Pear, Ginger and Almond Tart (vegan)

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This vegan pear, ginger and almond tart is a lovely bake for Autumn. Consisting of a crisp shortcrust pastry case filled with stem ginger almond frangipane and poached pears, it would be a brilliant dish for a dinner party, or it is equally good as a coffee morning treat!

Pear, ginger and almond tart on a metal tray with pears and bowls of stem ginger and flaked almonds.

I love a frangipane tart and have baked a lot of them, from the classic vegan Bakewell tart to a chocolate pear version. This pear and ginger frangipane tart is my latest version, making the most of Autumnal flavours. It is not overly sweet, and the ginger adds a subtle warmth without overpowering the almond and pear.

It is good served either warm or cold. Cold it makes a great mid morning or afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee; and warm it is perfect as a pudding with cream, ice cream or custard.

A labelled photo of the ingredients needed to make pear, ginger and almond tart.

Ingredient Details:

Pears: I poach the pears in sugar syrup so that they are soft and jammy. If you want to skip this step then you can just use tinned pear halves instead, or use very ripe, soft pears. If making the poached pears I would go for the Conference variety and they should be only just ripe, you don't want them to be too soft.

Stem ginger and ground ginger: Stem ginger is preserved ginger root in sugar syrup. Most supermarkets in the UK sell it and you can also make your own. If you are unable to get hold of any then you can use crystallised/candied ginger instead and brush the tart with warm apricot jam rather than the stem ginger syrup.

Plain flour: Just regular plain (all-purpose) flour. Don't swap it for wholemeal. I haven't tested this gluten-free and you would need to find your own gluten-free pastry recipe, but I think that a plain gluten-free flour blend would work well in the frangipane.

Cornflour (cornstarch): this helps to set the frangipane.

Vegan butter: For the best results you really need to use a block butter/margarine, not the spreadable kind in a tub. Especially for the pastry. I use Naturli Vegan Block or Flora Plant Butter.

Ground almonds: This is what forms the base of the frangipane. I believe that in the US it would be called almond flour rather than ground almonds. I also like to scatter over some toasted flaked almonds to decorate, but this is optional.

Vodka: Vodka is my (not-so) secret trick for crispy pastry. Because it has a lower water percentage than well, water; using a bit of vodka rather than water to bind the pastry makes for crispier pastry as the alcohol burns off when it cooks.

You can't taste it at all and you can absolutely use water instead if you prefer, but if you happen to have a bottle of vodka lurking in the cupboard I urge you to give it a try!

Milk: I recommend using soy milk as it has the highest protein content and is best for baking. Any kind of non-dairy milk will work however, but do go for unsweetened if possible.

Baking powder: Just a smidge in the frangipane to replace the lift that would usually be provided by the eggs.

Sugar: You will need both icing (powdered) sugar and either caster or granulated sugar. This pear, ginger and almond tart cannot be made with sweeteners or liquid sugars.

Almond extract: Without it I don't think that the tart would taste almondy enough so don't omit it.

Close up of a slice of pear, ginger and almond tart.

How To Make Pear, Ginger And Almond Tart:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Step 1: To make the poached pears, place the water, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a deep saucepan. Bring up to a simmer, add the peeled pears and simmer for 20 minutes until they are tender.

Step 2, the butter rubbed into the flour to make the pastry.

Step 2: To make the pastry, mix the flour, ground almonds, icing sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of butter remain.

Step 3: Add the cold vodka and mix to combine. Gradually add enough cold water to bring the pastry together into a ball. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

Step 4, thje rolled out pastry in the tart tin.

Step 4: Roll the pastry out into a circle big enough to line a 25cm round tart tin. Press the pastry right into the corners then roll over the top with a rolling pin to trim off the excess. Prick the base with a fork.

Step 5, the pastry case filled with baking beans.

Step 5: Freeze the pastry case for 20 minutes then line it with baking parchment or tin foil, and fill with baking beans or dried rice.

Step 6: Bake for 15 minutes then remove the tin foil and baking beans and return the tart shell to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until pale golden.

Step 7: To make the frangipane, whisk together the ground almonds, plain flour, cornflour, baking powder and sugar. Add the milk, melted butter and almond extract and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chopped stem ginger.

Step 8, the assembled tart before baking.

Step 8: Spread the frangipane in the pastry case and top with the halved pears.

Step 9: Bake for 50-60 minutes until the frangipane is set.

Step 10, the tart brushed with syrup and topped with flaked almonds.

Step 10: Brush the baked tart with stem ginger syrup and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds.

The sliced tart on a metal tray with bowls of stem ginger and flaked almonds and some fresh pears.

Top Tips:

All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

It is important to chill the pastry before rolling it out, otherwise it will be too soft and you will struggle to roll it.

For the best, crispy pastry, make sure that you don’t overwork it or let it get too warm. Freezing the tart shell prior to blind baking it helps to make the pastry crisp and stops it from shrinking too much.

If you are poaching the pears make sure that they are firm and just barely ripe, if they are too soft they will disintegrate. If you only have soft, ripe pears then you can just skip the poaching step.

For more spiced flavour, add some whole spices to the pear poaching syrup such as cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and allspice berries.

If you want to save time you can use shop bought shortcrust pastry instead. Many are vegan friendly - Jus Roll pastry is vegan (apart from the 'all-butter' one).

You can add a layer of jam (about 4 Tablespoons) underneath the frangipane if you like. Use any flavour you like but either ginger or blackberry would be particularly good.

FAQ's:

How should I store it?

Store the pear, ginger and almond tart in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It can be served either cold or warmed through briefly in the microwave.

Can I prep it in advance?

The pastry can be made in advance and stored (well wrapped) in the fridge for up to 2 days. If it becomes too firm to roll out let it sit out at room temperature for half an hour before rolling. You can also roll out the pastry, transfer it to the tin and freeze it until firm then wrap it well and store in the freezer for up to a week, simply blind bake it from frozen when needed.

The poached pears can be stored in the poaching syrup in the fridge for about 3 days.

The frangipane is best used freshly made as it contains baking powder, but it is extremely quick to throw together.

Can I freeze it?

I wouldn't recommend making and freezing it in advance of serving it, but any leftovers can certainly be frozen. Make sure that it is well covered to avoid freezer burn and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature to serve.

How should I serve it?

The tart can be served either warm or cold. It is fantastic warm with ice cream, cream or custard for dessert, or have a slice cold with a cup of tea or coffee.

Close up of the vegan pear, ginger and almond tart on a metal tray.

More Vegan Frangipane Tarts:

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