A celebration-worthy dessert! Easy to prepare, this White Chocolate Pear Tart smells amazing with hints of cinnamon and cardamom. Assemble the tart in about 15 minutes, using store-bought phyllo pastry, juicy pears, crunchy pecans, and creamy white chocolate.
Don't be intimidated by the phyllo pastry -- this recipe doesn't require any fancy folding techniques or fussy design.
To accommodate different diets, you can make it plant-based or vegetarian. The only difference is in the type of white chocolate chips used.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this tart:
Choosing Pears
Tips: 'Accidentally' Vegan
When people are new to plant-based eating, they're often pleasantly surprised to learn that some commercial products that they know and love are, unintentionally, free from ingredients sourced from animals.
Phyllo dough, also known as filo, is one of these 'accidentally' vegan products. It's typically made with just a few ingredients: flour, water, vinegar, and minimal oil.
Other 'accidental' vegan products are Oreo cookies, Fritos corn chips, and Duncan Hines fudge brownie mix. (If your mouth just watered at 'fudge' check out our Brown Butter Chocolate Syrup recipe.)
P.S - I'm using vegan here as a synonym for plant-based, but there are some subtle differences. For more, see What exactly is plant-based eating?
Making the Tart
Although there are a number of steps to make the tart, they are all straightforward and relatively quick. Essentially, once you have the phyllo, crumb topping, and filling ingredients all prepped it's just a matter of assembly and baking.
Visual Overview: Making White Chocolate Pear Tart
Notes:
- Before you start, defrost your phyllo according to the package directions. (In my experience it often takes less time than the label states.)
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Use a 8 1/2 inch springform pan.
PrepaRE the Filling
Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes (for whole pieces).
Making Mashed Potatoes
The pecans will be lightly browned and smell nutty.
When the pecans are cool, chop them roughly.
Toasted, chopped pecans
Melt the coconut oil over low heat on your stove, or in a microwave.
Melted coconut oil
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the pecans, white chocolate chips, spices, and oil.
Nut, chocolate, oil, and spice mixture
Slice the pears into evenly thick pieces.
Making mashed potatoes, step 4.
Organize the filling ingredients so they're nearby the phyllo sheets.
Making mashed potatoes.
Prepare the Phyllo sheets
Remove the phyllo from the package and lay the sheets flat. Place the base of your springform pan in the middle of the phyllo.
Making Shepherd's Pie
Using sharp scissors, cut the phyllo into a rough circle that's about 2 inches biggher than the springform pan (enough to reach up and slightly over the sides of the pan, when it's attached). Don't worry if the circle is rough. Later when assembling, you can fold the longer pieces over, if needed.
Making Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie.
Prepare phyllo crumb topping
In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, spices, and oil.
Making Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie.
Rip up about half of the phyllo scraps and add them to the sugar/spice/oil mixture. Use your hands to blend everything together, while shredding the phyllo into crumbs.
(Set aside the remaining phyllo for another recipe.)
Phyllo crumb topping
AssemblE and BakE
Put the ring around the springform pan and clip it into place. Put 2-3 sheets of phyllo in the pan (sometimes it's hard to separate the layers, so do whatever is easiest).
Making White Chocolate Pear Tart
Press the phyllo into the pan, pushing it up against the sides. Brush with coconut oil, including the sides. Don't worry if the sides look messy and uneven.
Arrange a single layer of pears.
Making Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie.
Put about 1/3rd of the white chocolate/nuts/spice mixture on top of the pears.
Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the tart.
Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie
Clean up the phyllo edges. If you have a lot overhanging, you can trim with sharp scissors. Turn any extra in toward the pan. Brush any exposed areas of the phyllo with coconut oil.
Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie
Bake on the middle rack until a fork goes easily through the tart, about 45 minutes. Check at about 30 minutes and if the phyllo is starting to get too brown, place foil lightly over the tart.
Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie
Let it cool in the pan before removing it. s.
Optionally, drizzle with melted white chocolate chips.
White Chocolate Pear Tart
Recipe Card
White Chocolate Pear Tart
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup pecans, toasted
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (Use plant-based white chocolate if desired)
- 10 sheets phyllo
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (approximately)
- 3-4 pears
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
Phyllo Topping
- scraps from phyllo
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon white sugar Or replace with coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Optional Drizzle
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, melted (Use plant-based white chocolate if desired)
Instructions
- Before you start, defrost your phyllo according to package directions.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare the filling ingredients
- Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes (for whole pieces).
- When pecans are cool enough, chop them roughly.
- Melt the coconut oil.
- In small mixing bowl, combine cinnamon, cardamom, pecans, white chocolate chips, and 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Slice 3-4 pears into evenly thick pieces.
Prepare the phyllo sheets
- Remove phyllo from package and lay the sheets flat. Place your springform pan on the phyllo.
- Using sharp scissors, cut the phyllo in a rough circle that's about 1-2 inches bigger than the springform pan (enough to reach up the sides). Don't worry if it's not perfect. Later when assembling the tart, you can fold longer pieces over shorter pieces if needed.
Prepare phyllo crumb topping
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, spices, coconut oil and phyllo scraps, until they are well coated.
- Rip up about half of the phyllo scraps and add them to the sugar/spice/oil mixture. Use your hands to blend everything together, while shredding the phyllo into crumbs.
Assemble and Bake
- Place 2-3 sheets of phyllo in the springform pan (sometimes it's hard to separate the layers, so do whatever is easiest).
- Brush with coconut oil, including the sides.
- Place a layer of pears, then about 1/3rd of the nut/spice/white chocolate mixture.
- Place 2-3 more sheets on top and repeat for a total of 3 layers.
- Top the tart with the phyllo crumb topping.
- Clean up the edges of the phyllo, trimming as needed, and folding over any extra in toward the pan. Brush any exposed areas of phyllo with the coconut oil.
- Put tart in oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the pears are soft (use a fork to test) and topping is browned. Check at about 30 minutes and if the phyllo is getting too brown, place foil lightly over the tart.
- Let cool before removing from springform pain
- Optionally, drizzle with melted white chocolate chips.