This gluten-free pear and walnut tart combines ripe pears, honey, creamy brie, fresh rosemary, and candied walnuts for a delicious savory treat.
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Why You'll Love This
Puff pastry is incredibly versatile, perfect for elegant desserts or easy appetizers. One of my favorite recipes is this Gluten-Free Pear and Walnut Tart, featuring rich brie cheese, honey, and candied walnuts from Santé Nuts. With just five ingredients, it offers a balanced bite that's great as a starter for a summer dinner party or a delightful dessert. Don’t miss out on this recipe!
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The Perfect Puff Pastry
Puff pastries are popular for their light, flaky texture and buttery taste, originating from France with many variations. Surprisingly, gluten-free options are now available, thanks to Schär’s gluten-free and lactose-free puff pastry dough. It's the perfect base for a Gluten-Free Pear and Walnut Tart!
Ingredients
Here is everything you will need for this recipe:
- Schär gluten-free puff pastry dough, 2 sheets: Provides a light, flaky base without gluten.
- Egg: Binds ingredients and gives a golden, glossy finish.
- Water: Hydrates the dough, helping create flaky layers.
- Brie cheese (5.3 ounces): Adds creamy texture and a tangy flavor.
- Bartlett pears: Contribute natural sweetness and juicy texture.
- Honey: Enhances sweetness and adds a floral note.
- Candied walnuts from Santé Nuts: Offer a crunchy, caramelized contrast.
- Fresh rosemary: Adds aromatic herbal depth to balance sweetness.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements!
Substitutions & Variations
Whether you're missing a few ingredients, or just looking for simple modifications, these tips below can help you adjust the recipe!
- Swapping Fruit: Add in any fruit you prefer! Asian pears would be a perfect easy swap.
- Pecans: Instead of walnuts, try pecans for a slight twist!
Please note that this recipe hasn't been tested with substitutions beyond those listed. Adding or replacing ingredients may alter the results.
Equipment
All you need for this recipe is very simple. You will just need a large baking sheet!
Instructions
How to Thaw the Gluten-Free Puff Pastry Dough
Schär offers two thawing methods for their puff pastry: letting it sit at room temperature for four hours or using the microwave’s defrost setting for about five minutes. Surprisingly, microwaving is more effective, as room temperature thawing can make the dough harder to unroll and prone to breakage.
For best results:
- Let the frozen dough sit at room temperature for five minutes before microwaving.
- Place it on a microwave-safe plate and thaw on defrost for five minutes.
- Cut the packaging and carefully unroll the dough.
- Allow it to cool on the plate for a few minutes before transferring.
The gluten-free sheets are slightly thicker than traditional ones, but the taste remains the same!
What Pears are Best to Use?
Pears come in various types with distinct flavors:
- Bartlett Pears: Sweet and juicy, ideal for fresh use.
- Bosc Pears: Sweet, complex, and perfect for baking with warm spices.
- D'Anjou Pears: Citrusy and available in red/green, harvested in October.
- Asian Pears: Crisp, melon-like, great for salads.
This recipe uses Bartlett pears for their sweetness, which pairs well with the creaminess of brie. sweetness of candied walnuts best.
Assembling the Tarts
After thawing the gluten-free puff pastry, cut it into six long pieces or four squares and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with an egg wash (1 egg + 2 teaspoon water) to prevent burning.
Place two small brie cheese pieces in the center of each dough piece, followed by two slices of pear and a teaspoon of honey drizzled over the top. Finally, add candied walnuts from Santé Nuts and fresh rosemary for the perfect crunchy texture and complementary flavor.
Final Step: Baking the Gluten-Free Pear and Walnut Tarts
Once the tarts are assembled, simply place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven. Bake at 400°F for 15-17 minutes, or up to 20 minutes for a crispier texture.
The puff pastry will rise and turn golden-brown, while the brie spreads and bubbles at the edges. The pears won't rise as much, but the candied walnuts stay crunchy and sweet without burning.
After the allotted time, remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool at room temperature for five minutes.
Serving Suggestions
If you'd like, you can garnish them with another drizzle of honey. Then, serve the tarts warm and enjoy! You can serve them as an appetizer or add a scoop of ice cream and have them for dessert. The choice is yours!
Expert Tips
The Best Nut Option
The candied walnuts from Santé Nuts are essential for tying together the flavors of puff pastry, brie, pears, honey, and rosemary. Their complex taste—rich, slightly bitter, and naturally sweet—enhanced by a sugar coating, creates the perfect bite. Hand-roasted and seasoned, these walnuts are great for baking and cooking, or as a snack. Try using them in pesto and make this pasta salad recipe or even in a homemade granola!
Santé Nuts also offers a variety of other nuts, including:
- Garlic Almonds: Perfect for snacking or adding crunch to dishes like Lemony Asparagus Risotto.
- Candied Pecans: Versatile for baking or in salads, such as Radicchio Salad with Pecans. For sweet inspiration, check out this Gluten-Free Pecan Crusted Mini Key Lime Pies
- Cocoa Almonds: Great for charcuterie boards or desserts like Rocky Road Ice Cream.
For more gluten-free recipes featuring Santé Nuts, check my Instagram, and use code 'BOTTOMLESSPIT' for 15% off your order!
Storage
Keep your pastries in the refrigerator and re-heat in a toaster or oven when ready to enjoy again! These stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Related
Looking for more? Check these out:
Gluten-Free Pear and Walnut Tart
Course: Appetizers, DessertDifficulty: Easy8
Servings10
minutes15
minutesThese Gluten-Free Pear and Walnut Tarts come together in less than 30 minutes and make for the perfect bite!
Ingredients
1 package of Schär gluten-free puff pastry dough, 2 sheets
1 room temperature egg
2 teaspoons water
1 wedge of brie cheese (5.3 ounces)
2 large Bartlett pears
¼ cup honey
1 bag of candied walnuts from Santé Nuts
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Thaw the puff pastry sheets according to package instructions. Once thawed, carefully unroll and cut into six small pieces of four squares. Repeat with the other sheet, then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Combine the egg and water, then brush over each puff pastry piece to prevent burning.
- Slice the wedge of brie cheese into 2" pieces and place on the puff pastry (two pieces of brie if you cut the sheet into six pieces, or three pieces of brie for four squares).
- Wash and slice the pear before placing two pieces on top of the brie.
- Drizzle a teaspoon or two of honey over each puff pastry piece before sprinkling with crushed walnuts and a few pieces of fresh rosemary.
- Place on the center rack and bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.
Recipe Video
Notes
- The best way to thaw the puff pastry sheets is to place one roll at a time (still in the covering) on a microwave-safe plate and use the defrost setting on the microwave for roughly five minutes.
[…] Candied Walnuts: These sugar coasted walnuts are the best of both worlds because you can use them in savory recipes, like my Walnut & Pea Pesto Pasta Salad, or sweet treats, like this Gluten-Free Pear and Walnut Tart! […]