole
  • 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 113 g (½ cup, 4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg yolk

HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE

  • 135 g (1 cup) toasted hazelnuts, whole
  • 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 30 g (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 g (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

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place the rack in the middle position.
  2. Spread all whole hazelnuts in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast 8–10 minutes until golden and fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through. Transfer to a plate to cool.
  3. In a food processor, combine 34 g (¼ cup) cooled toasted hazelnuts, the sugar, and salt; pulse until finely ground.
  4. 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 comes together.
  5. Form the dough into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  6. Roll the chilled dough between parchment sheets to a 10″ circle. Transfer to a 9″ tart pan, press into the edges, patch any cracks, and chill 30 minutes. Trim excess dough flush with the tart edge.
  7. Preheat 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, and bake another 6 minutes. Cool on a rack. If the crust slumps, gently press it back into shape.

HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) with the rack in the middle.
  2. In a food processor, process 1 cup toasted hazelnuts with the sugar until very finely ground. Add the flour, lemon zest, vanilla, spices, and eggs, then scatter the cubed butter on top. Process until smooth and well combined, stopping to scrape the bowl if needed.
  3. Pour the frangipane into the cooled tart shell and smooth evenly with an offset spatula.

PEAR FILLING AND TOPPING

  1. Halve pears lengthwise and remove cores while keeping stems if desired. Slice each half into 8–10 thin slices starting about ½” below the top so the slices remain attached. Fan each half and place curved side up on the frangipane, trimming and tucking additional slices as needed to fill the surface. Use about 2½–3 pears.
  2. Cover the tart edge with foil or a pie shield to prevent over-browning.
  3. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake 55–60 minutes, until the pears are golden and the frangipane is puffed, golden, and set.
  4. Cool on a rack. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts and sift a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top. Serve plain or with whipped cream, maple-sweetened mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream.

EQUIPMENT

  • 9″ round tart pan