‍‍In pastry school, the classic frangipane pear tart was one of my favorites! I love, love, LOVE pears! Well, Bartlett pears. With a buttery crust and almond pastry cream- it was divine! The pears can be left as halves or thinly sliced and fanned out. Beautiful, sweet, and delicious!

Today's treat gives a nod to the classic pear tart. Technically, this isn't even a tart, since I decided to forgo any pie dough. It's so much easier to grab a gluten free cookie or graham cracker for the base. Plus, gluten free pie crust just isn't quite the same as what's made in France. And, the mini form is referred to as a tartlet.

Originally, I was planning to sauté the diced pears and create a pear crisp. But then, the diced fresh pears looked so good! No heat needed.

This is a great recipe to put together just before serving. When you refrigerate some gluten free cookies, they will become soft. Also, the pears will begin to brown. Make the cream cheese filling ahead of time and store in the fridge. Then, before your guests arrive- pipe, dice, and top gluten free cookies. Cute, simple, and oh so tasty!

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Ingredients in Mini Gluten Free Pear Tarts

• Gluten Free Cookies or Graham Crackers
• Cream Cheese
• Milk/Cream
• Brown Sugar
• Vanilla
• Diced Pears

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Are tarts French?

In French, tarte, can be translated to tart or pie. These are very similar, with the main difference that most pies have a pastry layer covering the filling. Tarts go back to medieval times, where they were prepared with meat fillings. In Italy, early tarts and pies were known as crostatas.

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