Pear Frangipane Tart

A pear frangipane tart is a masterpiece of classic French technique: poached pears, almond frangipane, and a crisp pâte brisée shell come together to create something that looks and tastes like it came from a proper patisserie.

Tarte Bourdaloue is a French bakery classic—soft, flavorful poached pears encased in heavenly almond cream, all baked inside a crispy, flaky all-butter pie crust. Gently poach the pears in white wine and vanilla, then slice and fan them over rich frangipane, bake to a deep golden brown, and finish with a glossy apricot nappage.

Pears and apples share a season and a similar affinity for warm spice and almond, which makes this tart a natural companion to autumn baking. If you are also working through fall fruit recipes, my roundup of the best apple dessert recipes is worth a look, or you can go right ahead and make this French apple cake!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• White Wine: A dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc gently perfumes the pears without making the syrup cloying. Avoid heavily oaked wines, which can turn bitter as the liquid reduces.
• Vanilla Bean: Half a bean, split and scraped, infuses the liquid with a rounded depth that reads as patisserie rather than plain fruit. Scraping the seeds directly into the liquid maximizes extraction and leaves the characteristic flecks in the finished pear flesh. You can use the other half to make my [creme brulee pie!]
• Lemon Juice: Balances the sugar and wine so the poaching liquid tastes bright rather than flat. The acidity also helps the pears hold their structure and color during the long simmer.
• Pears: Choose a firm variety like Bosc, d’Anjou, Comice, or slightly underripe Bartlett so the fruit can handle poaching, cooling, and baking without collapsing. Overly soft or fully ripe pears will weep into the frangipane and compromise the base. Make extra poached pears so you can make this [poached pear pavlova]!
• Salt and Sugar: Both are present in small amounts but pull real weight in the dough. Salt sharpens the overall flavor so the crust tastes like something worth eating on its own, and the half teaspoon of sugar encourages even golden browning across the shell.
• Cold Butter: The fat must be cold and cut into roughly half-inch cubes when it goes into the dough. Those visible pieces steam and expand in the oven, creating the flaky, layered structure that distinguishes a proper pâte brisée from a press-in crumb crust.
• Cold Water: Hydrates the flour just enough to bring the dough together without building excess gluten. Add only enough to bring the dough together when squeezed. It should not feel sticky or wet.
• Almond Paste: This is the backbone of the filling, supplying concentrated almond flavor, sweetness, and a moist, custardy structure that holds the pears during baking. Almond paste is not interchangeable with marzipan. If you don’t have almond paste, make this frangipane with almond flour.
• Cornstarch: Stabilizes the frangipane by absorbing excess moisture from the egg and the pears above, so the filling bakes clean rather than sinking or seeping into the crust.
• Raw Sliced Almonds: Scatter over the surface before baking; they toast as the tart cooks and reinforce the frangipane’s almond character with added crunch. Distribute them evenly so they brown evenly.
• Apricot Nappage: This glaze gives the finished tart its signature glossy, patisserie-style finish and forms a thin protective film that keeps the pears from drying out or oxidizing after slicing. Warm it to a brushable consistency before applying so you can lay it on in a single thin, even coat without dragging the fruit.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations on This Pear Frangipane Tart (Tarte Bourdeloue)

• Red Wine Poaching Liquid. Replace the white wine with a medium-bodied red wine for a visually striking result: the pears take on a deep ruby stain throughout, and the flavor shifts toward something richer and more complex. Follow my recipe for [red wine poached pears! And then you can use those to make these poached pear pavlovas or this poached pear dessert!
• Alcohol-Free Poaching Liquid. Double the water in the poaching liquid, then steep your favorite tea before adding the sugar and lemon juice. Black tea or a spiced herbal blend works particularly well and keeps the poaching syrup fragrant without wine.
• Different Tart Pan Size. You can adapt this recipe to other tart pan sizes, but adjust the baking time accordingly and watch the frangipane rather than the clock for doneness cues.
• Chocolate pear! With my red wine-poached pears and my chocolate frangipane for a perfect Valentine’s Day dessert!

Professional Tips

• Poach the pears a full day ahead. They need to be completely cool before they go onto the frangipane. Warm pears will begin melting the fat in the filling during assembly, and the frangipane will bake unevenly as a result.
• Do not pull the tart early. The center of the frangipane should spring back slightly when pressed; by then, the edges will already be deeply golden brown. That color is traditional and intentional, not a sign of overbaking.
• Add only as many pears to the poaching liquid as can float and move freely. Crowding the pot causes uneven cooking since pears vary in size and ripeness. Test several pieces individually rather than assuming they are all done at the same time.
• Stop mixing the pâte brisée as soon as the dough holds together when squeezed. Overworked dough develops too much gluten and bakes tough rather than flaky. The mixture should still look slightly shaggy before you press it together, which is completely normal.

How to Make Pear Frangipane Tart (Tarte Bourdeloue)

This tart has three components, made in sequence: poached pears, pâte brisée, and frangipane. You can make all three ahead, which makes final assembly straightforward.

Poach the Pears

Step 1: Prep the pears. Peel each pear and core it from the bottom using a melon baller or paring knife, keeping the neck intact. Remove the seeds and tough core while keeping the pear whole and presentable. (photos 1-3).

Step 2: Make the poaching liquid. Combine the white wine and water in a large, shallow pot over medium heat. Add the sugar, vanilla bean, and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then bring the mixture to a boil. (photos 4 &5).

Step 3: Poach the pears. Add only as many pears as can float and move freely in the liquid, then reduce to a simmer. Poach, turning occasionally, until a knife or cake tester slides through with little resistance, about 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size and ripeness of your pears. Test several pieces, because they will cook at different speeds. (photos 6&7).

Be careful not to over-poach, much like when pre-cooking your apple pie filling for a mile high apple pie; you will be baking this fruit again, so you don’t want the pears to turn to mush in your tart.

Step 4: Cool and store the pears. Drain the pears and let them cool separately from the liquid. Once both are completely cool, return the pears to the liquid and store until you are ready to assemble. The pears need to be fully cold before they go into the tart shell, or the heat will melt the frangipane before it has a chance to bake. (photo 8)

Poached pears keep for 3 to 4 days submerged in their cooled liquid in the refrigerator. Poaching a day ahead is the move I always recommend.

Make the Pâte Brisée

Step 5: Make the pâte brisée. Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then cut in the cold butter until it forms roughly ⅛-inch pieces, about the size of a dried lentil. Work quickly here. Keep the butter cold so the finished crust bakes up flaky rather than crumbly.

Step 6: Add water and bring the dough together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add some of the cold water. Mix from the center outward, adding more water as needed, just until a soft, shaggy dough forms. It should hold together when pressed but will look rough and uneven, which is correct. Overworking the dough at this stage develops gluten and toughens the crust.

If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment on low speed for both the butter and the water stages.

Step 7: Rest the dough. Pat the dough into a round, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Resting allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up again, making the dough easier to roll and helping it hold its shape during blind baking.

The dough will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.

Make the Almond Cream

Step 8: Cream the butter for the frangipane. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is soft and completely smooth. There should be no lumps before the almond paste goes in. (photo 9).

Step 9: Add the almond paste. Add the almond paste and begin mixing on low to break down any larger pieces. Once the mixture starts to come together, increase to high and beat until smooth and uniform, like properly creamed butter and sugar. (photo 10).

If you rush this step and leave lumps of almond paste, the frangipane will bake unevenly.

Step 10: Add the egg. With the mixer running on low, add the egg slowly in several additions, beating well after each one. Adding it too quickly risks breaking the emulsion, leaving the frangipane greasy and curdled. If it does look slightly broken, keep mixing; it usually comes back together. (photo 11).

Step 11: Finish the frangipane. Add the cornstarch and mix until no dry streaks remain, then add the rum and mix to combine. The finished frangipane should be smooth, creamy, and spreadable. Use it immediately or refrigerate for up to 7 days. (photos 12 & 13).

Assemble the Tart

Step 12: Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350°F conventional. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes, until it is pliable enough to roll without cracking at the edges. Cold dough will shatter and tear instead of bending.

Step 13: Roll, chill, and line the tart shell. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 10-inch disk, about ⅛ inch thick. Transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Line your tart ring or removable-bottom tart pan with the chilled dough, press it gently into the corners, and chill again for 10 to 15 minutes. Dock the bottom all over with a fork. (photos 14-16).

My order is roll, chill, line, dock, and it matters: chilling between steps keeps the butter cold and the dough from shrinking when it hits the oven.

Step 14: Fill the shell with frangipane. Briefly paddle the frangipane in the mixer until it looks light and fluffy, then spread an even layer over the docked shell with an offset spatula. The layer should be thick enough to puff up and cradle the pears but not so deep that it will overflow during baking. (photo 17).

Step 15: Slice the pears. Remove the pears from their poaching liquid and pat them dry. Slice each pear in half from stem to base, then slice each half crosswise into ¼-inch slices, keeping the shape intact so you can fan the pieces out without losing the pear form. (photo 18 & 19).

Step 16: Arrange the pears. Place each sliced pear half with its narrow top pointing toward the center of the tart and fan the slices inward. Five halves will fill a standard 9-inch tart evenly. Press each fan gently into the frangipane so it sits flush rather than perching on top. (photo 20).

Step 17: Add the sliced almonds. Scatter sliced almonds over any exposed frangipane between the pear halves. They toast as the tart bakes and add a little crunch to the finished slice, which I love. (photo 21).

Bake

Step 18: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, starting to check at 40. The tart is done when the crust is deeply browned, the edges of the pears are caramelized, and the frangipane is puffed, golden, and springs back slightly when you press the center. The edges will look very dark by the time the center is fully set, and that is exactly right. That deep French golden brown is traditional and adds both flavor and textural contrast to the finished tart. Pull it early and you will have a pale crust and an undercooked, gummy center. (photo 22).

Step 19: Glaze and cool. Warm the apricot jam with a small splash of water, stirring until it is loose and fluid. Brush it over the pears in an even coat while the tart is still warm. The nappage sets as it cools, giving the surface a glossy finish and a subtle brightness that balances the richness of the almond cream. Let the tart cool completely in the pan before slicing. (photos 23-25).

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

If this tart has you in a French pastry state of mind, there is plenty more where that came from. Browse all my Pie & Tart Recipes or make this cherry almond tart next!