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A pear tart can be both decadent and low-calorie
Fruit and pastry were meant to be together. There’s just something about sweet, juicy fruit encased with a crisp, buttery pastry. Mmm, it’s so good! In this case, it’s a pear tart with tender pear slices dusted with cinnamon sugar and elegantly shingled onto a store-bought puff pastry.
This simple dessert is quick and easy to assemble, bakes in about 20 minutes, is under 200 calories a serving, and is always perfect for entertaining (safely, of course).
How to make a pear tart: Step-by-step
1. Gather your ingredients
Only five (5) main ingredients are needed with a few more items from your pantry:
- Pears
- Store-bought puff pastry [Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (unpaid link) are recommended*]
- Pure cane sugar
- Cinnamon
- An egg + water to make an egg wash
- Flour for dusting
- Butter and almonds (optional)
Cooking Tools
I can guarantee you have everything you need to make this pear tart happen. Here’s what you will need:
- Cutting board (this one is reversible!)
- Pairing knife
- Small metal spoon
- Large baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Measuring spoons (I love these gold plated ones)
- Pastry brush
2. Prep and slice the pears
1. Remove the cores & stems. 
2. Slice into segments.
As much as I love ripe and juicy pears, try to use ones that are ripe but still a bit firm. This way, they will hold together well in the tart and not oversaturate the pastry as it bakes. If there is a lot of excess juice, remove the tart from the oven during the last 5-7 minutes of baking. Then, carefully tilt the tart back and forth to evenly distribute the juices around the fruit or use a pastry brush to baste the fruit. Return it to the oven to finish baking.
3. Prep the puff pastry
There are a few different methods you can use to thaw the puff pastry (see Notes in the recipe card below).
To save you additional time and cleanup effort, line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly dust it with flour. Place the thawed puff pastry sheet on the floured surface and gently stretch it out with your hands. Yay! You don’t even need to use a rolling pin on this one.
Use a sharp knife to lightly score along the edges of the dough to create a 1/2″ border. This allows for the edges to puff up beautifully when it bakes. Just be careful not to cut through the dough.
Lastly, make the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle a little less than half of it onto the dough. Avoid getting it onto the edges of the dough as the sugar may burn when baking.
3. Shingle, sprinkle, and brush
2. Sprinkle sugar onto pears. 
3. Brush edges w/ egg wash. 
1. Shingle the pears onto the pastry.
After making this tart countless times, I highly recommend that you keep your pear slices together in one hand while you deal them like a deck of cards with the other hand. It keeps that pattern looking nice and uniform.
Sprinkle the rest of the yummy cinnamon sugar over the pears. It’s okay to go a little crazy here, just avoid those pastry edges again.
Okay, now it’s time for the edges to get some love. Lightly brush some of the egg wash over the edges. Try your hardest not to get too much of the wash onto the foil in order to prevent the pastry from sticking too much while baking. If it does, no worries! That’s what spatulas are for…just pry that baby off if needed.
4. Add more topping options, if your feeling naughty
A little butter on top makes this tart a bit more rich and golden brown. As do a few sprinkles of almonds or any nut of your choice. They will toast nicely in the oven without burning.
However, if you are being mindful of any unnecessary calories, feel free to skip both the butter and nuts. ‘Cuz, I mean, puff pastry is LOADED with butter! So, you won’t miss out on any of the lovely richness, not in the least.
5. Bake it, then eat it (with ice cream)!
Our family favorite vanilla ice cream is definitely Kroger’s Private Selection Double Vanilla Ice Cream (unpaid and unsponsored recommendation). It has the perfect vanilla flavor and is ultra creamy and dense, no foamy stuff here. It’s the real deal, y’all!
I mean…it’s so good!
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Another easy, scrumptious fruit tart recipe
Watch how to make it
Easy Pear Tart
Tender pear slices are dusted with cinnamon sugar and elegantly shingled onto a store-bought puff pastry. This holiday favorite dessert is quick and easy to assemble, bakes in about 20 minutes, and is under 200 calories a serving!
Ingredients
- 2 pears (to prep 3 halves)
- 1 puff pastry sheet (8.5 oz), thawed but still cold*
- Flour for dusting
- 3 TB pure cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp water
- Butter (optional)
- Raw sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the pears in half; remove the cores and stems with a small metal spoon or pairing knife. Slice each half into 12-16 segments. Discard the end pieces, if desired. Keep the segments together until you are ready to place them on the pastry.
- Prep the dough (see Notes). Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly dust with flour. Place the thawed puff pastry sheet on the floured surface and gently stretch it out with your hands. Use a sharp knife, lightly trace along the edges of the dough to create a 1/2" border.
- Make the cinnamon-sugar. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the mixture over the pastry, avoiding the edges as much as possible.
- Shingle the pears. Hold a sliced pear half in your palm and "deal" the slices onto the pastry, like a deck of cards, with your other hand. Repeat this step two more times, alternating the direction each time.
- Add more cinnamon-sugar. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the pears, again avoiding the edges of the pastry.
- Brush on the egg wash. Whisk together the egg and water. Using a pastry/basting brush (or your finger), coat the edges of the dough and any other exposed areas with the egg wash.
- Bake and serve. Add a few dollops of butter and some almonds over the pears, if desired. Bake the pastry at 400 F for 20-25 minutes. (If the pears were sliced a bit thicker, bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes).
Notes
Recommended Products
- *Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
Tips 'n' Tricks
Dough Prep:
- Thawing process: If your pastry sheet(s) is frozen, you can thaw it in the refrigerator the night before OR allow it to sit at room temperature until just thawed (which takes about 20 minutes or so). If you are pressed for time, follow the package instructions for microwaving the pastry until it is defrosted. DO NOT let your pastry become room temperature or warm or it will not rise properly while baking, leaving it gummy and less flakey in texture.
- Rolling it out: If you do not have enough room on your baking sheet to roll out the dough, simply place the foil around a large cutting board. Fold the sides of the foil under the cutting board to avoid it from slipping around while rolling out the dough. Then transfer it to the baking sheet and proceed to layer on the toppings.
Fruit Ripeness:
- Try to use fruit that is ripe but semi-firm. The riper and softer the fruit, the more juice it will produce while baking. During the last 5 minutes of baking, you can remove the tart from the oven and tilt the tart back and forth to evenly distribute the juices or use a pastry brush to baste the fruit. Return it to the oven to finish baking.
Additional Notes: Nutrition calculations do not include the butter and almond options.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 183Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 68mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used. I am not a doctor, nor a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health. Please consult your personal physician with any questions you may have regarding your own health and diet.
