Pear Tart
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This simple Pear Tart starts with a buttery and flaky crust, it's filled with fresh pears, and topped with a streusel topping and finished with a sweet glaze. This delicious Pear Tart makes the best dessert, afternoon snack, or even brunch!
If you love making tarts as much as I do, then be sure to check out some of my other favorite organic tart recipes like my Apricot Cheesecake Tart, Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart, or my Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart.
I have a million pears. Okay, well not a million, but I have lots. My friend just moved down to a really sweet property with tons of fruit trees, pears being one of them. He has more pears than he knows what to do with and thankfully I reap the benefits of that! He brings me pears, I bake him this Pear Tart.
And let me tell you, this Pear Tart is the perfect fall dessert! This simple organic tart is slightly spicy, full of sweet pear flavor, topped with a streusel topping, and a sweet glaze! I actually used pears that were not completely ripe yet, and it made this tart turn out amazing. Pears can have a tendency to get mushy quickly. So, using pears that aren't quite ripe yet for something like this organic tart is best. This is because it gets baked and cooked, and that will soften the pears. So if they are already very ripe, it can sometimes get too soft and it won't taste as good.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Contrasting Texture: I love this Pear Tart with a streusel topping because of the fantastic textural contrast. The tender, melt-in-your-mouth pears are complemented by the crisp, crumbly streusel, which adds a satisfying crunch to every bite. This combination of soft and crunchy textures makes the tart incredibly enjoyable to eat.
Buttery Crust: This Pear Tart has a buttery and flaky pie crust.
Streusel Topping: The streusel topping on this tart is the best part. The buttery, crispy, little bits of butter and sugar are the perfect compliment to the fresh pears beneath.
Glaze: You can't have a streusel topping without glaze, in my opinion. This sweet glaze makes this organic tart simply perfect!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, you can use your favorite. Be sure your butter is cold, straight from the fridge as cold butter will create flaky pie crust!
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar, as it's less processed than granulated white sugar. This gives baked goods a more natural sweetness, making this organic tart just right.
- All Purpose Flour: My favorite is Cairnspring Mills.
- Pears: Use fresh pears that are not overly ripe for this recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar: I use my homemade light brown sugar, but store bought also works. This gives this organic tart a rich flavor that compliments the pears.
- Cornstarch: This is necessary to thicken the filling. Organic cornstarch ensures that the fruit juices solidify in the oven and don't create a soggy crust or run out when the tart is sliced.
- Cinnamon: Different varieties of cinnamon will taste different. My favorite is organic Korintje cinnamon, and it's what I use here. Be sure to check out my post the Best Cinnamon to Bake With for more info on the different kinds.
- Nutmeg: This gives this organic tart a cozy fall vibe.
- Salt: Needed for flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: You'll need organic powdered sugar for the glaze. Be sure its sifted to avoid clumps.
- Milk: Use organic whole milk for the best flavor. I also prefer to use grassfed milk too.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but you can also make pie dough by hand if you prefer.
- Rolling Pin: You'll need a rolling pin to roll out the pie dough.
- Tart Pan: I use a 9.5-inch tart pan. A tart pan is much different than a pie pan in that it's much more shallow, so it's less volume. If you try to use a pie pan of the same size you won't have enough crust or filling. Also, a tart pan has a removable bottom, this allows you to easily remove it from the pan without any issues.
- Parchment Paper: You'll need nontoxic parchment paper to parbake the crust.
- Pie Weights: You'll need pie weights to parbake the crust. These do not have to be fancy pie weights. I just simply use rice! You can also use quinoa or beans too.
- Mixing Bowl: You'll need a large mixing bowl to mix up the filling and the glaze.
- Whisk: You'll need a whisk to mix up the glaze.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour and cane sugar. Turn on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
Remove the butter from the fridge and cut the stick into four pieces. From there, chop the pieces into small cubes; the smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust. Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture.
Measure out the cold water and have ready. Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate all the flour, cane sugar, and butter. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer.
Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 3
On a floured surface, roll out the crust to ¼-inch thick. Place in a 9.5-inch tart pan and form against the sides. Fold over any edges to create even sides that are flush with the edge of the pan.
Place a piece of parchment paper into the tart pan and fill with rice or pie weights. Parbake the crust for 25 minutes, remove the rice and parchment paper, and bake again for 15 minutes.
Step 4
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, add the cane sugar, cornstarch, flour, and sea salt and whisk together. Add the pears and toss together and fold until you don’t see any dry bits and the pears are completely coated. Set aside.
Step 5
To make the topping: In a medium bowl, add the flour, light brown sugar, and melted butter. Stir with a spatula until combined.
Step 6
Fill the tart crust with the pear filling, and crumble the topping on top.
Step 7
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Step 8
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle over the top of the tart.
Baker's Tips
- Make sure to use cold butter for the crust. It is very important to use cold butter when making pie crust, as it helps make it flaky.
- If you are new to making pie crust, check out my post All Butter Pie Crust for all the tips and ticks for making the best pie crust.
- I used a 9.5-inch tart pan, you can find it here. If you only have a 9-inch tart pan, you could also use that in its place too.
- It is best to use pears that are not fully ripe. They should be firm still. This will help give this Pear Tart the best texture once fully baked. This is helpful if you have pears that are not quite ripe yet!
FAQ's
Yes, this recipe would also work with apples or peaches.
Store in a cool dry place. I just leave it out on the counter for a couple days while we eat it.
Craving More?
Pear Tart
Equipment
- Pie Weights
Ingredients
Crust
- 95 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cane sugar
- 85 grams salted butter (cold)
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
- 113 grams cane sugar
- 21 grams all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 454 grams sliced pears with their skins (about 4 to 5 pears)
Topping
- 127 grams all purpose flour
- 113 grams light brown sugar (packed)
- 85 grams salted butter (melted)
Glaze
- 71 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour and cane sugar. Turn on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
- Remove the butter from the fridge and cut the stick into four pieces. From there, chop the pieces into small cubes; the smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust. Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture.
- Measure out the cold water and have ready. Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate all the flour, cane sugar, and butter. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer.
- Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- On a floured surface, roll out the crust to ¼-inch thick. Place in a 9.5-inch tart pan and form against the sides. Fold over any edges to create even sides that are flush with the edge of the pan.
- Place a piece of parchment paper into the tart pan and fill with rice or pie weights. Parbake the crust for 25 minutes, remove the rice and parchment paper, and bake again for 15 minutes.
- To make the filling: In a medium bowl, add the cane sugar, cornstarch, flour, and sea salt and whisk together. Add the pears and toss together and fold until you don’t see any dry bits and the pears are completely coated. Set aside.
- To make the topping: In a medium bowl, add the flour, light brown sugar, and melted butter. Stir with a spatula until combined.
- Fill the tart crust with the pear filling, and crumble the topping on top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.
- To make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle over the top of the tart.
- Store in a cool dry place for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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So good, I eat this for breakfast and dessert!