Few scents signal the arrival of Fall as much as toasted pecans, oranges, sage, and pear. Simply writing the words – I can smell their comforting aroma wafting under my nose.
This tart is a beautiful anytime treat and would make the most welcome addition to any holiday table.
Our friend and favorite personal chef Andreya from Mortar Pestle Cooking is sharing the recipe with us today, scroll down for all of the details.
Why we love this recipe:
Who wouldn’t be excited to see this stunning tart presented to them as dessert? The perfect marriage of sweet and savory to create a delicious fall-flavored treat.
A flavored whipped cream to top it really takes this to the next level, I’m already dreaming of other flavors to infuse into the cream to compliment other desserts.
I love that you can incorporate store-bought ingredients to make this even easier to toss together, no need to be intimidated by 3 different recipes.
Tip: You can cut the cooking time down by using a store-bought graham cracker crust and pre-made whipped cream!
Table of contents
Pear and Pecan Tart Ingredients
- Cinnamon Graham Crackers: Use your favorite brand of graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs.
- Demerara Sugar: A partially refined raw sugar with a larger grain and a subtle molasses flavor.
- Butter: This helps bind the graham crackers together to create the tart crust.
- Orange or Tangerine: You just need the zest to add a burst of citrus flavor.
- Fresh Sage: A lovely herbal flavor with a slightly peppery taste with hints of mint, eucalyptus, and lemon.
- Eggs: Another binder ingredient to combine the frangipane together, you’ll want them to be at room temperature.
- Vanilla: Use high-quality vanilla to get the best flavor.
- Cinnamon: A warm-smelling spice perfect for fall baking.
- Pecans: These will be toasted and ground into a fine powder as a base for the frangipane.
- Salt: A dash of salt helps balance the sweet flavors.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: The base for creating homemade whipping cream.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the whipped cream and for dusting overtop for a beautiful presentation.
- Pears: Bosc or d’anjou are great varieties for this recipe.
Step by Step Instructions for Pear and Pecan Tart
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Pulse the graham crackers, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until a fine crumb has been obtained.
- Next, drizzle in the melted butter until the dough comes together in a little ball.
- Pour the dough out into the pie pan and press into the bottom and sides.
- Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 7-10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Set aside and wait for the filling.
Pecan Frangipane
- Toast the pecans in a 350 oven for about 7-10 minutes until they begin to brown and release a heavenly aroma into your kitchen.
- Pulse the toasted pecans in a food processor until they are finely ground.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add everything but the pecans.
- Cream until the butter mixture is fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the pecans and mix until just combined.
- Pour the frangipane into the graham cracker crust and spread evenly across the surface.
- Layer sliced pears in a decorative pattern around the top of the frangipane.
- Sprinkle with demerara sugar over the surface.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake on 375 for 40-50 minutes, until the frangipane is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow to cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Cinnamon, Vanilla, Orange Whipped Cream
- Place all ingredients into a large bowl and whip until the mixture becomes as fluffy as a cloud. Don’t overmix or you’ll make butter! It should take about 1 minute if using a stand mixer or 5-10 minutes if mixing by hand.
- Add a dollop on top of your cooled pear tart before serving.
Tips for Success & FAQs
- If short on time you can use a store-bought graham cracker crust and whipped cream.
- For a great arm workout, whip the cream by hand! You’ll need a bowl 4 times larger than the liquid amount and quickly move a balloon whisk back and forth. You want to get as much air as possible into the cream.
- To reduce splashing while making the whipped cream in a stand mixer, affix some plastic wrap, beeswax cloth, or foil from the top rim of your bowl to the top of the machine. This will catch all of the flying cream to reduce the kitchen mess.
Frangipane is a pastry filling typically made with almonds, sometimes called almond cream. This is the perfect filling for tarts and pastries with a velvety texture and a nutty sweet taste.
D’anjou pears are great for baking because they can withstand high temperatures. Bosc pears offer a beautiful oblong shape and also hold up well after baking.
Unripe pears are actually best! They will hold their shape better whether poached, baked, or braised.
You’ll want to store it in the refrigerator, it will last for a few days.
More Recipes for you to Try
If you’re looking for a way to use the rest of the oranges you zested for this recipe try this orange curd perfect for topping pancakes, crepes, or simply eat it by the spoon!
Do you still have more pears to use up? Try this pear tart with candied walnuts. You can drizzle some caramel sauce on top to really level up your dessert game.
Looking for another picnic-friendly meal try these delicious potato and kale galettes.
The Recipe
Pear and Pecan Tart
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 Sleeve Cinnamon Graham Crackers
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- ¼ c Butter melted
Pecan Frangipane
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter room temp.
- Zest of 1 Tangerine or Orange
- 2 tbsp Fresh Sage minced
- ½ c Sugar
- 2 Eggs room temp.
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 ½ c Pecans toasted and ground to a fine meal (toast in a 350 oven for about 7-0 minutes, until they begin to brown and release a heavenly pecan aroma into your kitchen. Then pulse in a food processor until they are finely ground. You can do this up to 5 days in advance)
Cinnamon, Vanilla, Orange Whipped Cream
- 1 c Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract
- Zest of ½ an Orange or Tangerine
- ½ tsp Cinnamon Ground
- 2-3 Ripe Pears Bosc or D’Anjou
- 2-3 tbsp Demerara Sugar
Instructions
Make the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Pulse your graham crackers, sugar, and salt in a food processor until a fine crumb has been obtained
- Drizzle in the melted butter until the dough comes together in a little ball
- Pour out onto your pie pan and press into the bottom and sides
- Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 7-10 minutes, until lightly browned
- Set aside to wait for the filling
Make the Pecan Frangipane:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or bowl with your handheld mixer), add everything but the pecans and cream until the butter is fluffy. This should take at least 2-3 minutes. Then, add your pecans and mix to just combine.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and either whisk by hand with a balloon whisk or your mixer until the cream becomes as fluffy as a cloud.
Assemble your Tart:
- Pour frangipane into the prepared graham cracker crust and spread evenly across the surface.
- Layer your sliced pears in a decorative pattern around the top of the frangipane.
- Sprinkle demerara sugar over the surface
- Place on a sheet pan and bake on 375 for 40-50 minutes, until the frangipane is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into it comes out clean. Allow it to cool and then dust with powdered sugar and serve with the cinnamon, vanilla, and orange whipped cream.
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