Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart is a yummy dessert with a shortbread crust and pear, cinnamon, brown sugar filling, topped with buttery streusel.
Many years ago a friend of mine gave me a recipe for an apple tart, and it has become one of my “go to” dessert recipes we love! Over the years I’ve created several other fruit tart recipes using that original “basic” recipe.
Last summer I received a bag of ripe pears from one of our neighbors who has a pear tree. They were very ripe, so they had to be used fairly quickly. This recipe for a pear pecan shortbread tart is the result!
I also made and canned jars of pear butter with them, which was also wonderful, as well. That gift of homegrown pears was such a welcome and generous surprise!
This recipe creates a truly delicious dessert I’m confident you’ll enjoy, so I am sharing the recipe today. Here’s how to make a pear pecan shortbread tart.
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Make The Shortbread Crust
The first thing you will need to do is preheat your oven to 400°F . While the oven is preheating, make the shortbread crust, using either a food processor OR a handheld pastry blender.
Combine all purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt and cold butter chunks in a food processor OR a large mixing bowl.
If you’re using a food processor, pulse the ingredients until the mixture is combined and the butter is reduced to the size of peas. If you’re using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the other ingredients until it’s about the size of peas.
Add egg yolks and mix, to combine the yolks with the other ingredients. You should end up with a slightly crumbly mixture.
Make The Shortbread Crust
Remove ¼ of this mixture and set it aside (it will be used later as a topping for the fruit). Take the remaining ¾ of the mixture and pat it firmly into a 9″ tart pan (with a removable bottom disc).
Firmly compact the mixture with your fingers (or the bottom of a glass) to form a compacted, solid bottom crust and sides of the tart pan. When done, set the tart crust aside.
Prepare The Pear Filling
Peel 6 medium sized ripe pears. The riper they are, the sweeter the fruit will be. Peel the pears, cut them in half, remove the core, and then slice each pear into thin slices.
Place the pear slices in a large bowl and add chopped pecans (or walnuts), brown sugar, all purpose flour, cinnamon and vanilla extract.
Fill the Shortbread Crust
Gently toss to fully combine the pears with these additional ingredients. This is the filling for your Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart.
Carefully add the pear filling to the shortbread crust, mounding the pears up in the middle of the pan.
Top The Tart With The Remaining Streusel
Cover the entire surface of the fruit with the reserved streusel topping. Use a spoon to sprinkle it over all of the fruit filling.
TIP: When sprinkling the topping around the edges of the crust, cup your other hand around that section, to help hold the streusel IN the tart. Use all of the streusel topping to fully cover the tart.
Time To Bake!
Now it is time to bake the Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart! Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a middle oven rack. Carefully place the tart on the aluminum foil. The foil will help catch any drips and make cleanup much easier.
Bake the pear pecan shortbread tart at 400°F. for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for 25-30 minutes.
When done, the tart should be slightly bubbly around the edges (from accumulated juices), and the topping should be golden brown in color. Carefully transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool (in pan) at least 15-20 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.
Slice And Serve The Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart
When the tart has cooled enough, carefully remove the tart from the pan by pressing up on the bottom disc (from underneath) and lifting up, to remove the tart from the outer ring.
Slice the pear pecan shortbread tart into eight slices, and serve warm with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you have it!
We prefer to eat this dessert war with ice cream, as opposed to blazing hot! It is also wonderful to eat it at room temperature, too.
TIP: This tart is at its BEST eaten the 1st or 2nd day after making it (accumulated pear juices can cause the bottom crust to get slightly “soggy” after the first couple days).
I hope you enjoy this delicious dessert as much as we do. I have made this recipe many times using other fruits as well, and they are all delicious!
Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and I hope you have a GREAT day!
Looking for More FRUIT TART OR PIE Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of fruit pies and tarts to choose from, including:
- Apple Shortbread Tart
- Red, White and Blue Fruit Tart
- Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
- Lemon Cream Cheese Tart
- Peach Shortbread Tart
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart is a yummy dessert with a shortbread crust and pear, cinnamon, brown sugar filling, topped with buttery streusel.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup COLD butter cut in chunks = 12 Tablespoons
- 2 large egg yolks
- 6 medium ripe pears peeled, cored, thinly slices
- ½ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
- 3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Make shortbread crust, using food processor OR pastry blender. Combine flour, sugar, salt and cold butter chunks in food processor OR large bowl. If using a food processor, pulse ingredients until combined and butter is size of peas. If using a pastry blender, cut butter into other ingredients until combined and butter is size of peas. Add egg yolks and mix, to combine. into a crumbly mixture.
Remove ¼ of crust mixture; set it aside. Take remaining ¾ of the mixture and pat it firmly into a 9" tart pan (with removable bottom disc). Firmly compact mixture with fingers (or bottom of a glass) to form a solid bottom crust and sides of the tart pan. When done, set aside.
Peel pears, cut them vertically in half, remove core; cut pears in thin slices. Place pear slices in large bowl; add pecans, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and vanilla. Gently toss to combine. Carefully add pear filling to shortbread crust, mounding pears up in the middle of the pan.
Cover fruit with reserved topping. Use a spoon to sprinkle it over all fruit filling. TIP: When sprinkling topping around edges of crust, cup other hand around that section, to help hold streusel IN the tart. Use all topping to fully cover the tart.
Place foil on middle oven rack. Carefully place tart pan on foil. Bake at 400°F. for 15 minutes; then reduce heat to 350°F. Continue baking 25-30 minutes. Tart should be bubbly around edges and golden brown in color. Transfer tart pan to a wire rack to cool (in pan) for 15-20 minutes before removing sides of pan.
Remove tart from the pan by pressing up on the bottom disc (from underneath) and lifting up, to remove tart from the outer ring. Slice the pear pecan shortbread tart into eight wedges. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!